1980 Atlanta Falcons season
NFL team season
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The 1980 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcons' 15th season and culminated in their first division title in franchise history. After a 3–3 start, the Falcons went on a nine-game winning streak as quarterback Steve Bartkowski passed for a career-best 3,544 yards while connecting on 31 touchdown passes. As the NFC's top seed, the Falcons gained home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Falcons' season ended with a 30–27 divisional playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys before 60,022 fans at Fulton County Stadium.
OwnerRankin M. Smith Sr.
| 1980 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Rankin M. Smith Sr. |
| General manager | Eddie LeBaron |
| Head coach | Leeman Bennett |
| Defensive coordinator | Jerry Glanville |
| Home stadium | Fulton County Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoffs | Lost Divisional Playoffs (vs. Cowboys) 27–30 |
| Pro Bowlers | RB William Andrews QB Steve Bartkowski WR Alfred Jenkins C Jeff van Note T Mike Kenn TE Junior Miller |
This would be the last time the Falcons capture a winning record in a non strike season until 1991, as well as their last division title until 1998.
Offseason
Draft
| 1980 Atlanta Falcons draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Junior Miller * | Tight end | Nebraska | |
| 2 | 36 | Buddy Curry | Linebacker | North Carolina | |
| 3 | 63 | Earl Jones | Cornerback | Norfolk State | |
| 4 | 91 | Jim Laughlin | Linebacker | Ohio State | |
| 4 | 104 | I. M. Hipp | Running back | Nebraska | |
| 5 | 117 | Brad Vassar | Linebacker | Pacific | |
| 5 | 137 | Kenny Johnson | Safety | Mississippi State | |
| 6 | 146 | Mike Davis | Safety | Colorado | |
| 7 | 172 | Mike Smith | Wide receiver | Grambling State | |
| 8 | 201 | Al Richardson | Linebacker | Georgia Tech | |
| 9 | 228 | Glen Keller | Center | West Texas State | |
| 10 | 257 | Walt Bellamy | Safety | VMI | |
| 11 | 284 | Mike Babb | Safety | Oklahoma | |
| 12 | 313 | Quinn Jones | Running back | Tulsa | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Keith Edwards | Safety | Minnesota |
| Al Futrell | Cornerback | TCU |
| Reggie Smith | Wide receiver | North Carolina Central |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
|
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 23–24 | 0–1 | Metropolitan Stadium | 44,773 | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | at New England Patriots | W 37–21 | 1–1 | Schaefer Stadium | 48,321 | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Miami Dolphins | L 17–20 | 1–2 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 55,470 | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 20–17 | 2–2 | Candlestick Park | 56,518 | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | Detroit Lions | W 43–28 | 3–2 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 57,652 | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | New York Jets | L 7–14 | 3–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 57,458 | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | at New Orleans Saints | W 41–14 | 4–3 | Louisiana Superdome | 62,651 | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | Los Angeles Rams | W 13–10 | 5–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 57,401 | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at Buffalo Bills | W 30–14 | 6–3 | Rich Stadium | 57,959 | Recap |
| 10 | November 9 | at St. Louis Cardinals | W 33–27 (OT) | 7–3 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 48,662 | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | New Orleans Saints | W 31–13 | 8–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 53,871 | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Chicago Bears | W 28–17 | 9–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 49,156 | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Washington Redskins | W 10–6 | 10–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 55,665 | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 20–17 | 11–3 | Veterans Stadium | 70,205 | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | San Francisco 49ers | W 35–10 | 12–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 55,767 | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 17–20 (OT) | 12–4 | Anaheim Stadium | 62,469 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
Game summaries
Week 1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 6 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 23 |
| • Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
- Date: September 7
- Location: Metropolitan Stadium
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 14 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 37 |
| Patriots | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
- Date: September 14
- Location: Sullivan Stadium
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 20 |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
- Date: September 21
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Dave Rowe
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
- Date: September 28
- Location: Candlestick Park
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 28 |
| • Falcons | 17 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 43 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- Television network: CBS
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Jets | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
- Date: October 12
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- Television network: NBC
Week 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 7 | 6 | 21 | 7 | 41 |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: October 19
- Location: Louisiana Superdome
- Game start: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Kelly and Sonny Jurgenson
| Q1 | NO | Chandler 18 yard pass from Manning (Ricardo kick) | NO 7–0 | |
| Q1 | ATL | Miller 11 yard pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| Q2 | NO | Galbreath 15 yard pass from Manning (Ricardo kick) | NO 14–7 | |
| Q2 | ATL | Francis 24 yard pass from Bartkowski (kick failed) | NO 14–13 | |
| Q3 | ATL | Jenkins 49 yard pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) | ATL 20–14 | |
| Q3 | ATL | Cain 1 yard run (Mazzetti kick) | ATL 27–14 | |
| Q3 | ATL | Miller 4 yard pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) | ATL 34–14 | |
| Q4 | ATL | Andrews 13 yard run (Mazzetti kick) | ATL 41–14 | |
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| • Falcons | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
- Date: October 26
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- Television network: CBS
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
| Bills | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- Television network: CBS
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 3 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 33 |
| Cardinals | 17 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| • Falcons | 3 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
- Date: November 16
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • Falcons | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
- Date: November 23
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
- Referee: Fred Wyant
- Television network: CBS
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| • Falcons | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
- Date: November 30
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Eagles | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
- Date: December 7
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • Falcons | 7 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 35 |
- Date: December 14
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| • Rams | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
- Date: December 21
- Location: Anaheim Stadium
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | January 4 | Dallas Cowboys (4) | L 27–30 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 60,022 | Recap |
Divisional
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 30 |
| Falcons | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
- Date: January 4
- Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Standings
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Atlanta Falcons(1) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 405 | 272 | L1 |
| Los Angeles Rams(5) | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 424 | 289 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 320 | 415 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 15 | 0 | .063 | 0–6 | 0–12 | 291 | 487 | L1 |