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2021 Atlanta Falcons season

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The 2021 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 56th season in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their first under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.

2021 Atlanta Falcons season
OwnerArthur Blank
General managerTerry Fontenot
Head coachArthur Smith
Home fieldMercedes-Benz Stadium
Results
Record7–10
Division place3rd NFC South
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersTE Kyle Pitts
LS Josh Harris
AP All-ProsCB A. J. Terrell (2nd team)
LS Josh Harris (2nd team)
Uniform

For the first time since 2010, wide receiver Julio Jones was not on the roster as he was traded to the Tennessee Titans on June 6, 2021.[1] Jones departed Atlanta holding the most career receiving yards and receptions in Falcons franchise history.

Following their Week 12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Falcons improved their 4–12 season from the previous year. However, the Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year following a Week 17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

It was also their final season with quarterback Matt Ryan, as he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for the following season.[2]

Draft

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Main article: 2021 NFL draft
2021 Atlanta Falcons Draft
Round Selection Player Position College Notes
1 4 Kyle Pitts TE Florida Highest selected tight end in NFL history
2 40 Richie Grant S UCF from Denver Broncos
3 68 Jalen Mayfield OG Michigan
4 108 Darren Hall CB San Diego State
114 Drew Dalman C Stanford from Denver Broncos
5 148 Ta'Quon Graham DE Texas
182 Adetokunbo Ogundeji DE Notre Dame
183 Avery Williams CB Boise State
6 187 Frank Darby WR Arizona State

Notes

  • The Falcons were awarded 3 compensatory picks in the 2021 NFL draft.[3]
  • The Falcons traded their second-round (35th overall) and sixth-round (219th overall) picks to the Denver Broncos in exchange for their second-round (40th overall) and fourth-round (114th overall) selections.[4]
  • All of the Falcons selections in this draft made the 53-man roster at the start of the regular season.

Staff

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2021 Atlanta Falcons staff

Front office

  • Owner/chairman – Arthur Blank
  • President/CEO – Rich McKay
  • General manager – Terry Fontenot
  • Vice president of player personnel – Kyle Smith
  • Director of pro personnel – Shepley Heard
  • Director of coaching operations – Brian Griffin
  • Director of college scouting – Anthony Robinson
  • Director of player personnel – Steve Sabo
  • Senior director of football administration – Chris Olsen
  • National scouts – Ruston Webster, Phil Emery, and Joel Collier

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Thomas Stallworth
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Bobby Thomas
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Roderick Moore Jr


Final roster

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2021 Atlanta Falcons roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)


Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
54 active, 8 reserve, 16 practice squad

Preseason

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Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 13 Tennessee Titans L 3–23 0–1 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
2 August 21 at Miami Dolphins L 17–37 0–2 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
3 August 29 Cleveland Browns L 10–19 0–3 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap

Regular season

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Schedule

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The Falcons 2021 schedule was announced on May 12. They opened the season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 12 Philadelphia Eagles L 6–32 0–1 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
2 September 19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 25–48 0–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap
3 September 26 at New York Giants W 17–14 1–2 MetLife Stadium Recap
4 October 3 Washington Football Team L 30–34 1–3 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
5 October 10 New York Jets W 27–20 2–3   Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) Recap
6 Bye
7 October 24 at Miami Dolphins W 30–28 3–3 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
8 October 31 Carolina Panthers L 13–19 3–4 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
9 November 7 at New Orleans Saints W 27–25 4–4 Caesars Superdome Recap
10 November 14 at Dallas Cowboys L 3–43 4–5 AT&T Stadium Recap
11 November 18 New England Patriots L 0–25 4–6 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
12 November 28 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 21–14 5–6 TIAA Bank Field Recap
13 December 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 17–30 5–7 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
14 December 12 at Carolina Panthers W 29–21 6–7 Bank of America Stadium Recap
15 December 19 at San Francisco 49ers L 13–31 6–8 Levi's Stadium Recap
16 December 26 Detroit Lions W 20–16 7–8 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
17 January 2 at Buffalo Bills L 15–29 7–9 Highmark Stadium Recap
18 January 9 New Orleans Saints L 20–30 7–10 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

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Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

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Week 1: Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Eagles 7 8 71032
Falcons 3 3 006

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

The Falcons start their season off with a 26-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Week 2: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week 2: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 10 15025
Buccaneers 7 14 72048

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: September 19
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
  • Game attendance: 63,694
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 3: at New York Giants

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Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 7 01017
Giants 3 3 0814

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

Week 4: vs. Washington Football Team

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Week 4: Washington Football Team at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Washington 0 13 91234
Falcons 3 14 6730

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

Week 5: vs. New York Jets

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NFL London games

Week 5: New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 3 61120
Falcons 10 10 0727

at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England

Game information

Week 7: at Miami Dolphins

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Week 7: Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 13 71030
Dolphins 7 0 71428

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers

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Week 8: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 3 6 3719
Falcons 3 7 0313

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 68,583
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: at New Orleans Saints

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Week 9: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 7 71027
Saints 0 0 32225

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 69,170
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sara Walsh
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Younghoe Koo kicked a game-winning field goal as time ran out, improving Atlanta to 4–4.

Week 10: at Dallas Cowboys

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Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 0 003
Cowboys 7 29 7043

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 93,436
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 11: vs. New England Patriots

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Week 11: New England Patriots at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 3 10 01225
Falcons 0 0 000

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

Week 12: at Jacksonville Jaguars

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Week 12: Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 7 7021
Jaguars 0 3 8314

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 28
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 60,031
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Week 13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 13 7 7330
Falcons 7 10 0017

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 5
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 69,366
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Sara Walsh
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 14: at Carolina Panthers

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Week 14: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 10 3929
Panthers 7 0 7721

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 51 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,243
  • Referee: Shawn Smith
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Lindsay Czarniak
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: at San Francisco 49ers

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Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 7 3013
49ers 3 14 14031

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

  • Date: December 19
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: Clear, 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 71,650
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions

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Week 16: Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 3 7 3316
Falcons 0 10 3720

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 26
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C) (retractable roof open)
  • Game attendance: 68,638
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 17: at Buffalo Bills

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Week 17: Atlanta Falcons at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 2 13 0015
Bills 14 0 8729

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: January 2
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Snow showers, 25 °F (−4 °C)
  • Game attendance: 64,948
  • Referee: Land Clark
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints

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Week 18: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saints 7 17 0630
Falcons 3 3 7720

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: January 9
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 68,336
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Coming off with a 2-point win in Week 9, they host the Saints. They were defeated by 10 points and finish their season with a 7-10 record.

Standings

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Division

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NFC South
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 4 0 .765 4–2 8–4 511 353 W3
New Orleans Saints 9 8 0 .529 4–2 7–5 364 335 W2
Atlanta Falcons 7 10 0 .412 2–4 4–8 313 459 L2
Carolina Panthers 5 12 0 .294 2–4 3–9 304 404 L7

Conference

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NFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division winners
1[a] Green Bay Packers North 13 4 0 .765 4–2 9–3 .479 .480 L1
2[a] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 13 4 0 .765 4–2 8–4 .467 .443 W3
3[b] Dallas Cowboys East 12 5 0 .706 6–0 10–2 .488 .431 W1
4[b] Los Angeles Rams West 12 5 0 .706 3–3 8–4 .483 .409 L1
Wild cards
5 Arizona Cardinals West 11 6 0 .647 4–2 7–5 .490 .492 L1
6 San Francisco 49ers West 10 7 0 .588 2–4 7–5 .500 .438 W2
7[c] Philadelphia Eagles East 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 .469 .350 L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[c] New Orleans Saints South 9 8 0 .529 4–2 7–5 .512 .516 W2
9 Minnesota Vikings North 8 9 0 .471 4–2 6–6 .507 .434 W1
10[d] Washington Football Team East 7 10 0 .412 2–4 6–6 .529 .420 W1
11[d][e] Seattle Seahawks West 7 10 0 .412 3–3 4–8 .519 .424 W2
12[d][e] Atlanta Falcons South 7 10 0 .412 2–4 4–8 .472 .315 L2
13 Chicago Bears North 6 11 0 .353 2–4 4–8 .524 .373 L1
14 Carolina Panthers South 5 12 0 .294 2–4 3–9 .509 .412 L7
15 New York Giants East 4 13 0 .235 1–5 3–9 .536 .485 L6
16 Detroit Lions North 3 13 1 .206 2–4 3–9 .528 .627 W1
Tiebreakers[f]
  1. ^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4).
  2. ^ a b Dallas finished ahead of LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  3. ^ a b Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  4. ^ a b c Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories.
  5. ^ a b Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit).
  6. ^ 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.

References

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  1. ^ Maya, Adam. "Falcons trade WR Julio Jones, future sixth-rounder to Titans for second- and fourth-round picks". NFL.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  2. ^ "Falcons trade Matt Ryan to Indianapolis Colts". www.atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  3. ^ "Falcons awarded three compensatory picks ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft".
  4. ^ "Falcons trade back in second round of 2021 NFL Draft".
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