2012 Atlanta Falcons season

The 2012 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 47th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fifth under head coach Mike Smith. Atlanta started the season 8–0, a franchise best for a start to a season. By beating the Detroit Lions during Week 16, the Falcons clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs in the NFC for the second time in three years, and made it to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2004, where they lost 28–24 against the San Francisco 49ers. It was the third straight year in which they didn't lose two consecutive regular season games.

2012 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Arthur Blank
General manager	Thomas Dimitroff
Head coach	Mike Smith
Home field	Georgia Dome
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st NFC South
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Seahawks) 30–28 Lost NFC Championship (vs. 49ers) 24–28
Pro Bowlers	QB Matt Ryan WR Julio Jones TE Tony Gonzalez FS Thomas DeCoud SS William Moore
Uniform
← 2011 Falcons seasons 2013 →

2012 draft class

Main article: 2012 NFL Draft

The Falcons did not have a first- or fourth-round selection.^[a]

2012 Atlanta Falcons draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	55	Peter Konz	C	Wisconsin
3	91	Lamar Holmes	OT	Southern Miss	from Baltimore
5	157	Bradie Ewing	FB	Wisconsin
5	164	Jonathan Massaquoi	DE	Troy	from Baltimore
6	192	Charles Mitchell	S	Mississippi State
7 ^[b]	249	Travian Robertson	DT	South Carolina	Compensatory selection
Made roster

Notes

^{^[a]} The team traded its first and fourth-round selections, as well as its first-, second-, and fourth-round selections in 2011 to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Cleveland's first round selection in 2011, used to select wide receiver Julio Jones.

^{^[b]} The team traded its original seventh-round selection (#229 overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for cornerback Asante Samuel.

Staff

2012 Atlanta Falcons staff

Front office Owner/chairman – Arthur Blank President/CEO – Rich McKay General manager – Thomas Dimitroff Director of player personnel – Lionel Vital Director of pro scouting – DeJuan Polk Director of football administration – Nick Polk Head coaches Head coach – Mike Smith Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Dirk Koetter Quarterbacks – Glenn Thomas Running backs – Gerald Brown Wide receivers – Terry Robiskie Tight ends – Chris Scelfo Offensive line – Pat Hill Assistant offensive line – Paul Dunn Offensive assistant – Andrew Weidinger Assistant to the head coach/offense – Devin Bonik

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Mike Nolan Defensive line – Ray Hamilton Linebackers – Glenn Pires Defensive backs – Joe Danna Secondary – Tim Lewis Defensive assistant – Mark Collins Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong Assistant special teams – Eric Sutulovich Strength and conditioning Director of athletic performance – Jeff Fish Assistant strength and conditioning – Jonas Beauchemin Assistant strength and conditioning – A. J. Neibel

Final roster

2012 Atlanta Falcons final roster

	Quarterbacks  4 Dominique Davis 12 Luke McCown  2 Matt Ryan Running backs 42 Mike Cox FB 32 Jacquizz Rodgers 35 Antone Smith 44 Jason Snelling 33 Michael Turner Wide receivers 19 Drew Davis 83 Harry Douglas 11 Julio Jones 17 Tim Toone 84 Roddy White Tight ends 86 Chase Coffman 88 Tony Gonzalez 81 Michael Palmer		Offensive linemen 72 Sam Baker T 63 Justin Blalock G 77 Tyson Clabo T 69 Harland Gunn G 61 Joe Hawley G/C 76 Lamar Holmes T 79 Mike Johnson G/T 66 Peter Konz G 68 Phillipkeith Manley G 62 Todd McClure C Defensive linemen 55 John Abraham DE/DT 95 Jonathan Babineaux DT 71 Kroy Biermann DE 94 Peria Jerry DT 96 Jonathan Massaquoi DE 98 Cliff Matthews DE 91 Corey Peters DT 92 Travian Robertson DT 90 Lawrence Sidbury DE 99 Vance Walker DT		Linebackers 52 Akeem Dent MLB 51 Robert James OLB 54 Stephen Nicholas OLB 53 Mike Peterson MLB/OLB 56 Sean Weatherspoon OLB Defensive backs 28 Thomas DeCoud FS 29 Dominique Franks CB 24 Chris Hope SS 27 Robert McClain CB 26 Charles Mitchell FS 25 William Moore SS 21 Chris Owens CB 23 Dunta Robinson CB 22 Asante Samuel CB Special teams  5 Matt Bosher P  3 Matt Bryant K 47 Josh Harris LS		Reserve lists 15 Kevin Cone WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   34 Bradie Ewing FB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   87 Tommy Gallarda TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   20 Brent Grimes CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   30 Matt Hansen SS (NF-Inj.Tooltip Non-football injury and illness)   80 Kerry Meier WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   82 Adam Nissley TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   75 Garrett Reynolds G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   39 Shann Schillinger FS (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   74 Will Svitek T (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   Practice squad 16 Marcus Jackson WR 65 Jacques McClendon G 67 Micanor Regis DT 18 James Rodgers WR 50 Pat Schiller LB 85 Andrew Szczerba TE 37 Peyton Thompson CB 40 Josh Vaughan RB Rookies in italics 53 active, 10 inactive, 8 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 9	Baltimore Ravens	L 17–31	0–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
2	August 16	Cincinnati Bengals	L 19–24	0–2	Georgia Dome	Recap
3	August 24	at Miami Dolphins	W 23–6	1–2	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
4	August 30	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 14–24	1–3	EverBank Field	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 9	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 40–24	1–0	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
2	September 17	Denver Broncos	W 27–21	2–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
3	September 23	at San Diego Chargers	W 27–3	3–0	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
4	September 30	Carolina Panthers	W 30–28	4–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
5	October 7	at Washington Redskins	W 24–17	5–0	FedExField	Recap
6	October 14	Oakland Raiders	W 23–20	6–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
7	Bye
8	October 28	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 30–17	7–0	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
9	November 4	Dallas Cowboys	W 19–13	8–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
10	November 11	at New Orleans Saints	L 27–31	8–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
11	November 18	Arizona Cardinals	W 23–19	9–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
12	November 25	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 24–23	10–1	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
13	November 29	New Orleans Saints	W 23–13	11–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
14	December 9	at Carolina Panthers	L 20–30	11–2	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
15	December 16	New York Giants	W 34–0	12–2	Georgia Dome	Recap
16	December 22	at Detroit Lions	W 31–18	13–2	Ford Field	Recap
17	December 30	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 17–22	13–3	Georgia Dome	Recap

Game summaries

Regular season

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week One: Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	10	10	14	6	40
Chiefs	3	14	0	7	24

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 71,180
• Referee: Mike Shepherd
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Julio Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:51. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:09. KC – Ryan Succop 39-yard field goal, 4:02. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:49. ATL – Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal, 1:57. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:05. Second quarter KC – Kevin Boss 22-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 11:39. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:18. ATL – Julio Jones 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:48. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:51. KC – Matt Cassel 5-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 3:38. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:10. ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 0:10. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 3:28. Third quarter ATL – Matt Ryan 5-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:54. Falcons 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:13. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:56. Falcons 34–17. Drive:1 play, 7 yards, 0:06. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 14:13. Falcons 37–17. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:07. ATL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 10:40. Falcons 40–17. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:04. KC – Shaun Draughn 4-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 0:05. Falcons 40–24. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 2:56. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 23/31, 299 yards, 3 TD KC – Matt Cassel – 21/33, 258 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner – 11 rushes, 32 yards KC – Jamaal Charles – 16 rushes, 87 yards Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TD KC – Dexter McCluster – 6 receptions, 82 yards

The Falcons started their season on the road against the Chiefs. They would get on the board first with Matt Ryan's 8-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones for a 7–0 lead. The Chiefs later got on the board with a 39-yard field goal from Ryan Succop to trim the lead to 7–3. However, the Falcons pushed the lead back to 7 as Matt Bryant would hit a 34-yard field goal to move the Falcons up 10–3. In the 2nd quarter, the Chiefs managed to tie it with Matt Cassel's 22-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss to tie the game at 10–10. However, the Falcons retook the lead as Matt Ryan found Julio Jones again for a 14-yard passing touchdown to make the score 17–10. The Chiefs then tied it up with Matt Cassel's 5-yard touchdown run for a score of 17–17, but the Falcons retook the lead again with Matt Bryant kicking a 21-yard field goal for a 20–17 halftime lead. After the break, the Falcons got right back to work as they increased their lead in the third quarter with Matt Ryan's 5-yard touchdown run to move ahead 27–17 then a 7-yard pass from the QB to Tony Gonzalez for a 34–17 lead. Later, 2 field goals from Matt Bryant from 30 and 41 yards out for leads of 37–17 and then 40–17, and basically sealed it. The Chiefs tried to rally a comeback but were only limited to scoring 7 points off of Shaun Draughn's 4-yard touchdown run for a final score of 40–24.

With the win, the Falcons started their season 1–0.

Week 2: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Two: Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	7	0	14	21
Falcons	10	10	7	0	27

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,427
• Referee: Ken Roan
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 13:20. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:53. ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:46. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 2:04. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 10:05. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:57. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:39. Falcons 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 4:04. DEN – Demaryius Thomas 17-yard pass from Peyton Manning (Matt Prater kick), 0:06. Falcons 20–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 4:33. Third quarter ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:08. Falcons 27–7. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:17. Fourth quarter DEN – Willis McGahee 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 11:48. Falcons 27–14. Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 5:02. DEN – Willis McGahee 2-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:25. Falcons 27–21. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:48. Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning – 24/37, 241 yards, TD, 3 INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/36, 219 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DEN – Willis McGahee – 22 rushes, 113 yards, 2 TD ATL – Michael Turner – 17 rushes, 42 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas – 8 receptions, 78 yards, TD ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 102 yards, TD

After winning over the Chiefs on the road, the Falcons returned home to face a newly formed Peyton Manning-led Broncos team. The Falcons got off to a really fast start scoring 20 unanswered points in the first half thanks to four Broncos turnovers. Three plays into the game, Peyton Manning on 3rd-and-12 from his own 12, was intercepted by William Moore at the 34. He returned it 33 yards to the 1 yard line. Three plays later, Michael Turner's 1-yard touchdown run gave the Falcons a 7–0 lead Another interception by Manning led to Matt Bryant's 37-yard field goal to take a 10–0 lead. In the 2nd quarter, the team moved up 13–0 after a Willis McGahee fumble which led to Bryant's 42-yard field goal then Ryan's 1-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez for a 20–0 lead. The Broncos scored before halftime with Peyton Manning's 17-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas to cut the lead to 20–7 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Falcons moved ahead by 20 again with Matt Ryan's 4-yard touchdown pass Roddy White for a 27–7 lead. The Broncos then tried to rally a comeback in the 4th quarter with Willis McGahee running for 2-yard touchdowns to cut the lead to 27–21, but the Falcons were able to hold the Broncos off and win the game.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 2–0.

Week 3: at San Diego Chargers

Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	6	14	0	7	27
Chargers	0	0	3	0	3

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 61,297
• Referee: Jim Core
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (run failed), 9:43. Falcons 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:17. Second quarter ATL – Tony Gonzalez 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:32. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 17 plays, 96 yards, 7:59. ATL – Julio Jones 9-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:54. Falcons 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 0:59. Third quarter SD – Nate Kaeding 41-yard field goal, 11:10. Falcons 20–3. Drive: 13 plays, 41 yards, 3:50. Fourth quarter ATL – Michael Turner 7-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:51. Falcons 27–3. Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 1:35. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/40, 275 yards, 3 TD, INT SD – Philip Rivers – 21/38, 173 yards, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner – 14 rushes, 80 yards, TD SD – Jackie Battle – 3 rushes, 55 yards Top receivers ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 9 receptions, 91 yards, TD SD – Malcom Floyd – 3 receptions, 52 yards

The Falcons traveled to take on their 3rd-straight AFC Opponent, the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Again, the Falcons get off to a great start scoring 20 unanswered points for the 2nd straight week. The fast scoring started with Matt Ryan's 8-yard touchdown pass to Jacquizz Rodgers (with a failed 2-point conversion) for a 6–0 lead in the first quarter, followed up in the second quarter with a 7-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez for a 13–0 lead and finally a 9-yard pass to Julio Jones for a 20–0 halftime lead. The Chargers got their only points of the game as Nate Kaeding scored a field goal from 41 yards out, but the Falcons scored the final points in the fourth quarter on a Michael Turner 7-yard touchdown run to make the final score 27–3.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 3–0.

Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	7	7	7	28
Falcons	7	10	7	6	30

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,594
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – Greg Olsen 17-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 11:45. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:29. ATL – Roddy White 49-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:30. Second quarter. ATL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 13:11. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 7 yards, 2:05. CAR – DeAngelo Williams 13-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 8:44. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:27. ATL – Roddy White 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:49. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:40. Third quarter ATL – Michael Turner 60-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 10:17. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:37. CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Justin Medlock kick), 3:16. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:01. Fourth quarter CAR – Kealoha Pilares 36-yard pass from Cam Newton (Justin Medlock kick), 7:55. Panthers 28–24. Drive: 6 plays, 88 yards, 3:23. ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 4:57. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:58. ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, 0:05. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 0:54. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 15/24, 215 yards, 2 TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/40, 369 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 86 yards, TD ATL – Michael Turner – 13 rushes, 103 yards Top receivers CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 169 yards, 2 TD

The Falcons traveled back home to take on their division rival Panthers whom they have won 4 straight games over. However, for the first time in the 2012 season, the Falcons trailed a game in the first quarter with Cam Newton's 18-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olson for a 7–0 lead. The Falcons however, were able to move down the field and tie the game with Matt Ryan's 49-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White. The Falcons moved into the lead in the second quarter with Matt Bryant's 41-yard field goal. However, the Panthers retook the lead as DeAngelo Williams ran a touchdown from 13 yards out to make the score 14–10. However, the Falcons then moved back into the lead before halftime with Ryan finding White on a 14-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17–14 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Falcons moved ahead by 10 with Ryan finding Michael Turner on a 60-yard touchdown pass for a 24–14 lead. However, The Panthers were not done yet as they scored 14 unanswered points with Cam Newton's 4-yard run for the last score of the 3rd quarter cutting the lead to 3 at, 24–21. Then, in the fourth quarter Newton found Kealoha Pilares on a 38-yard pass to take a 28–24 lead. The Falcons rallied coming within a point as Matt Bryant scored a field goal from 33 yards out cutting the lead to 28–27. With the ball one last time, the Falcons' comeback drive was successful as they moved down the field and Bryant drained the game-winning field goal from 40 yards out to win the game 30–28.

With their 5th straight win over the Panthers, the Falcons improved to 4–0 for only the 3rd time in franchise history.

Week 5: at Washington Redskins

Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	0	17	24
Redskins	0	7	3	7	17

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

• Date: October 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 75,337
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter WAS – Ryan Kerrigan 28-yard interception return (Billy Cundiff kick), 10:11. Redskins 7–0. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:30. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 1:46. Third quarter WAS – Billy Cundiff 23-yard field goal, 5:56. Redskins 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:29. Fourth quarter ATL – Julio Jones 18-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 13:23. Falcons 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:32. WAS – Santana Moss 77-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Billy Cundiff kick), 12:24. Redskins 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 0:59. ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 7:42. Tied 17–17. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:42. ATL – Michael Turner 13-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:46. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 2:54. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/52, 345 yards, 2 TD, INT WAS – Kirk Cousins – 5/9, 111 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner – 17 rushes, 64 yards, TD WAS – Alfred Morris – 18 rushes, 115 yards Top receivers ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 13 receptions, 123 yards, TD WAS – Santana Moss – 2 receptions, 80 yards, TD

After a tough win at home, the Falcons traveled to take on the Redskins. After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons would trail a game again for the second time all season as the Skins took the lead with Ryan Kerrigan returning an interception 28 yards for a touchdown. The Falcons offense sputtered for the majority of the half, but not long before halftime, Matt Ryan was able to find Tony Gonzalez on a 1-yard pass to tie the game. In the third quarter, the Skins retook the lead with Billy Cundiff scoring a 23-yard field goal to make the score 10–7 for the only score of the period. But then crazy fourth quarter scoring began as the Falcons retook the lead as Matt Ryan found Julio Jones on an 18-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14–10. The Skins however moved back into the lead as their 2nd-string and fellow rookie QB Kirk Cousins found Santana moss on a 77-yard pass. Matt Bryant's 53-yard field goal would tie the game at 17. Michael Turner's 13-yard touchdown run would then secure the 24–17 victory for the Falcons.

With the win, the Falcons started 5–0 for the first time in franchise history.

Week 6: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Six: Oakland Raiders at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	3	10	0	7	20
Falcons	0	7	6	10	23

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: October 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,383
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 52-yard field goal, 0:24. Raiders 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:24. Second quarter ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:51. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:33. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 22-yard field goal, 4:11. Falcons 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:40. OAK – Denarius Moore 25-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:50. Raiders 13–7. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:54. Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 5:06. Raiders 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 3:29. ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 2:31. Tied 13–13. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:53. Fourth quarter ATL – Asante Samuel 79-yard interception return (Matt Bryant kick), 2:40. Falcons 20–13. OAK – Darren McFadden 2-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 0:40. Tied 20–20. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:00. ATL – Matt Bryant 55-yard field goal, 0:01. Falcons 23–20. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 0:39. Top passers OAK – Carson Palmer – 23/33, 353 yards, TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/37, 249 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers OAK – Darren McFadden – 27 rushes, 70 yards, TD ATL – Michael Turner – 11 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers OAK – Denarius Moore – 5 receptions, 104 yards, TD ATL – Roddy White – 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD

The Falcons returned home to take on the last of their AFC Opponents. Coming back home they are 3–0 against the AFC West. However, for the 3rd straight week, the team would trail a game as the Raiders moved ahead after Sebastian Janikowski's 53-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. The Falcons however took the lead with Matt Ryan finding Roddy White on a 4-yard pass to move up 7–3. However, the Raiders would come within a point with Janikowski kicking a 22-yard field goal and then retook the lead with Carson Palmer's 25-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore for a 13–7 halftime lead. After the break, the Falcons were able to score 13 unanswered points. First, Bryant kicked 2 field goals from 41 and 20 yards tie the game at 13–13. Then, In the fourth quarter, they took the lead after Asante Samuel returned an interception from 79 yards out for a touchdown to make the score 20–13. The Raiders however were able to make up for this mistake as Carson Palmer drove them down the field and Darren McFadden ran a touchdown in from 2 yards out to tie the game at 20–20. However, again the Falcons were able to complete the comeback as Bryant nailed a 55-yard field goal with 0:01 left to make the final score 23–20

With the win, the Falcons go into their bye week with their first ever 6–0 start to a season. They also finish the season 4–0 against the AFC West and with the Texans' loss to the Packers on Sunday Night, they remain the NFL's only undefeated team.

Week 8: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Eight: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	14	10	3	3	30
Eagles	0	7	3	7	17

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,144
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Drew Davis 15-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:16. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 8:44. ATL – Jason Snelling 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:32. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:18. Second quarter PHI – LeSean McCoy 2-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 8:18. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 7:14. ATL – Julio Jones 63-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:33. Falcons 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:45. ATL – Matt Bryant 43-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 24–7. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 2:46. Third quarter PHI – Alex Henery 33-yard field goal, 11:20. Falcons 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:40. ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 6:10. Falcons 27–10. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:10. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 14:57. Falcons 30–10. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 5:05. PHI – LeSean McCoy 7-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), 7:18. Falcons 30–17. Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 7:39. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/29, 262 yards, 3 TD PHI – Michael Vick – 21/35, 191 yards, TD Top rushers ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 8 rushes, 60 yards PHI – LeSean McCoy – 16 rushes, 45 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 5 receptions, 123 yards, TD PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 5 receptions, 59 yards

The Falcons traveled to the wake of Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. The game, played under cloudy skies, was also notable in that the weather conditions heralded the approach of Hurricane Sandy, a storm which was set to make landfall in nearby South Jersey.

In the first quarter, the Falcons drew first blood as Matt Ryan found Drew Davis for a 15-yard pass to make the score 7–0. The team increased their lead with Ryan finding Jason Snelling to make it 14–0. In the 2nd quarter, the Eagles would get on the board with LeSean McCoy's 2-Yard run. However, the Falcons responded with Ryan's 63-yard TD pass to Julio Jones and with Matt Bryant's 43-yard field goal to make it 24–7. The Eagles would try to rally in the 3rd quarter with a 33-yard field goal from Alex Henry to shorten the lead to 24–10, but the Falcons pulled away as Bryant would kick a 29-yard field and later in the 4th quarter, Bryant increased the Falcons' lead with a 30-yard field goal to make the score 30–10. The Eagles tried to rally as Michael Vick found McCoy to make the score 30–17, but couldn't do anything when they got the ball back, making the final score, 30–17.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–0 for the first time in franchise history. The team also moves to 2–0 against the NFC East.

Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Nine: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	6	0	0	7	13
Falcons	0	6	0	13	19

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,840
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, 10:46. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 27 yards, 3:07. DAL – Dan Bailey 32-yard field goal, 3:42. Cowboys 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:33. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 14:15. Cowboys 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 4:27. ATL – Matt Bryant 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 6–6. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 1:03. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter ATL – Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 14:16. Falcons 13–6. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 3:23. ATL – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 7:49. Falcons 16–6. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:50. DAL – Kevin Ogletree 21-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 5:21. Falcons 16–13. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:28. ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:17. Falcons 19–13. Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:04. Top passers DAL – Tony Romo – 25/35, 321 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/34, 342 yards Top rushers DAL – Felix Jones – 9 rushes, 39 yards ATL – Michael Turner – 20 rushes, 102 yards, TD Top receivers DAL – Kevin Ogletree – 3 receptions, 96 yards, TD ATL – Julio Jones – 5 receptions, 129 yards

The Falcons returned home to take on the Cowboys. The Cowboys drew first blood with their 23-yard field goal from Dan Bailey to take a 3–0 lead. With this field goal, the Falcons' trend then simmered to 4 out of their last 5 games trailing a team. The Cowboys then put up another Bailey field goal from 32 yards out to make the lead 6–0. The Falcons responded in the second quarter with field goals from Matt Bryant from 45 and 46 yards out to tie the game at halftime at 6–6. After a scoreless third quarter, the Falcons took the lead in the fourth quarter with Michael Turner running for a 3-yard touchdown. Then they increased their lead with Bryant's 36-yard field goal for a 16–6 lead. The Boys tried to rally as Tony Romo found Kevin Ogletree on a 21-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 16–13, but the Falcons increased their lead with Bryant's 32-yard field goal, making the Cowboys have to score a touchdown. They couldn't and the Falcons won 19–13.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 8–0 for the first time in franchise history. Also they went 3–0 against the NFC East.^[1]

Week 10: at New Orleans Saints

Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	10	7	0	10	27
Saints	7	14	7	3	31

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,126
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Mike Johnson 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:38. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:22. ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:19. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:07. NO – Chris Ivory 56-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 6:49. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:30. Second quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 29-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:33. Saints 14–10. Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:23. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:27. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:06. NO – Jimmy Graham 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 0:34. Saints 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 1:43. Third quarter NO – Marques Colston 7-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 9:23. Saints 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:31. Fourth quarter ATL – Tony Gonzalez 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 13:27. Saints 28–24. Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 5:46. ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 9:08. Saints 28–27. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:42. NO – Garrett Hartley 31-yard field goal, 5:54. Saints 31–27. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:14. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/52, 411 yards, 3 TD, INT NO – Drew Brees – 21/32, 298 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 3 rushes, 29 yards NO – Chris Ivory – 7 rushes, 72 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 11 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD NO – Jimmy Graham – 7 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD

The Falcons traveled to New Orleans to take on their longtime rival Saints. They drew first blood as Mike Johnson got a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to take a 7–0 lead. They then increased their lead to make the score 10–0 off of a Matt Bryant field goal from 37 yards out. The Saints got on the board as Chris Ivory ran for a 56-yard touchdown to make the score 10–7. In the 2nd quarter, the Saints took the lead as Drew Brees found Jimmy Graham for a 29-yard pass to make the score 14–10. Then the Falcons retook the lead as Tony Gonzalez caught a 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan to move ahead 17–14. The Saints moved back into the lead as Brees found Graham again on a 14-yard pass for a 21–17 halftime lead. After the break, the Saints went back to work as Brees found Marques Colston on a 7-yard pass to move ahead 28–17. The Falcons drew within 4 points with Gonzalez's 6-yard pass from Ryan to make the score 28–24 for the only score of the 3rd quarter and then Bryant kicked another field goal to make the score 20-yard field goal for a 28–27. However, the offense was then overpowered as the Saints scored their only points of the half off of Garrett Hartley's 31-yard field goal to make the final score 31–27.

With the loss, the Falcons dropped to 8–1.

Tony Gonzalez became the first tight end in NFL history to have 100 receiving touchdowns.^[2]

Week 11: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Eleven: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	13	3	0	3	19
Falcons	0	16	0	7	23

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,630
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling 3-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 13:54. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 9 yards, 0:47. ARI – Jay Feely 48-yard field goal, 10:59. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:00. ARI – Jay Feely 28-yard field goal, 1:02. Cardinals 13–0. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:38. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 9:39. Cardinals 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 47 yards, 6:23. ATL – Jonathan Babineaux 15-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), 8:37. Cardinals 13–10. ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 1:52. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:56. ARI – Jay Feely 38-yard field goal, 0:32. Cardinals 16–13. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 1:20. ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 16–16. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 0:32. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter ARI – Jay Feely 27-yard field goal, 14:56. Cardinals 19–16. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:47. ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 6:40. Falcons 23–19. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:04. Top passers ARI – Ryan Lindley – 9/20, 64 yards ATL – Matt Ryan – 28/46, 301 yards, 5 INT Top rushers ARI – LaRod Stephens-Howling – 22 rushes, 127 yards, TD ATL – Michael Turner – 15 rushes, 46 yards, TD Top receivers ARI – Early Doucet – 5 receptions, 28 yards ATL – Roddy White – 6 receptions, 123 yards

With the close win, the Falcons improved to 9–1 giving them their 5th straight winning season. The Falcons are the most recent team to win a regular season game with a -5 turnover differential (the 2022 Jaguars defeated the 2022 Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs in this scenario).

Week 12: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Twelve: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	7	7	7	24
Buccaneers	7	3	3	10	23

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: November 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 54,400
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Laura Okmin
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 31-yard field goal, 7:38. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 7:22. TB – Doug Martin 1-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 1:12. Buccaneers 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 6:26. Second quarter ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers 5-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 10:25. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:47. TB – Connor Barth 22-yard field goal, 3:37. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 2:10. Third quarter TB – Connor Barth 42-yard field goal, 8:37. Buccaneers 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 6:23. ATL – Julio Jones 80-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:26. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:11. Fourth quarter TB – Doug Martin 1-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 14:56. Buccaneers 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:16. TB – Connor Barth 48-yard field goal, 10:28. Buccaneers 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:55. ATL – Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:55. Falcons 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:33. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/32, 353 yards, TD TB – Josh Freeman – 19/30, 256 yards Top rushers ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 10 rushes, 49 yards, TD TB – Doug Martin – 21 rushes, 50 yards, 2 TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 147 yards, TD TB – Vincent Jackson – 5 receptions, 96 yards

With the win, the Falcons improved to 10–1.

Week 13: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Thirteen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	0	7	6	0	13
Falcons	7	10	0	6	23

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,514
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:09. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:51. Second quarter ATL – Tony Gonzalez 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 14:08. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 2:28. ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 8:53. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:51. NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 3:17. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:36. Third quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 21-yard field goal, 8:24. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 6:36. NO – Garrett Hartley 52-yard field goal, 3:53. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 8 plays, 36 yards, 2:49. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 14:48. Falcons 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 2:50. ATL – Matt Bryant 55-yard field goal, 4:25. Falcons 23–13. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:38. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 28/50, 341 yards, 5 INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 18/33, 165 yards, TD Top rushers NO – Pierre Thomas – 14 rushes, 84 yards ATL – Michael Turner – 12 rushes, 83 yards, TD Top receivers NO – Lance Moore – 7 receptions, 123 yards ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 4 receptions, 58 yards, TD

With the win, the Falcons not only improved to 11–1, but also clinched the division title of the NFC South, following the Bucs' loss to the Broncos that week. Additionally, the Falcons broke Drew Brees' 54-game touchdown streak.

Week 14: at Carolina Panthers

Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	7	13	20
Panthers	7	9	7	7	30

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: December 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 73,292
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis and Kristina Pink
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – Greg Olsen 25-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 7:49. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 7:11. Second quarter CAR – Graham Gano 24-yard field goal, 10:55. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 17 plays, 72 yards, 9:17. CAR – Graham Gano 41-yard field goal, 4:58. Panthers 13–0. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:45. CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 0:00. Panthers 16–0. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 3:35. Third quarter CAR – Cam Newton 72-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:01. Panthers 23–0. Drive: 4 plays, 86 yards, 2:08. ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:48. Panthers 23–7. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 6:13. Fourth quarter ATL – Julio Jones 11-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 13:57. Panthers 23–13. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:41. CAR – DeAngelo Williams 53-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 4:11. Panthers 30–13. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 2:08. ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:53. Panthers 30–20. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:18. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/49, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 23/35, 287 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 6 rushes, 43 yards CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 116 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 117 yards, TD CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 7 receptions, 109 yards

Week 15: vs. New York Giants

Week Fifteen: New York Giants at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	0	0	0
Falcons	14	3	10	7	34

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,741
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Michael Turner 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 12:12. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:51. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 12-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:43. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:42. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 38-yard field goal, 10:22. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:46. Third quarter ATL – Julio Jones 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:31. Falcons 24–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:29. ATL – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 0:10. Falcons 27–0. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 6:46. Fourth quarter ATL – Julio Jones 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:57. Falcons 34–0. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 9:14. Top passers NYG – Eli Manning – 13/25, 161 yards, 2 INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 23/28, 270 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NYG – David Wilson – 12 rushes, 55 yards ATL – Michael Turner – 16 rushes, 52 yards, TD Top receivers NYG – Domenik Hixon – 5 receptions, 80 yards ATL – Harry Douglas – 3 receptions, 83 yards

The 34–0 win over the Giants was the worst shutout loss to a defending Super Bowl champion team in NFL history. The next three worst were 27–0, 17–0, and 16–0, all by the Oakland Raiders in the same season.

Week 16: at Detroit Lions

Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	14	0	10	31
Lions	3	3	7	5	18

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: December 22
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,849
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Roddy White 44-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:50. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:22. DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, 0:13. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:37. Second quarter ATL – Roddy White 39-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:54. Falcons 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:19. ATL – Julio Jones 16-yard pass from Matt Ryan. (Matt Bryant kick), 1:17. Falcons 21–3. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:47. DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 21–6. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:15. Third quarter DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 6:59. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 6:36. Fourth quarter DET – Jason Hanson 20-yard field goal, 13:26. Falcons 21–16. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 6:55. ATL – Michael Palmer 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:12. Falcons 28–16. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:14. ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 3:05. Falcons 31–16. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:58. DET – Michael Turner tackled by Kyle Vanden Bosch in end zone for a safety, 1:21. Falcons 31–18. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/32, 279 yards, 4 TD DET – Matthew Stafford – 37/56, 443 yards, INT Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner – 13 rushes, 41 yards DET – Mikel Leshoure – 15 rushes, 46 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 153 yards, 2 TD DET – Calvin Johnson – 11 receptions, 225 yards

With their victory in the Motor City on Saturday night, the Falcons improved to 13–2 and clinched the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC (and as a result home-field advantage) for the first time since 2010.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's record for Most Receiving Yards in a Season. Rice had 1,848 in his 1995 season and Johnson now had 1,892 with one game left to play.

Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Seventeen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	10	9	0	22
Falcons	3	0	7	7	17

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,644
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale

Game information

First quarter TB – Connor Barth 48-yard field goal, 6:24. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:25. ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 2:24. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:00. Second quarter TB – Mike Williams 8-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 8:43. Buccaneers 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:55. TB – Connor Barth 22-yard field goal, 3:03. Buccaneers 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:03. Third quarter TB – Connor Barth 42-yard field goal, 10:47. Buccaneers 16–3. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:13. ATL – Michael Turner 17-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Buccaneers 16–10. Drive: 2 plays, 21 yards, 0:41. TB – Doug Martin 40-yard run (pass failed), 1:43. Buccaneers 22–10. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:02. Fourth quarter ATL – Harry Douglas 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:02. Buccaneers 22–17. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:21. Top passers TB – Josh Freeman – 19/35, 222 yards, TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 28/44, 238 yards, TD Top rushers TB – Doug Martin – 28 rushes, 142 yards, TD ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 5 rushes, 28 yards Top receivers TB – Mike Williams – 6 receptions, 65 yards, TD ATL – Julio Jones – 3 receptions, 56 yards

During the game, John Abraham suffered an ankle injury. Also, Asante Samuel appeared to have aggravated a shoulder injury and Dunta Robinson suffered a head injury.

Postseason

Main article: 2012–13 NFL playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 13, 2013	Seattle Seahawks (5)	W 30–28	1–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
NFC Championship	January 20, 2013	San Francisco 49ers (2)	L 24–28	1–1	Georgia Dome	Recap

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. #5 Seattle Seahawks

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (#5) Seattle Seahawks at (#1) Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	7	21	28
Falcons	10	10	7	3	30

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: January 13, 2013
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin and Chris Myers

Game information

First quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 39-yard field goal, 9:40. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:20. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:10. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 2:41. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:13. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:18. ATL – Roddy White 47-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:16. Falcons 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 88 yards, 1:17. Third quarter SEA – Golden Tate 29-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:47. Falcons 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:13. ATL – Jason Snelling 5-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Ryan Longwell kick), 2:11. Falcons 27–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:36. Fourth quarter SEA – Russell Wilson 1-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 13:01. Falcons 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:10. SEA – Zach Miller 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Ryan Longwell kick), 9:13. Falcons 27–21. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:50. SEA – Marshawn Lynch 2-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), 0:31. Seahawks 28–27. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 2:29. ATL – Matt Bryant 49-yard field goal, 0:08. Falcons 30–28. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 0:23. Top passers SEA – Russell Wilson – 24/36, 385 yards, 2 TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/35, 250 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Russell Wilson – 7 rushes, 60 yards, TD ATL – Michael Turner – 14 rushes, 98 yards Top receivers SEA – Zach Miller – 8 receptions, 142 yards, TD ATL – Roddy White – 5 receptions, 76 yards, TD

The Falcons lost a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, but won on Matt Bryant's 49-yard field goal, snapping the Falcons' postseason losing streak starting in the 2004 NFC Championship Game. The Seahawks attempted a final Hail Mary pass, but Russell Wilson's pass was intercepted by Julio Jones in the end zone, sending Atlanta to the NFC Championship Game.^[3] This game was ranked #2 on NFL.com's 20 Best Games of 2012 as Gamers.^[4]

NFC Championship: vs. #2 San Francisco 49ers

NFC Championship Game: (#2) San Francisco 49ers at (#1) Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	14	7	7	28
Falcons	10	14	0	0	24

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: January 20, 2013
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter ATL – Julio Jones 46-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:24. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:36. ATL – Matt Bryant 35-yard field goal, 3:20. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 6:23. Second quarter ATL – Julio Jones 20-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 14:54. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:55. SF – LaMichael James 15-yard run (David Akers kick), 8:08. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 4:29. SF – Vernon Davis 4-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (David Akers kick), 1:55. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 4:13. ATL – Tony Gonzalez 10-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:25. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:30. Third quarter SF – Frank Gore 5-yard run (David Akers kick), 10:47. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 4:13. Fourth quarter SF – Frank Gore 9-yard run (David Akers kick), 8:23. 49ers 28–24. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 3:23. Top passers SF – Colin Kaepernick – 16/21, 233 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/42, 396 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SF – Frank Gore – 21 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 10 rushes, 32 yards Top receivers SF – Vernon Davis – 5 receptions, 106 yards, TD ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 182 yards, 2 TD

With the loss, the Falcons finished their season 14–4. The Falcons lead the 49ers 24–14 at the half, but the 49ers responded with 14 unanswered points in the second half. This would be their final playoff appearance until their Super Bowl appearing 2016 season.

Standings

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(1) Atlanta Falcons	13	3	0	.813	3–3	9–3	419	299	L1
Carolina Panthers	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	357	363	W4
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	461	454	L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	389	394	W1

References

1. "Falcons players talk perfect season". ESPN. November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
2. "Yahoo Sports NFL".
3. Newberry, Paul (January 13, 2013). . Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
4. . Archived from the original on September 6, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• 2012 Atlanta Falcons at Pro Football Reference
• 2012 Atlanta Falcons at ESPN