NFL team season
The 2014 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the seventh and final under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons were defeated by the Carolina Panthers in week 17, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second straight year.[1] As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record.[2]
The 2014 Atlanta Falcons were featured on the HBO documentary series Hard Knocks.[3]
As of 2022, the only member of the 2014 squad still a Falcon is Jake Matthews.
2014 draft class
- Note: The Falcons traded their sixth- (No. 182 overall) and original seventh- (No. 220 overall) round selections to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).
Staff
Final roster
Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
- Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
In this game, Devin Hester would break Deion Sanders's all-time record for punt/kick returns for touchdowns, with 20.[4]
Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 5: at New York Giants
Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – Game summary
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: October 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 80,307
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Six: Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens
Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: October 19
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 71,184
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions
- NFL International Series
Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: November 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 57,751
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
Week 11: at Carolina Panthers
Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Twelve: Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week Thirteen: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 30
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,557
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
This was the Falcons' only win outside the NFC South division.
Week 14: at Green Bay Packers
Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Fifteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 71,161
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Evan Washburn
- Recap, Gamebook
The Falcons were the only NFC South team to lose to all of their AFC North opponents.
Week 16: at New Orleans Saints
Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,164
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Falcons swept the Saints for the 1st time since 2005 and eliminated them from postseason contention.
Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 28
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 71,015
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
- Recap, Gamebook
Standings
Division
Conference
Use of artificial crowd noise
Shortly after the end of the post-season the Falcons were investigated by the League for piping artificial crowd noise during opponent's offensive snaps at home games during the 2013 season and the 2014 season.[6] Team owner Arthur Blank stated that he was "angry and embarrassed" about the allegations, and has allegedly acknowledged the validity of the accusations, stating "I think what we've done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong", and promising to cooperate fully with the investigation.[7] The NFL fined the Falcons $350,000 and took away a fifth round draft pick in the 2016 draft as punishment.[8]
References
- ^ "Carolina Panthers obliterate Atlanta Falcons 34-3, win NFC South | CharlotteObserver.com". Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
- ^ "Falcons fire Mike Smith". December 29, 2014.
- ^ "Falcons to be 2014 HBO Hard Knocks Team". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ "Devin Hester's record-breaking return TD is best of Week 3". NFL.com.
- ^ "2014 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ "Atlanta Falcons under NFL investigation for fake crowd noise at Georgia Dome: report". New York Daily News. February 1, 2015.
- ^ Jay Busbee (February 3, 2015). "Falcons' Arthur Blank on crowd noise: 'What we've done ... is wrong'". Yahoo! Sports.
- ^ "Atlanta Falcons lose 2016 draft pick, fined $350,000 by NFL for Noisegate". Alabama Living. March 30, 2015.
External links
