1975 Divisional Playoff (vs Vikings)
The oldest major professional sports team in America with no championships.
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons were founded on June 30, 1965, and joined the NFL in 1966 as an expansion team.
Lore & Background
The Falcons have compiled a record of 398–512–6 in the regular season, winning division championships in 1980, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2016. They have appeared in two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XXXIII (1998 season) and Super Bowl LI (2016 season), losing both. They are the oldest major professional sports team in America with no championships.
Reader's Guide
The Falcons' first playoff appearance was in the 1978 season, when they qualified with a 9–7 record and won the Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles 14–13, then lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27–20 in the Divisional Playoffs. No playoff game occurred in 1975.
Did You Know?
- The Falcons were named by Miss Julia Elliott, a school teacher from Griffin, who suggested 'Falcons' for its courage and fighting spirit.
- The team's first victory came on November 20, 1966, against the New York Giants in Yankee Stadium.
- The Falcons' current home field is Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which opened for the 2017 season.
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