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The Atlanta Falcons are a American Football team based in Atlanta, Georgia . They are currently a member of the NFC South of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Falcons joined the NFL as a 1966 Expansion Team . In their 41 years of existence, the Falcons have compiled a record of 258-374-6 with division championships in 1980, 1998 and 2004, and appeared in Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami, Florida , losing 34-19 to the Denver Broncos . FRANCHISE HISTORY The Atlanta Falcons franchise began on June 30, 1965 when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership to Rankin M. Smith Sr. The Atlanta Falcons would draft LB Tommy Nobis from the University Of Texas with the first pick of the 1966 NFL Draft , making him the first ever Falcon. The Falcons had its first season in 1966, and had its first game (preseason) on August 1, 1966 where it was handed a defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles . Losing its first nine games that season, its first victory was on the road against the New York Giants . It would finish the 1960s with only 12 wins. The Falcons would have its first Monday Night Football game in Atlanta during the 1970 season, and although it had a losing record in 1970, the 1971 season was its first winning record. In the 1978 season, the Falcons entered its first playoff series, and won the Wild Card Playoffs against the Eagles only to lose to the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs. In 1980, it finished 12-4 only to lose again to the Cowboys in the Divisional Playoffs. After the 1981 season, the Atlanta Falcons would not see another playoff series until 1991, when it lost to the Washington Redskins in the Divisional Playoffs. Led by QB Chris Chandler and RB Jamal Anderson , the "Dirty Bird" Falcons had their greatest season to date in 1998. On November 8, they won 41-10 over the Patriots at New England , snapping a streak of 22 consecutive losses at cold-weather sites in November and December that had dated back to 1982. The team finished with a 14-2 regular season record and the NFC West division championship. On January 18, 1999, the Falcons upset the top-seeded 15-1 Vikings at Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game, 30-27 in overtime. They would lose, 34-19, to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. In the 2001 NFL Draft , the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers , acquiring the first overall pick (which would be used on Quarterback Michael Vick ) in exchange for Wide Receiver Tim Dwight and the fifth overall pick (used on Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson ). Michael Vick would be backup to starting QB Chris Chandler, and would be the full-time starting quarterback by 2002. He would lead them to the playoffs in 2002 only to lose to the Philadelphia Eagles once again in the Divisional Playoffs. During the 2003 preseason, Michael Vick broke his leg and missed the first twelve games of the season, bringing their record to a dismal 5-11 record. Vick would return for the full season in 2004, when the Falcons went 11-5. They made it to the Conference Championship, once again losing to the Eagles. The Falcons failed yet again to maintain back to back winning seasons in 2005, going 8-8. The 2006 Falcons had a chance to make the playoffs until the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins, helping to seal their record at a losing 7-9. LOGO AND UNIFORMS When the team debuted in 1966, the Falcons wore red helmets with a black falcon crest logo. They wore white pants and either black or white jerseys. At first, the falcon crest logo was also put on the jersey sleeves, but it was replaced by a red and white stripe pattern four year later. They switched from black to red jerseys in 1971, and the club began to wear silver pants in 1978. A prototype white helmet was developed for the team prior to the 1974 season, but never worn. In 1990, the uniform design changed to black helmets, silver pants, and either black or white jerseys. The numbers on the white jerseys were black, but were changed to red in 1997. "Falcons Uniform History" , NFL (The red numerals could be seen on the away jerseys briefly in 1990.) Both the logo and uniforms changed in 2003. The logo was redesigned with red and silver accents to depict a more powerful, aggressive falcon, which now more closely resembles the capital letter ''F''. "Falcons unveil New logo" , NFL Although the Falcons still wore black helmets, the new uniforms featured jerseys and pants with red trim down the sides. The uniform design consisted of either black or white jerseys, and either black or white pants. During that same year, a red alternate jersey with black trim was also introduced. The Falcons also started wearing black cleats with these uniforms. In 2004, the red jerseys became the primary jerseys, and the black ones became the alternate, primarily wearing white pants with the white jerseys and white pants with the red jerseys. The Falcons also in select road games wear black pants with white jerseys. In the past three seasons, the Falcons wore an all-black combination for home games against their archrivals, the New Orleans Saints , winning the first two contests (24-21 in 2004 and 36-17 in 2005), but losing 31-13 in 2006. They wore the combination again in 2006, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. The Falcons won that game as well, 14-3. In the 1980s the Falcons primarily wore their white uniforms at home mainly to gain an advantage due to the heat and humidity of Atlanta's climate. When the team moved indoors, the Falcons switched to wearing their dark uniforms at home. The Falcons have worn white at home a few times since moving indoors. In 2002, the Falcons wore white at home for a game against the Bengals. In 2003, the Falcons wore white for a game against the Panthers. |
<!-- Image With Unknown Copyright Status Removed: Image:FalconsgifFalcons Logo<br />(1990-2002)
| "http://wwwsportslogosnet/logophplo=298" class="copylinks" target="_blank">{Link without Title} --> |
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1978 9 7 0 2nd NFC West '''Won'''
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_1978-79" class="copylinks">Wild Card Playoffs (Eagles) 14-13<br />Lost Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) 27-20 |
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1980 12 4 0 '''1st NFC West''' Lost
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_1980-81" class="copylinks">Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) 30-27 |
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1982<sup>1</sup> 5 4 0 5th NFC Lost
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_1982-83" class="copylinks">First Round (Vikings) 30-24 |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/1986_Atlanta_Falcons_season" class="copylinks">1986 7 8 1 4th NFC West -- |
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1991 10 6 0 2nd NFC West '''Won'''
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_1991-92" class="copylinks">Wild Card Playoffs (Saints) 27-20<br />Lost Divisional Playoffs (Redskins) 24-7 |
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1995 9 7 0 2nd NFC West Lost
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_1995-96" class="copylinks">Wild Card Playoffs ( Packers ) 37-20 |
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1998 14 2 0 '''1st NFC West''' '''Won'''
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_1998-99" class="copylinks">Divisional Playoffs ( 49ers ) 20-18<br />'''Won''' Conference Championship (Vikings) 30-27<br />Lost Super Bowl XXXIII (Broncos) 34-19 |
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2002 9 6 1 2nd NFC South '''Won'''
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_2002-03" class="copylinks">Wild Card Playoffs (Packers) 27-7<br />Lost Divisional Playoffs (Eagles) 20-6 |
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2004 11 5 0 '''1st NFC South''' '''Won'''
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/NFL_playoffs,_2004-05" class="copylinks">Divisional Playoffs ( Rams ) 47-17<br />Lost Conference Championship (Eagles) 27-10 |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/2006_Atlanta_Falcons_season" class="copylinks">2006 7 9 0 3rd NFC South -- |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/2007_Atlanta_Falcons_season" class="copylinks">2007 -- -- -- -- -- |
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"3"Totals 252 366 6 |
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"2" (1966-2006, regular season) <!-- Correct up to Jan 15, 2007 --> |
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"2" (1966-2006, playoffs) <!-- Correct up to Jan 15, 2007 --> |
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"2" (all games, 1966-2006, including playoffs) <!-- Correct up to Jan 15, 2007 --> |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/San_Diego_Chargers" class="copylinks">San Diego Chargers 6 1 0 857 W 21-20 October 17 , 2004 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Carolina_Panthers" class="copylinks">Carolina Panthers 15 9 0 625 L 10-3 December 24 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/New_Orleans_Saints" class="copylinks">New Orleans Saints 44 32 0 579 L 31-13 November 26 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia 1-0 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Buffalo_Bills" class="copylinks">Buffalo Bills 5 4 0 555 W 24-16 September 25 , 2005 Orchard Park, New York |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/New_York_Giants" class="copylinks">New York Giants 10 8 0 555 L 27-14 October 15 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/New_York_Jets" class="copylinks">New York Jets 5 4 0 555 W 27-14 October 24 , 2005 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/New_England_Patriots" class="copylinks">New England Patriots 6 5 0 545 L 31-28 October 9 , 2005 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Green_Bay_Packers" class="copylinks">Green Bay Packers 11 13 0 458 L 33-25 November 13 , 2005 Atlanta, Georgia 1-1 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Chicago_Bears" class="copylinks">Chicago Bears 10 12 0 454 L 16-3 December 18 , 2005 Chicago, Illinois |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Tennessee_Titans" class="copylinks">Hou Oilers/Tennessee Titans 5 6 0 454 L 38-31 November 23 , 2003 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Tampa_Bay_Buccaneers" class="copylinks">Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12 15 0 444 W 17-6 December 10 , 2006 Tampa, Florida |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Arizona_Cardinals" class="copylinks">St Louis/Arizona Cardinals 10 13 0 434 W 32-10 October 1 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Philadelphia_Eagles" class="copylinks">Philadelphia Eagles 11 14 1 423 L 24-17 December 31 , 2006 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1-2 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Minnesota_Vikings" class="copylinks">Minnesota Vikings 9 15 0 375 W 30-10 October 2 , 2005 Atlanta, Georgia 1-1 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/San_Francisco_49ers" class="copylinks">San Francisco 49ers 27 44 1 375 W 21-19 September 12 , 2004 San Francisco, California 1-0 posteason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Cincinnati_Bengals" class="copylinks">Cincinnati Bengals 4 7 0 364 W 29-27 October 29 , 2006 Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Oakland_Raiders" class="copylinks">Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders 4 7 0 364 W 35-10 December 12 , 2004 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Dallas_Cowboys" class="copylinks">Dallas Cowboys 8 15 0 348 L 38-28 December 16 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia 0-2 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/St_Louis_Rams" class="copylinks">Los Angeles/St Louis Rams 25 46 2 342 W 47-17<sup>(1)</sup> January 15 , 2005 Atlanta, Georgia 1-0 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Baltimore_Ravens" class="copylinks">Baltimore Ravens 1 2 0 333 L 24-10 November 19 , 2006 Baltimore, Maryland |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Denver_Broncos" class="copylinks">Denver Broncos 4 8 0 333 W 41-28 October 31 , 2004 Denver, Colorado 0-1 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Jacksonville_Jaguars" class="copylinks">Jacksonville Jaguars 1 2 0 333 W 21-14 December 28 , 2003 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Miami_Dolphins" class="copylinks">Miami Dolphins 3 7 0 300 W 17-10 November 6 , 2005 Miami Gardens, Florida |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Detroit_Lions" class="copylinks">Detroit Lions 9 23 0 281 L 30-14 November 5 , 2006 Detroit, Michigan |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Washington_Redskins" class="copylinks">Washington Redskins 5 15 1 238 W 24-14 December 3 , 2006 Landover, Maryland 0-1 postseason |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Seattle_Seahawks" class="copylinks">Seattle Seahawks 2 8 0 200 L 21-18 September 18 , 2005 Seattle, Washington |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Cleveland_Browns" class="copylinks">Cleveland Browns 2 10 0 166 L 17-13 November 12 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Kansas_City_Chiefs" class="copylinks">Kansas City Chiefs 1 5 0 166 L 56-10 October 24 , 2004 Kansas City, Missouri |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Pittsburgh_Steelers" class="copylinks">Pittsburgh Steelers 2 11 1 143 W 41-38 (OT) October 22 , 2006 Atlanta, Georgia |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Indianapolis_Colts" class="copylinks">Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts 1 12 0 077 L 38-7 December 14 , 2003 Indianapolis, Indiana |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Houston_Texans" class="copylinks">Houston Texans 0 1 0 000 L 17-13 November 30 , 2003 Houston, Texas |
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