Answer: 1966
The Falcons joined as an expansion team to owner Rankin Smith Sr. under NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1966.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: 1966
The team's first year was 1966, and they finished with a 3-11 record. Their first head coach was Norb Hecker.
From Quiz: Fighting Falcons
Answer: Houston Oilers
A surprising decision to many, since he was a star in his native Texas. After his retirement, he served the Falcons in several front office positions, while contributing to many local charities. He was the team's VP of Corporate Development in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: Norb Hecker
Norb Hecker's overall record with the Falcons was 4-26-1. He was fired after three games in 1968. From 1966-2006, the Falcons had 14 head coaches.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: Black Mountain, NC
It was on a YMCA camp, about 15 miles east of Asheville. 1966 was their only summer there; they then moved to E. Tennessee State University.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: XXXIII
The Broncos beat the Falcons 34-19. The Broncos were tough to beat in the Elway era, and were repeat Super Bowl Champions that season. The game was January 31, 1999, in Miami.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: Dave Hampton
Hampton accomplished this feat with 1,002 yards in 1975. He had come very close to doing it earlier, rushing for 995 yards in 1972 and 997 yards in 1973. Cannonball Butler and Bubba Bean really are names of ex-Falcon running backs, but neither of them ever hit 1,000 yards. William Andrews broke 1,000 yards for the team in 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1983.
From Quiz: Fighting Falcons
Answer: Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a former home of the New York football Giants. The Falcons beat them 27-16 on November 30th, 1966. The Falcons wound up 3-11 their inaugural year.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: 1971
Norm Van Brocklin was the coach for their first winning season in 1971. His overall record with the Falcons was 39-48-3. He was fired after eight games in 1974.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: Philadelphia Eagles
The Falcons' first ever playoff appearance and their only playoff appearance of the 1970s came in 1978. They narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wildcard game 14-13, and were then beaten by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round, 27-20.
From Quiz: Fighting Falcons
Answer: Dolphins
Nov. 30 in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium. The Falcons wound up that season 4-8-2, but in 1971, they had their first winning season, with a record of 7-6-1.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: 1978
Under coach Leeman Bennett, they won the Wild Card game by beating the Eagles 14-13, to move on to lose to the Dallas Cowboys 27-20. Coach Bennett was the first coach of the Falcons to leave with a winning record. His record was 46-41 from 1977-1982.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: The Falcons didn't win a playoff game in the 1980s
The Falcons made the playoffs in 1980, but lost to the Cowboys in the first round 30-27. They lost a first round playoff game to the Minnesota Vikings in 1982, 30-24, and failed to qualify for the playoffs again until 1991.
From Quiz: Fighting Falcons
Answer: 0
Their very first T-Day game will be Nov. 24, 2005 in Detroit.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: University of California
Bartkowski played for the Falcons from 1975 to 1985, then one last season with the L.A. Rams.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: Jessie Tuggle
Jessis Tuggle received the nickname because of the impact of his tackles. The linebacker out of Valdosta State played his entire professional career with the Falcons from 1987-2000.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: Andre Rison
Rison won this award despite the fact that he did not score a touchdown in the game. He caught 6 passes for 86 yards in a 17-3 NFC victory.
From Quiz: Fighting Falcons
Answer: Seattle Seahawks
MC Hammer and Evander Holyfield were there, along with country band Diamond Rio. Near the game's end, there was even a "fat lady" opera singer who led the crowd in Auld Lang Syne!
Starting in 1992, the Falcons played in the Georgia Dome. Fulton County Stadium would be imploded in 1997.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Although you might have known it as Atlanta Stadium from 1966-1976, the same site was the first home for the Falcons until 1991.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: Coastal
The NFL's Eastern Conference was comprised of the Century and Capitol divisions, while the Western Conference was comprised of the Coastal and Central divisions. The Falcons' Coastal Division foes were the L.A. Rams, 49ers, and Baltimore Colts. From 1970 to 2001, the Falcons played in the NFC West division. In 2002, the NFL realigned its divisions and placed the Falcons in the NFC South (with Tampa Bay, Carolina, and New Orleans).
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: Georgia Dome
The dome was a state-funded project and hosted many concerts and sporting events such as football, basketball, and gymnastics. It is one of the largest domed stadiums in the world. A little extra note, the Georgia Dome was home to the 2008 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament and received tornado damage during a game. Games were delayed and later moved to the Alexander Memorial Coliseum at Georgia Tech.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: Jim Hanifan
Hanifan, the Falcons' offensive line coach & a former St. Louis Cardinal head coach, took over for the retiring Marion Campbell, who ended his second unsuccessful tenure as head coach. He coached the last 4 games (all losses) of a miserable 3-13 season. Hanifan then moved on to the Redskins, while the Falcons hired Jerry Glanville as the new head coach.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
Answer: Michael Vick
Michael Vick played quarterback at Virginia Tech. He left college early and entered the 2001 NFL draft. Vick's 2006 season made NFL history as he was the first NFL quarterback to rush for more than 1000 yards in a season.
From Quiz: All About the Falcons
Answer: 14
The Falcons went 14-2 in 1998 and ended up NFC champions, only to lose in the Super Bowl to John Elway and the Denver Broncos 34-19. Prior to 1998, the team's best year was 1980, when they finished at 12-4.
From Quiz: Fighting Falcons
Answer: Beckman
Defensive back David Croudip died of a cocaine overdose during the 1988 season, while tight end Brad Beckman & offensive tackle Ralph Norwood perished in separate car accidents in 1989.
From Quiz: Falcons Through The Years
