1971 Atlanta Falcons season
NFL team season
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The 1971 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's sixth year in the National Football League (NFL). Finishing the season at 7-6-1, the record was the first winning season in franchise history.
| 1971 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Rankin M. Smith Sr. |
| General manager | Norm Van Brocklin |
| Head coach | Norm Van Brocklin |
| Home stadium | Atlanta Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–6–1 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC West |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
Offseason
NFL draft
| 1971 Atlanta Falcons draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Joe Profit | Running back | Northeast Louisiana | |
| Made roster | |||||
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
|
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 19 | San Francisco 49ers | W 20–17 | 1–0 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 56,990 |
| 2 | September 26 | at Los Angeles Rams | T 20–20 | 1–0–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 57,895 |
| 3 | October 3 | at Detroit Lions | L 38–41 | 1–1–1 | Tiger Stadium | 54,418 |
| 4 | October 10 | St. Louis Cardinals | L 9–26 | 1–2–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 |
| 5 | October 17 | Los Angeles Rams | L 16–24 | 1–3–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 |
| 6 | October 24 | New Orleans Saints | W 28–6 | 2–3–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 |
| 7 | October 31 | at Cleveland Browns | W 31–14 | 3–3–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 76,825 |
| 8 | November 7 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 9–6 | 4–3–1 | Riverfront Stadium | 59,604 |
| 9 | November 14 | New York Giants | L 17–21 | 4–4–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 |
| 10 | November 22 | Green Bay Packers | W 28–21 | 5–4–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 |
| 11 | November 28 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 7–24 | 5–5–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 49,784 |
| 12 | December 5 | Oakland Raiders | W 24–13 | 6–5–1 | Atlanta Stadium | 58,850 |
| 13 | December 12 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 3–24 | 6–6–1 | Kezar Stadium | 44,582 |
| 14 | December 19 | at New Orleans Saints | W 24–20 | 7–6–1 | Tulane Stadium | 75,954 |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||
Standings
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 2–4 | 7–4 | 300 | 216 | W2 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 4–1–1 | 7–3–1 | 313 | 260 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 6 | 1 | .538 | 3–2–1 | 4–6–1 | 274 | 277 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 8 | 2 | .333 | 2–4 | 4–7 | 266 | 347 | L3 |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
