Falcons History
Notable Players
Atlanta Falcons history is relatively short, making them one of the younger teams in the NFL. They were added in 1966 as an expansion team. The NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership of the team to Rankin Smith, Sr. They were awarded first pick in the NFL draft that year, and also final pick in each round. They picked Tommy Nobis first, which made him the very first player in Atlanta Falcon history. Even though their first year, the Falcons didn't win very many games, they actually won their first away game versus the New York Giants in the 60s. By the end of the decade, the team had won 12 games total in their four years. Throughout this time, they also changed from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference, and then became a part of the Coastal Division of the Western Conference.
In 1970, the Atlanta Falcons football team was moved and became a part of the NFC Western division. They remained there for about 31 years, becoming part of the NFC South in 2002. 1971 was the first winning season for the young Falcons. In 1978, the Falcons made the playoffs. They recorded a win in the Wild Card game against the Eagles, then played the division game against the Cowboys. They made the playoffs again in 1980 and 1982, and after the 1982 coach Leeman Bennett was fired. After this, it was almost 10 years before they saw another playoff game, when theyplayed the in the Division game in 1991.
The Atlanta Falcons history for winning championships includes 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, and 2008, and made an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII. The Atlanta Falcons history of losses includes a 22-loss streak for away games in cold-weather cities. In 1998, they won against the New England Patriots during a road game, which broke the 16 year streak of losses in colder destinations. Former Broncos coach Dan Reeves led them to a loss in the Super Bowl that year, ironically against the Denver Broncos. The Atlanta Falcons history changed and became stronger with the acquisition of Michael Vick and LaDanian Tomlinson. Vick the starting quarterback in 2002, led the team to the playoffs that year. In 2003, Vick suffered
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