NFL team season
The 2015 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under new head coach Dan Quinn .
The Atlanta Falcons started the season 5–0, their best start since 2012 . However, the Falcons would struggle throughout the rest of the season by losing eight of their remaining eleven games finishing at .500 for the first time in 10 years . After their Week 15 win at EverBank Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars , the Falcons managed to improve their record from last season . The highlight of the season was the team's Week 16 victory over their divisional rival Carolina Panthers who were 14–0 coming into the game. The Falcons thus denied the Panthers a perfect regular season , which would have made them the second team since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule to achieve that feat.[ note 1]
Offseason
Coaching staff changes Dan Quinn at his introductory press conference
On December 29, 2014 head coach Mike Smith was fired after back-to-back losing seasons.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of Dirk Koetter as their new offensive coordinator.
On January 15, 2015, the New York Jets announced the hiring of Joe Danna as their new defensive backs coach.
On January 16, 2015, the Oakland Raiders announced the hiring of Mike Tice as their new offensive line coach.
On January 18, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Kyle Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator.
On January 23, 2015, the Chicago Bears announced the hiring of Glenn Pires as their new linebackers coach.
On January 24, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Raheem Morris as their defensive backs coach and assistant head coach.
On January 26, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Richard Smith as their defensive coordinator.
On January 25, 2015, the Falcons promoted Wade Harman Tight Ends Coach, formally the assistant offensive line coach.
On January 29, 2015, the San Diego Chargers announced the hiring of Mike Nolan as their linebackers coach.
On January 31, 2015, the San Francisco 49ers announced the hiring of Tim Lewis as their defensive backs coach.
On February 2, 2015, Dan Quinn was hired as the Falcons' 16th head coach.
On February 2, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Chris Morgan as their offensive line coach.
On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Bobby Turner as their running backs coach.
On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur as their offensive assistant.
On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Marquand Manuel as their defensive backs coach and senior defensive consultant.
On February 4, 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of Andrew Weidinger as their offensive assistant.
On February 4, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Steve Scarnecchia as their assistant to head coach coach.
On February 8, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Jeff Ulbrich as their linebackers coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their Quarterback coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Doug Mallory as their defensive Assistant & Linebackers coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Mike McDaniel as their offensive assistant.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Chad Walker as their defensive assistant & defensive backs coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Keith Carter as their assistant offensive line coach.
Free Agents
Re-signings
Date
Player
Position
Contract
Source
February 24, 2015
Cliff Matthews
Defensive end
2 years / $1,505,000
[ 1]
February 24, 2015
Patrick DiMarco
Fullback
2 years / $1,495,000
[ 1]
February 25, 2015
Matt Bryant
Kicker
3 years / $8,500,000
[ 2]
March 3, 2015
Nate Stupar
Linebacker
1 years / $585,000
[ 3]
March 5, 2015
Charles Godfrey
Safety
1 years / $1,500,000
[ 4]
March 6, 2015
Eric Weems
Wide receiver
2 years / $3,000,000
[ 5]
March 9, 2015
T. J. Yates
Quarterback
1 years / $1,500,000
[ 6]
March 10, 2015
Antone Smith
Running back
1 years / $1,400,000
March 18, 2015
Kroy Biermann
Linebacker
1 years / $1,925,000
[ 8]
Team additions
Date
Player
Position
Previous team
Contract
Source
February 13, 2015
Allen Bradford
Linebacker
Seattle Seahawks
1 year / $660,000
[ 9]
February 24, 2015
Nick Williams
Wide receiver
Washington Redskins
2-year / $1,100,000
[ 1]
March 10, 2015
Brooks Reed
Linebacker
Houston Texans
5-year / $22,000,000
March 10, 2015
Justin Durant
Linebacker
Dallas Cowboys
3-year / $10,800,000
March 10, 2015
Mike Person
Guard
St. Louis Rams
3-year / $3,350,000
March 10, 2015
Leonard Hankerson
Wide receiver
Washington Redskins
1 year / $1,000,000
[ 10]
March 12, 2015
Adrian Clayborn
Defensive end
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1 year / $3,000,000
[ 11]
March 12, 2015
Phillip Adams
Cornerback
New York Jets
1 year / $745,000
[ 11]
March 12, 2015
O'Brien Schofield
Defensive end
Seattle Seahawks
1 year / $1,700,000
[ 12]
March 18, 2015
Jared Smith
Offensive guard
Seattle Seahawks
1 year / $440,000
[ 13]
March 19, 2015
Jacob Tamme
Tight end
Denver Broncos
2-year / $4,000,000
[ 14]
March 19, 2015
Tony Moeaki
Tight end
Seattle Seahawks
1 year / $745,000
[ 15]
May 4, 2015
Collin Mooney
Fullback
Tennessee Titans
2-year / $1,100,000
[ 16]
May 14, 2015
Tyler Polumbus
Offensive tackle
Washington Redskins
Undisclosed
[ 17]
May 14, 2015
Chris Chester
Offensive guard
Washington Redskins
1 year / $2,800,000
[ 18]
July 29, 2015
DeMarcus Love
Offensive tackle
Denver Broncos
Unknown
[ 19]
August 7, 2015
Michael Ford
Running back
Chicago Bears
Unknown
[ 20]
August 16, 2015
Terrell Manning
Linebacker
New York Giants
Unknown
[ 21]
August 16, 2015
Evan Royster
Running back
Washington Redskins
Unknown
[ 21]
August 24, 2015
John Harris
Wide receiver
Philadelphia Eagles
Unknown
[ 22]
August 26, 2015
Rex Grossman
Quarterback
Cleveland Browns
Unknown
[ 23]
Departures
Date
Player
Position
Note
New Team
Source
February 26, 2015
Steven Jackson
Running back
Released
New England Patriots
[ 24]
February 27, 2015
Harry Douglas
Wide receiver
Released
Tennessee Titans
[ 25] [ 26]
February 27, 2015
Justin Blalock
Offensive guard
Released
Retired
[ 27]
February 27, 2015
Jonathan Massaquoi
Defensive end
Waived
Tennessee Titans
[ 28] [ 29]
March 10, 2015
Sean Weatherspoon
Linebacker
Signed
Arizona Cardinals
[ 30]
March 10, 2015
Corey Peters
Defensive end
Signed
Arizona Cardinals
[ 31]
March 10, 2015
Drew Davis
Wide receiver
Declined option
[ 32]
March 18, 2015
Robert McClain
Cornerback
Signed
New England Patriots
[ 33]
March 31, 2015
Jacquizz Rodgers
Running back
Signed
Chicago Bears
[ 34]
April 2, 2015
Zeke Motta
Safety
Waived
[ 35]
April 3, 2015
Dwight Lowery
Safety
Signed
Indianapolis Colts
[ 36]
April 3, 2015
Josh Wilson
Cornerback
Signed
Detroit Lions
[ 37]
April 23, 2015
Bear Pascoe
Tight end
Signed
Chicago Bears
[ 38]
May 1, 2015
Brandan Bishop
Safety
Waived
[ 39]
May 1, 2015
Reid Fragel
Tackle
Waived
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
[ 39]
May 1, 2015
Jordan Mabin
Cornerback
Waived
San Diego Chargers
[ 39]
May 1, 2015
Jacques Smith
Linebacker
Waived
[ 39]
May 1, 2015
Ronnie Wingo
Running back
Waived
[ 39]
May 3, 2015
Kyle Miller
Tight end
Waived
San Diego Chargers
[ 40]
May 29, 2015
Prince Shembo
Linebacker
Waived
[ 41]
June 15, 2015
Sam Baker
Offensive tackle
Released
[ 42]
August 1, 2015
Harland Gunn
Offensive guard
Released
New England Patriots
[ 43]
August 10, 2015
Freddie Martino
Wide receiver
Waived
Philadelphia Eagles
[ 44]
August 11, 2015
Javier Arenas
Cornerback
Signed
New York Jets
[ 45]
August 12, 2015
Ricky Havili-Heimuli
Defensive tackle
Waived
[ 46]
August 16, 2015
DeMarcus Love
Offensive tackle
Released
[ 21]
August 24, 2015
Marquis Spruill
Linebacker
Waived
[ 22]
2015 draft class Vic Beasley, the Falcons' first round pick
Notes
The Falcons acquired an additional seventh-round selection (No. 249 overall) as part of a trade that sent the team's 2013 first-, third- and sixth-round selections to the St. Louis Rams .
The Falcons were not rewarded with any compensatory picks this year.
The Falcons traded their fifth- (No. 146 overall) and sixth-round (No. 185 overall) picks to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 137 overall).
Staff
2015 Atlanta Falcons staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Head strength and conditioning – A.J. Neibel
Strength and conditioning assistant – Jonas Beauchemin
Final roster
Preseason
Schedule
Regular season
Schedule
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week One: Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Eagles
0
3
14 7 24
Falcons
3
17
0 6 26
at Georgia Dome , Atlanta, Georgia
Game information
First quarter
ATL – 10:55 Matt Bryant 41-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:04. (ATL 3–0)
Second quarter
ATL – 10:44 Julio Jones 4-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 11 plays, 88, yards, 5:39. (ATL 10–0)
PHI – 7:18 Cody Parkey 29-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:26. (ATL 10–3)
ATL – 10:55 Matt Bryant 39-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:00. (ATL 13–3)
ATL – 0:45 Julio Jones 22-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 1 play, 27, yards, 0:14. (ATL 20–3)
Third quarter
PHI – 13:13 DeMarco Murray 8-yard TD run, Cody Parkey kick. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:12. (ATL 20–10)
PHI – 3:39 DeMarco Murray 5-yard TD pass from Sam Bradford , Cody Parkey kick. Drive: 13 plays, 95, yards, 6:10. (ATL 20–17)
Fourth quarter
ATL – 10:49 Matt Bryant 44-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 7:50. (ATL 23–17)
PHI – 8:37 Ryan Matthews 1-yard TD run, Cody Parkey kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:12. (PHI 24–23)
ATL – 6:27 Matt Bryant 51-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:10. (ATL 26–24)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the win, the Falcons began their season 1–0.
Week 2: at New York Giants
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
NYG – 10:06 Josh Brown 38-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:28. (ATL 7–3)
ATL – 4:46 Matt Bryant 42-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:20. (ATL 10–3)
NYG – 3:19 Odell Beckham Jr. 67-yard TD pass from Eli Manning , Josh Brown kick. Drive: 4 plays, 80, yards, 1:27. (TIE 10–10)
NYG – 0:02 Josh Brown 44-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 0:56. (NYG 13–10)
Third quarter
NYG – 10:53 Larry Donnell 10-yard TD pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown kick. Drive: 9 plays, 69, yards, 4:07. (NYG 20–10)
Fourth quarter
ATL – 12:39 Leonard Hankerson 10-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 12 plays, 91, yards, 6:36. (NYG 20–17)
ATL – 1:14 Devonta Freeman 2-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:58. (ATL 24–20)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Giants would lead 20–17 with below 2 minutes left, but Atlanta was able to pull off the comeback, scoring with 1:14 remaining after Devonta Freeman took it in from a yard out. New York tried to come back, but the Falcons would force a turnover on downs to end the game.
With the win, Atlanta improved to 2–0.
Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
7
10
8 14 39
Cowboys
14
14
0 0 28
at AT&T Stadium , Arlington, Texas
Game information
First quarter
DAL – Joseph Randle 37-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:03. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 1:08.
DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:12. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:37.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:05. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:07.
Second quarter
DAL – Darren McFadden 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:31. Cowboys 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 5:09.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:23. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:32.
DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:38.
ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:05. Cowboys 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 0:40.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:30. Falcons 32–28. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 6:44.
ATL – Julio Jones 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:09. Falcons 39–28. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 6:14.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons would trail 14–28 at one point, but they would pull off their second comeback in as many weeks, as they scored 25 unanswered points afterwards to ultimately win 39–28.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 3–0 for the first time since 2012 .
Week 4: vs. Houston Texans Week Four: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Texans
0
0
0 21 21
Falcons
7
21
14 6 48
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ATL – 14:39 Devonta Freeman 23-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:19. (ATL 14–0)
ATL – 12:24 Desmond Trufant 24-yard TD fumble recovery, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 2 plays, -7 yards, 0:16. (ATL 21–0)
ATL – 3:11 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 6:20. (ATL 28–0)
Third quarter
ATL – 10:50 Devonta Freeman 6-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:56. (ATL 35–0)
ATL – 2:56 Terron Ward 8-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 6:17. (ATL 42–0)
Fourth quarter
HOU – 14:22 C. J. Fiedorowicz 5-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer , Nick Novak kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:34. (ATL 42–7)
HOU – 9:09 Chris Polk 1-yard TD run, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:47. (ATL 42–14)
HOU – 3:01 Cecil Shorts III 8-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 1:31. (ATL 42–21)
ATL – 0:00 Nate Stupar 84-yard TD fumble recovery. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 1:50. (ATL 48–21)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons routed the Texans 48–21 at home. Atlanta would build a 42–0 lead, but Houston put up a fight, as they would outscore Atlanta 21–6 for the remainder of the game. However, the Falcons still won in a blowout.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 4–0.
Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins Week Five: Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 OT Total
Redskins
0
7
0 12 0 19
Falcons
0
3
3 13 6 25
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information
First quarter
No Scoring
Second quarter
Third quarter
ATL – 1:54 Matt Bryant 28-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:47. (WAS 7–6)
Fourth quarter
ATL – 9:14 Julio Jones 0-yard TD fumble recovery. Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 6:32. (ATL 12–7)
WAS – 7:59 Matt Jones 2-yard TD run. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:15. (WAS 13–12)
WAS – 2:38 Dustin Hopkins 28-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 3:06. (WAS 16–12)
ATL – 0:24 Devonta Freeman 6-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:14. (ATL 19–16)
WAS – 0:00 Dustin Hopkins 52-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:24. (TIE 19–19)
Overtime
ATL – 12:15 Robert Alford 59-yard TD interception. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:45. (ATL 25–16)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
the Falcons would win this game in overtime against the Redskins. In overtime, the game was sealed away after Robert Alford returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown to end the game.
With the win, Atlanta started 5–0 for the first time since 2012 .
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints
Game information
First quarter
NO – 9:44 Mark Ingram II 2-yard TD run, Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:16. (NO 7–0)
NO – 2:06 Michael Mauti blocked punt returned 4-yards for TD, Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 3 plays, -4 yards, 2:15. (NO 14–0)
Second quarter
Third quarter
NO – 7:19 Zach Hocker 31-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:55. (NO 17–7)
NO – 2:23 Benjamin Watson 2-yard TD pass from Drew Brees , Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:19. (NO 24–7)
Fourth quarter
ATL – 13:07 Devonta Freeman 25-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:16. (NO 24–14)
NO – 8:02 Mark Ingram II 1-yard TD run, Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:05. (NO 31–14)
ATL – 1:29 Devonta Freeman 13-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:05. (NO 31–21)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons suffered their first loss of the season in New Orleans on Thursday Night Football . The Saints would lead the entire game. The Falcons would tie it, but that was the closest they would come to striking distance, as the Saints won 31–21.
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 5–1.
Week 7: at Tennessee Titans
Game information
First quarter
No Scoring
Second quarter
Third quarter
ATL – 5:56 Julio Jones 8-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:30. (ATL 10–7)
Fourth quarter
No Scoring
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–1.
Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week Eight: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 OT Total
Buccaneers
3
10
7 0 3 23
Falcons
3
0
7 10 0 20
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 1Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,524Referee : Ron Torbert TV announcers (Fox) : Justin Kutcher , Charles Davis and Tony SiragusaRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – 7:54 Matt Bryant 21-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:06. (ATL 3–0)
TB – 2:03 Connor Barth 38-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:58. (TIE 3–3)
Second quarter
TB – 3:32 Connor Barth 23-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:32. (TB 6–3)
TB – 0:30 Cameron Brate 20-yard TD pass from Jameis Winston , Connor Barth kick. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:53. (TB 13–3)
Third quarter
TB – 6:06 Jameis Winston 4-yard TD run, Connor Barth kick. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:56. (TB 20–3)
ATL – 0:15 Jacob Tamme 7-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:35. (TB 20–10)
Fourth quarter
ATL – 4:56 Matt Bryant 24-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:11. (TB 20–13)
ATL – 0:17 Julio Jones 8-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:35. (TIE 20–20)
Overtime
TB – 7:52 Connor Barth 31-yard FG. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 7:08. (TB 23–20)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–2.
Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
3
10
0 3 16
49ers
0
17
0 0 17
at Levi's Stadium , Santa Clara, California
Date : November 8Game time : 4:05 pm. EST/1:05 p.m. PST Game weather : 58 °F (14 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 70,799Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – 9:24 Matt Bryant 44-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 3:38. (ATL 3–0)
Second quarter
SF – 13:41 Garrett Celek 1-yard TD pass from Blaine Gabbert , Phil Dawson kick. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:26. (SF 7–3)
ATL – 6:05 Matt Bryant 36-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:28. (SF 7–6)
SF – 3:20 Phil Dawson 44-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 2:45. (SF 10–6)
SF – 1:16 Garrett Celek 11-yard TD pass from Blaine Gabbert, Phil Dawson kick. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:09. (SF 17–6)
ATL – 0:13 Devonta Freeman 17-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:03. (SF 17–13)
Third quarter
No Scoring
Fourth quarter
ATL – 2:56 Matt Bryant 19-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:18. (SF 17–16)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the bitter loss, the Falcons fell to 6–3.
Week 11: vs. Indianapolis Colts Week Eleven: Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Colts
0
7
7 10 24
Falcons
7
7
7 0 21
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ATL – 8:54 Patrick DiMarco 15-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:18. (ATL 14–0)
IND – 1:55 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck , Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:59. (ATL 14–7)
Third quarter
ATL – 9:38 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:22. (ATL 21–7)
IND – 0:10 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 4:58. (ATL 21–14)
Fourth quarter
IND – 10:07 D'Qwell Jackson 6-yard TD interception, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, 0:07. (TIE 21–21)
IND – 0:52 Adam Vinatieri 43-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:02. (IND 24–21)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
IND – Frank Gore - 5 REC, 46 YDS
ATL – Julio Jones - 9 REC, 160 YDS
Top tacklers
The Falcons would lead 21–7 at one point, but Indianapolis would rally to erase it after D'Qwell Jackson returned an interception 6 yards to tie it at 21. The Colts would eventually go down the field to win it with an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 43 yards with 52 seconds left.
With the loss, Atlanta fell to 6–4.
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings
7
0
3 10 20
Falcons
0
3
0 7 10
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 29Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,610Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–5.
Week 13: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–6.
Week 14: at Carolina Panthers Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
0
0
0 0 0
Panthers
21
7
10 0 38
at Bank of America Stadium , Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : December 13Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : 63 °F (17 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 74,420Referee : Tony CorrenteTV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:28. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:32.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 74-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:48. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 93 yards, 1:18.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 46-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:12. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:23.
Second quarter
CAR – Ed Dickson 4-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:17. Panthers 28–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:27.
Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 5:46. Panthers 31–0. Drive: 9 plays, 23 yards, 4:45.
CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 16-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:18. Panthers 38–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:57.
Fourth quarter
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/34, 224 yards, INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 15/21, 265 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 40 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 10 rushes, 75 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 88 yards
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. – 2 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
The Falcons would suffer a blowout and shutout loss to undefeated Carolina. The Falcons would struggle all day, as the Panthers romped them 38–0, their worst shutout loss since 2004 .
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–7. This is the first and only time they had been under .500 all season.
Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars Week Fifteen: Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
7
10
0 6 23
Jaguars
0
3
14 0 17
at EverBank Field , Jacksonville, Florida
Date : December 20Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : 65 °F (18 °C), clearGame attendance : 64,016Referee : Bill VinovichTV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina PinkRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–7. They finished 3-1 vs AFC South.
Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers Week Sixteen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
7
0
3 3 13
Falcons
0
7
7 6 20
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : December 27Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,981Referee : John Parry TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
In a major upset win, the Atlanta Falcons defeated Carolina 20–13, spoiling the Panthers' run at a perfect season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were eliminated from playoff contention due to the Minnesota Vikings' 49–17 win against the New York Giants later in the day.
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Saints
7
7
3 3 20
Falcons
3
14
0 0 17
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons ended their season 8–8, and finished 1–5 against their division. For the first time since the 2013 season, they were swept by the New Orleans Saints who also finished their season with a 7-9 Record.
Statistics
Team leaders
Stats as of week 16.[ 47]
Standings
Division
Conference
#
Team
Division
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
SOS
SOV
STK
Division Leaders
1
Carolina Panthers
South
15
1
0
.938
5–1
11–1
.441
.438
W1
2
Arizona Cardinals
West
13
3
0
.813
4–2
10–2
.477
.457
L1
3
Minnesota Vikings
North
11
5
0
.688
5–1
8–4
.504
.449
W3
4
Washington Redskins
East
9
7
0
.563
4–2
8–4
.465
.403
W4
Wild Cards
5[ a]
Green Bay Packers
North
10
6
0
.625
3–3
7–5
.531
.450
L2
6[ a]
Seattle Seahawks
West
10
6
0
.625
3–3
7–5
.520
.431
W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7
Atlanta Falcons
South
8
8
0
.500
1–5
5–7
.480
.453
L1
8[ b]
St. Louis Rams
West
7
9
0
.438
4–2
6–6
.527
.482
L1
9[ b]
Detroit Lions
North
7
9
0
.438
3–3
6–6
.535
.429
W3
10[ b]
Philadelphia Eagles
East
7
9
0
.438
3–3
4–8
.508
.473
W1
11[ b]
New Orleans Saints
South
7
9
0
.438
3–3
5–7
.504
.402
W2
12[ c]
New York Giants
East
6
10
0
.375
2–4
4–8
.500
.396
L3
13[ c]
Chicago Bears
North
6
10
0
.375
1–5
3–9
.547
.469
L1
14[ c]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
South
6
10
0
.375
3–3
5–7
.484
.406
L4
15
San Francisco 49ers
West
5
11
0
.313
1–5
4–8
.539
.463
W1
16
Dallas Cowboys
East
4
12
0
.250
3–3
3–9
.531
.438
L4
Tiebreakers [ d]
^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b c d St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b c The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record.
^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Notes
References
^ a b c Jay Adams (February 24, 2015). "Falcons Extend Two Vets, Sign WR Williams" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (February 25, 2015). "Falcons Sign K Bryant to Contract Extension" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign LB Stupar to Extension" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign Veteran S Godfrey to Extension" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign Weems to Contract Extension" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign QB Yates to Extension" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (March 18, 2015). "Biermann Returns to Falcons with New Contract" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (February 13, 2015). "Falcons Add Linebacker Bradford to Roster" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (March 11, 2015). "Falcons Add Wide Receiver Hankerson" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ a b "Falcons free agency: Adrian Clayborn, Phillip Adams sign with Atlanta Thursday" . The Falcoholic. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (March 12, 2015). "Falcons Agree to Terms With LB Schofield" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (March 18, 2015). "Falcons Add More Depth to OL With Smith" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ "Falcons Sign TE Jacob Tamme" . Atlantafalcons.com. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (March 19, 2015). "Falcons Continue to Add to TE Position" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ "Falcons add former army Fullback" . Atlantafalcons.com. May 4, 2015. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (May 14, 2015). "Falcons Sign Veteran Tackle Polumbus" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign Veteran Guard Chester" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Falcons sign offensive tackle DeMarcus Love" . www.ajc.com. July 29, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "With Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman ailing, Atlanta Falcons sign RB - Atlanta Falcons Blog - ESPN" . Espn.go.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ a b c Conway, Kelsey. "Falcons Make Roster Moves" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ a b Conway, Kelsey. "Falcons Sign WR Harris, Waive LB Spruill" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ Conway, Kelsey. "Falcons Sign QB Grossman, Waive RB Royster" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams. "Falcons Part Ways with Veteran RB Jackson" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (February 27, 2015). "Falcons Release Veteran WR Douglas" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Wyatt, Jim (March 11, 2015). "Titans Agree to Terms with Former Falcons WR Harry Douglas" . Titansonline.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (February 27, 2015). "Falcons Release Veteran G Blalock" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (February 27, 2015). "Falcons Trim Roster Further, Waive DE Massaquoi" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Fann, Joe (March 3, 2015). "Titans Release S Bernard Pollard; Claim OLB Jonathan Massaquoi" . Titansonline.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Getlin, Rand (March 6, 2015). "Source: LB Sean Weatherspoon, Cardinals agree on one-year deal - Yahoo Sports" . Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ "Source: Corey Peters to Cardinals on three-year, $10.5 million deal" . Nationalfootballpost.com. March 9, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ Hartstein, Larry. "Falcons decline to tender WR Drew Davis : Fantasy News" . Fantasynews.cbssports.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Robert McClain on Twitter: "Thankful to have the opportunity to continue my career with the @Patriots" " . Twitter.com. March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015 .
^ "Bears ink Rodgers to one year deal" . Chicago Bears. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015 .
^ "Falcons waive former seventh round pick" . Atlanta Falcons. April 2, 2015. Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015 .
^ "Colts reach deal with S Dwight Lowery" . Pro Football Talk. April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015 .
^ "Lions sign cornerback Josh Wilson" . detroitlions.com. April 3, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015 .
^ Larry Mayer (April 23, 2015). "Bears sign veteran tight end Pascoe" . Chicagobears.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ a b c d e Jay Adams (May 1, 2015). "Falcons Make Roster Moves During Draft" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Falcons waive TE Kyle Miller" . The Falcoholic. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Falcons Waive Linebacker Prince Shembo" . Atlantafalcons.com. May 29, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ Jay Adams (June 15, 2015). "Falcons Release Veteran OT Baker" . Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Falcons Sign OL Burton, Release G Gunn" . Atlantafalcons.com. August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Eagles sign wide receiver Freddie Martino; release two others" . NJ.com. August 10, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Jets Sign Javier Arenas" . Gang Green Nation. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ Kelsey Conway. "Falcons Sign CB Lee, Waive NT Heimuli" . Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015 .
^ "Atlanta Falcons 2015 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN" . ESPN.com . Retrieved December 27, 2015 .
External links
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