2024 Atlanta Falcons season
59th season in franchise history
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The 2024 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their eighth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their fourth under general manager Terry Fontenot and their first under head coach Raheem Morris. They improved on their 7–10 record from the previous three years, but failed to make the playoffs, extending a six-year absence and their seven-year NFC South title drought. Despite this, their highlights included a sweeping the eventual NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a Week 2 road victory over the eventual Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles.
| 2024 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Arthur Blank |
| General manager | Terry Fontenot |
| Head coach | Raheem Morris |
| Home stadium | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–9 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC South |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| All-Pros | RG Chris Lindstrom (2nd team) |
| Pro Bowlers | RB Bijan Robinson G Chris Lindstrom ST KhaDarel Hodge |
| Uniform | |
In a Week 5 Thursday night matchup against the Buccaneers, Kirk Cousins set a franchise record for most passing yards in a game, throwing for 509 yards, beating the record previously set by Matt Ryan in 2016.[1] The Falcons' 6–3 start was also their best since 2016. They then went through a four-game losing streak plagued by turnovers and poor defensive play; the Falcons would subsequently bench Cousins after Week 15 for first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. Their Week 16 win over the New York Giants secured their eighth victory of the season, their most since 2017.
The Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention for a seventh consecutive season as regulation time was expiring in their Week 18 game against the Carolina Panthers, due to a Buccaneers win over the Saints. The Panthers subsequently defeated Atlanta in overtime, extending Atlanta's streak of losing seasons to seven years.
Draft
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Draft trades
- The Falcons traded WR Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a third-round selection (79th overall) and a 2023 fifth-round selection (159th overall).[3]
- The Falcons traded a seventh-round selection (230th overall) and LB Deion Jones to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a sixth-round selection (197th overall).[4]
Staff
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Final roster
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | at Miami Dolphins | L 13–20 | 0–1 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 12–13 | 0–2 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 0–31 | 0–3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 10–18 | 0–1 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 16 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 22–21 | 1–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap | ||
| 3 | September 22 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–22 | 1–2 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 4 | September 29 | New Orleans Saints | W 26–24 | 2–2 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 3 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 36–30 (OT) | 3–2 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 6 | October 13 | at Carolina Panthers | W 38–20 | 4–2 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap | ||
| 7 | October 20 | Seattle Seahawks | L 14–34 | 4–3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 8 | October 27 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 31–26 | 5–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 3 | Dallas Cowboys | W 27–21 | 6–3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 10 | at New Orleans Saints | L 17–20 | 6–4 | Caesars Superdome | Recap | ||
| 11 | November 17 | at Denver Broncos | L 6–38 | 6–5 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap | ||
| 12 | Bye | |||||||
| 13 | December 1 | Los Angeles Chargers | L 13–17 | 6–6 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 14 | December 8 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 21–42 | 6–7 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap | ||
| 15 | December 16 | at Las Vegas Raiders | W 15–9 | 7–7 | Allegiant Stadium | Recap | ||
| 16 | December 22 | New York Giants | W 34–7 | 8–7 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
| 17 | December 29 | at Washington Commanders | L 24–30 (OT) | 8–8 | Northwest Stadium | Recap | ||
| 18 | January 5 | Carolina Panthers | L 38–44 (OT) | 8–9 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap | ||
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 3 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 72,291
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 22 |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 21 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 16
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 69,879
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (WUPA, WPVI, ESPN): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
WSB-TV declined the option as the Falcons' local broadcast. WUPA won the bid from the NFL for Atlanta market rights.[7] - Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Despite being down 18–15 and not having the ball past the two minute warning, an incomplete pass by the Eagles on 3rd down gave the Falcons the ball back with over a minute and a half down by 6. Kirk Cousins drove down the field to give the Falcons a one-point lead on a late touchdown by Drake London. The Falcons defense then secured the upset when Jessie Bates III intercepted Jalen Hurts, allowing Atlanta to pick up its first win in Philadelphia since the 2012 season.[8] This would be the Eagles only home loss of the season.
Week 3: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 22 |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 22
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear, 89 °F (32 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 72,441
- Referee: Tra Blake
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 72,204
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Younghoe Koo went 4/4 on field goals including a 58-yard field goal, the longest in Mercedes-Benz Stadium history, in a 26–24 divisional win against the New Orleans Saints.
Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 10 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 36 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,016
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (WAGA, WTVT, Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
Game exclusive to WAGA and WTVT through syndication.[7] Out of market on Prime Video. - Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: at Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 38 |
| Panthers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 13
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 70,884
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Mark Sanchez and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 7: vs. Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 3 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 20
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 70,691
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 26 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: October 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,787
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 21 |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 3
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 72,665
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Saints | 0 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,005
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Greg Olsen and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Denver Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Broncos | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Date: November 17
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Sunny, 55 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 76,545
- Referee: Alan Eck
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 17 |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 1 [9]
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 72,139
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Minnesota Vikings
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 21 |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In addition to suffering their fourth straight loss, the Falcons fell out of the NFC South lead for the first time since Week 4 after the Buccaneers defeated the Raiders the same day.
Week 15: at Las Vegas Raiders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 62,364
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (WUPA, KVVU, ESPN): Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, and Laura Rutledge
Game exclusive to WUPA and KVVU. Out of market, game broadcast on ESPN, which is blacked out in Atlanta and Las Vegas because of syndication exclusivity policies. - Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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The next day, the Falcons benched Kirk Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Week 16: vs. New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Falcons | 0 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 8–7 and, with the Buccaneers' loss later that day to the Cowboys, regained first place in the NFC South.
Week 17: at Washington Commanders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Commanders | 7 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 30 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 8–8, and combined with the Buccaneers' win over the Panthers earlier in the day, caused Atlanta to fall behind once again in the NFC South race. In addition, the Falcons failed to sweep the NFC East following the loss.
Week 18: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 44 |
| Falcons | 3 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 69,581
- Referee: Land Clark
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Before the overtime period began, the Buccaneers defeated the Saints, clinching the NFC South and eliminating the Falcons from playoff contention for the seventh consecutive season. With the loss, they finished with an 8–9 record, also suffering their seventh consecutive losing season.
Standings
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 502 | 385 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 389 | 423 | L2 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 341 | 534 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 338 | 398 | L4 |
Conference
| Seed | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Detroit Lions | North | 15 | 2 | 0 | .882 | 6–0 | 11–1 | .516 | .494 | W3 |
| 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .453 | .424 | W2 |
| 3[a] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .502 | .465 | W2 |
| 4[a][b] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .505 | .441 | L1 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .474 | .408 | L1 |
| 6 | Washington Commanders | East | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .436 | .358 | W5 |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | North | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .533 | .412 | L2 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 8[b] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .498 | .424 | W2 |
| 9[c] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .519 | .426 | L2 |
| 10[c] | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .536 | .404 | W1 |
| 11 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .522 | .387 | L2 |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .564 | .402 | L4 |
| 13[d] | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .554 | .388 | W1 |
| 14[d][e] | Carolina Panthers | South | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .498 | .329 | W1 |
| 15[e] | New Orleans Saints | South | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .505 | .306 | L4 |
| 16 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .554 | .412 | L1 |
Team leaders
| Category | Player(s) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | Kirk Cousins | 3,508 |
| Passing touchdowns | Kirk Cousins | 18 |
| Rushing yards | Bijan Robinson | 1,456 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Bijan Robinson | 14 |
| Receptions | Drake London | 100 |
| Receiving yards | Drake London | 1,271 |
| Receiving touchdowns | Drake London | 9 |
| Points | Younghoe Koo | 101 |
| Kickoff return yards | Avery Williams | 408 |
| Punt return yards | Avery Williams | 185 |
| Tackles | Kaden Elliss | 149 |
| Sacks | Arnold Ebiketie | 6.0 |
| Forced fumbles | Jessie Bates | 4 |
| Interceptions | Jessie Bates | 4 |
| Pass deflections | Dee Alford | 11 |
Notes
- Tampa Bay clinched the #3 seed over Los Angeles based on conference record. (Tampa Bay 8–4 to Los Angeles 6–6)
- Los Angeles clinched the NFC West and #4 seed over Seattle based on strength of victory. (Los Angeles .441 to Seattle .424)
- Atlanta finished ahead of Arizona based on conference record. (Atlanta 7–5 to Arizona 4–8)
- Chicago finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
- Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans based on strength of victory. (Carolina .329 to New Orleans .306)