NFC Championship Game Appearance (2012)
The Atlanta Falcons are the oldest major professional sports team in America without a championship.
The 2012 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 47th in the National Football League (NFL) and the fifth under head coach Mike Smith. By beating the Detroit Lions during Week 16, the Falcons clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs in the NFC for the second time in three years, and made it to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2004, where they lost 28–24 against the San Francisco 49ers. It was the third straight year in which they did not lose two consecutive regular season games.
Quick Facts
- Final score
- 28–24
- Outcome
- Lost
Lore & Background
The Falcons did not have a first- or fourth-round selection in the 2012 draft. The team traded its first and fourth-round selections, as well as its first-, second-, and fourth-round selections in 2011 to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Cleveland's first round selection in 2011, used to select wide receiver Julio Jones. The team traded its original seventh-round selection (#229 overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for cornerback Asante Samuel.
Reader's Guide
The Falcons started the season 1–0 with a 40–24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. They improved to 2–0 by defeating the Denver Broncos 27–21. They moved to 3–0 with a 27–3 win over the San Diego Chargers. They reached 4–0 with a 30–28 win over the Carolina Panthers. They started 5–0 for the first time in franchise history with a 24–17 win over the Washington Redskins. They went into their bye week with a 6–0 start after a 23–20 win over the Oakland Raiders.
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