NFL team season
The2011 season was theAtlanta Falcons ' 46th season in theNational Football League (NFL) and the fourth under head coachMike Smith .
Finishing the regular season 10–6, the Falcons clinched the #5 seed in theplayoffs . Atlanta's season ended quickly as they lost 24–2 to the eventualSuper Bowl XLVI championNew York Giants in the opening round.
This is also the first time the franchise clinched consecutive playoff berths, and the first time it won 10 or more games in consecutive seasons.
^[a] 2010 sixth-round selection in a trade that sentCB Chris Houston to theDetroit Lions .^[b] T Quinn Ojinnaka to theNew England Patriots .The Falcons' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.
Week 1: at Chicago Bears [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 23-yard field goal,Bears 13–3 . CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal,Bears 16–3 . Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal,Bears 16–6 . CHI –Matt Spaeth 1-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick),Bears 23–6 . CHI –Brian Urlacher 12-yard fumble return (Robbie Gould kick),Bears 30–6 . Fourth quarter
Top passers
ATL –Matt Ryan – 31/47, 319 yards, 1 interception CHI –Jay Cutler – 22/32, 312 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons started their season out on the road against the Bears. With the loss, the team fell to 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Philadelphia Eagles [ edit ] Game information First quarter
ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick),Falcons 7–0 Second quarter
PHI – Jeremy Maclin 5-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick),Tied 7–7 PHI – Alex Henery 22-yard Field Goal,Eagles 10–7 ATL – Tony Gonzalez 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Alex Bryant kick),Falcons 14–10 Third quarter
ATL – Tony Gonzalez 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan,Falcons 21–10 PHI – Jeremy Maclin 36-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick),Falcons 21–17 PHI – LeSean McCoy 8-yard run (Alex Henery kick),Eagles 24–21 PHI – LeSean McCoy 2-yard run (Alex Henery kick),Eagles 31–21 Fourth quarter
ATL – Ovie Mughelli 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick),Eagles 31–28 ATL – Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick),Falcons 35–31 Top passers
PHI –Michael Vick – 19/28, 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception ATL –Matt Ryan – 17/28, 195 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions Top rushers
PHI – Lesean McCoy – 18 carries, 95 yards, 2 touchdowns ATL –Michael Turner – 21 carries, 114 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers
Top tacklers
For the regular season opener at home, the Falcons faced the Eagles. The win improved the team to 1–1 and also helped Starting QB Matt Ryan improve to 4–0 as a regular season starter during home openers.
Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
ATL –Matt Ryan – 27/47, 330 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception TB –Josh Freeman – 22/32, 180 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 1–2.
Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks [ edit ] Game information First quarter TD Tony Gonzalez 1 Yd Pass From Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant Kick) ATL 7–0Second quarter
TD 10:13 Michael Turner 21 Yd Run (Matt Bryant Kick) ATL 14–0
TD 08:46 Sidney Rice 52 Yd Pass From Tarvaris Jackson (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 14–7
TD 02:48 Michael Turner 1 Yd Run (Matt Bryant Kick) ATL 21–7
FG 00:25 Matt Bryant 47 Yd ATL 24–7Third quarter FG 13:40 Matt Bryant 50 Yd ATL 27–7
TD 10:01 Mike Williams 6 Yd Pass From Tarvaris Jackson (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 27–14
TD 03:07 Marshawn Lynch 11 Yd Run (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 27–21
Fourth quarter
FG 11:38 Matt Bryant 42 Yd ATL 30–21
TD 08:13 Ben Obomanu 8 Yd Pass From Tarvaris Jackson (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 30–28
Top passers
ATL – M. Ryan 291 Yards SEA – T. Jackson 319 Yards Top rushers
ATL – M. Turner 70 Yards SEA – M. Lynch 24 Yards Top receivers
ATL – J. Jones 127 Yards SEA – D. Baldwin 84 Yards Top tacklers
ATL – W. Moore 8 Tackles SEA – D. Hawthorne 10 tackles
With the win, the Falcons improved to 2–2.
Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers [ edit ] Week Five: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Packers 0 6 9 10 25 Falcons 7 7 0 0 14
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : October 9Game time : 8:20 p.m. EDTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 69,576Referee :Jeff Triplette TV announcers (NBC) : Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons went home for a week 5 duel with the undefeated Packers. This would be a rematch of last year's NFC Divisional Round. With the loss, the Falcons fell to 2–3.
Week 6: vs. Carolina Panthers [ edit ] Week Six: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 3 7 7 0 17 Falcons 7 7 0 17 31
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With their 3rd-straight win over the Panthers, the Falcons improved to 3–3.
Week 7: at Detroit Lions [ edit ] Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 10 7 3 3 23 Lions 3 3 10 0 16
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Game information First quarter
DET –Jason Hanson 43-yard field goal,Lions 3–0, Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:47. ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal,Tied 3–3, Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:03. ATL – Matt Ryan 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick),Falcons 10–3, 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:46. Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal,Falcons 10–6, Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:12. ATL – Roddy White 18-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick),Falcons 17–6, Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:05 Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal,Falcons 17–9, Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:25. ATL – Matt Bryant 47 yard,Falcons 20–9, Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2;33. DET –Calvin Johnson 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick),Falcons 20–16, Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 3:07. Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal,Falcons 23–16, Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:42. Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/34, 218 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions DET –Matthew Stafford – 15/32, 183 yards, 1 touchdown Top rushers
ATL – Michael Turner – 27 carries, 122 yards DET –Maurice Morris – 9 carries, 50 yards Top receivers
ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions, 62 yards DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 115 yards, 1 touchdown Top tacklers
ATL – Curtis Lofton – 5 tackles, 5 assists DET –DeAndre Levy – 6 tackles, 5 assists
With the win, the Falcons went into their bye week at 4–3.
Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts [ edit ] 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 5–3 and went 2–13 overall against the Colts.
Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 OT Total Saints 3 7 7 6 3 26 Falcons 3 3 7 10 0 23
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 13Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,359Referee :Terry McAulay TV announcers (Fox) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa[citation needed
Game information First quarter
ATL –M.Bryant 36 yd. Field GoalFalcons 3–0.Drive: 16 plays, 61 yards, 8:40. NO –J.Kasay 52 yd. Field GoalSaints 3–3.Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:32. Second quarter
ATL – M.Bryant 29 yd. Field GoalFalcons 6–3.Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:21. NO –J.Graham 21 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick)Saints 10–6.Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 1:01. Third quarter
ATL –J.Snelling 21 yd. pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick)Falcons 13–10.Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 6:04. NO –R.Meachem 33 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick)Saints 17–13.Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:37. Fourth quarter
NO – J.Kasay 48 yd. Field GoalSaints 20–13.Drive: 6 plays, −4 yards, 2:56. NO – J.Kasay 44 yd. Field GoalSaints 23–13.Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:35. ATL – T.Gonzalez 20 yd. pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick)Falcons 20–23.Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 3:00. ATL – M.Bryant 27 yd. Field GoalFalcons 23–23.Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 1:55. Overtime
NO – J.Kasay 26 yd. Field GoalSaints 26–23.Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 2:21. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 5–4.
Week 11: vs. Tennessee Titans [ edit ] Week Eleven: Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Titans 0 3 7 7 17 Falcons 7 6 10 0 23
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 20Game time : 4:15 p.m. EST[ 1] Game weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 68,164Referee :John Parry TV announcers (CBS ) :Ian Eagle andDan Fouts
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 6–4.
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings [ edit ] Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Vikings 0 0 7 7 14 Falcons 7 10 0 7 24
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 27Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 68,115Referee :Alberto Riveron TV announcers (Fox) : Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
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 7–4.
Week 13: at Houston Texans [ edit ] Week Thirteen: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 0 3 7 0 10 Texans 3 7 0 7 17
atReliant Stadium ,Houston, Texas
Date : December 4Game time : 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 71,545Referee :Bill Leavy TV announcers (Fox) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
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 7–5.
Week 14: at Carolina Panthers [ edit ] 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 8–5.
Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars [ edit ] Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Jaguars 0 0 7 7 14 Falcons 10 17 14 0 41
atGeorgia Dome ,Atlanta, Georgia
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 9–5.
Week 16: at New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Game information First quarter
ATL –M.Bryant 34 yd. Field GoalFalcons 3–0.Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:07. NO –P.Thomas 4 yd. run (J.Kasay kick)Saints 7–3.Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:28. ATL – J.Jones 21 yd. pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick)Falcons 10–7.Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:54. Second quarter
NO – M.Colston 8 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick)Saints 14–10.Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:59. NO –J.Graham 9 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick)Saints 21–10.Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:55. Third quarter
NO –R.Meachem 24 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick)Saints 28–10.Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:15. ATL – M.Bryant 51 yd. Field GoalFalcons 13–28.Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 3:47. NO –J.Kasay 29 yd. Field GoalSaints 31–13.Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:37. Fourth quarter
ATL – M.Bryant 30 yd. Field GoalFalcons 16–31.Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 5:21. NO –M.Jenkins 30 yd. fumble return (J.Kasay kick)Saints 38–16. NO – D.Sproles 9 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick)Saints 45–16.Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 2:17. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 9–6, but were able to clinch a playoff spot due to the Chicago Bears 35–21 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday night.
Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Week Seventeen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Buccaneers 0 7 11 6 24 Falcons 21 21 0 3 45
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 win, the Falcons finished the season at 10–6 and captured the NFC's #5 seed.
[ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
NYG – Lawrence Tynes 22-yard field goal, 7:51.Giants 10–2.Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:47. NYG – Hakeem Nicks 72-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:44.Giants 17–2.Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:32. Fourth quarter
NYG –Mario Manningham 27-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:55.Giants 24–2.Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 5:38. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
The Falcons lost theirWild Card round playoff game to theNew York Giants on January 8, 2012, by a score of 24–2. It is the first time in NFL playoff history that a team has scored exactly two points. The previous NFL team to score only a safety in a game wasthe 1993 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 againstthe New England Patriots .
Atlanta Falcons 2011 staff Front office Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore Rivalries Wild card / First round berths (8) Division championships (6) Conference championships (2) Ring of Honor Current league affiliations
