Atlanta Falcons
Overview
AFC South
Established: June 30, 1965; 53 years ago
First season: 1966
Play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta, Georgia
Head coach: Dan Quinn
Championships
League championships
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Conference championships
NFC: 1998, 2016
Division championships
NFC West: 1980, 1998. NFC South: 2004, 2010, 2012, 2016
Playoff appearances
NFL: 1978, 1980, 1982, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Establishment and History
The team was established in 1965 and began to play in the NFL in 1966.
In their history, the Falcons have been to the Super Bowl twice, but they have never won a championship. Over the years, the franchise has had both good times and hard times, but they have built up a strong fan base in the Atlanta area.
Home Stadium
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. This is where the Atlanta Falcons play their home games. The stadium opened in 2017 and can hold up to 71,000 people.
The stadium has a roof that can be opened or closed and is one of the largest circular video boards in the world.
Notable Players
Throughout their history, the Falcons have had many famous players, such as quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Michael Vick, running back Warrick Dunn, and wide receiver Julio Jones. Jones played for the Falcons from 2011 to 2020.
He is known as one of the best wide receivers in the league and was a key part of the Falcons’ 2016 Super Bowl run.
Head Coaches
The Falcons have had a number of head coaches over the years, with notable names including Dan Reeves, who led the team to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1998, and Mike Smith, who coached the team from 2008-2014 and led them to five playoff appearances in his seven seasons.
Arthur Smith has been the head coach of the Tennessee Titans since 2021. Before that, he worked there as an assistant coach for a few years.
Rivalries
In the NFL, the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers are two of the Falcons’ division rivals. Since both teams have been in the same division since 1967, the rivalry with the Saints is especially fierce.
In what is called the “Dirty South rivalry,” the Falcons and Saints play each other twice a year.
Fan Base
Fans of the Atlanta Falcons have stuck with the team through both good and bad seasons. The team’s fan base is located primarily in the Atlanta area, but they have fans all over the country.
Fans of the Falcons have taken on a number of traditions, like the “Dirty Bird” dance, which became popular during the team’s run to the Super Bowl in 1998.
Overall, the Falcons’ fan base is an important part of the team’s success and a testament to the team’s enduring legacy in the NFL.