Atlanta Falcons NFL Betting Odds
The Atlanta Falcons opened the 2020 season with a five-game losing streak that led to the firing of coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff. In an eerie case of symmetry they closed the campaign losing their final five contests, likely costing interim coach Raheem Morris a chance at getting the job permanently. In between they went 4-2, but even that wasn’t enough to prevent the Falcons from finishing last in the NFC. There will be changes ahead of next season with a new coach and a new quarterback. Matt Ryan should return after having another strong season, but veteran backup Matt Schaub won’t be back after announcing his retirement shortly after the season ended.
Atlanta Falcons Season Review
The only way the Falcons would overcome their early season woes was to finish on a heater and make the playoffs. The expanded postseason gave every team hope that they could accomplish that. They won three of four games under Morris immediately after the coaching change giving fans a glimmer of hope. But the season was doomed from the start when the Falcons blew double-digit fourth quarter leads in back-to-back games as part of their 0-5 start.
The comedy of errors started in Week 2 when the Falcons surrendered 16 points in the final five minutes against the Cowboys. It was a great day up to that point with Matt Ryan throwing four touchdown passes putting Atlanta up 39-24. Dallas cut the margin to two and recovered an onside kick with less than two minutes left when Atlanta players surrounded the football and failed to make a recovery when it went the required distance. The Boys kicked a field goal with no time left for the improbable win.
It happened again the following week when Chicago scored three touchdowns in a span of less than five minutes late in the fourth quarter. The Falcons had a seemingly comfortable 26-10 lead entering the final stanza. But as we learned, no lead was safe for them. Quinn was on a short leash anyway and those two games likely sealed his fate. Just to make sure the Falcons lost to Green Bay and Carolina to start 0-5 for the first time since 1997. Shortly after the Chicago game Quinn and Dimitroff were given their walking papers.
The team responded under the direction of Morris winning three of its next four games. The only setback was another blown fourth quarter lead against Detroit. It was also a game where Todd Gurley was criticized for not stopping short of the end zone late in the fourth quarter to set up a potential game-winning field goal attempt. Gurley’s touchdown left enough time on the clocks for the Lions to rally for a 23-22 win.
The campaign ended with five straight losses making the off season an important time for the direction of the franchise. There will be a new coach and GM who need to answer pressing questions about the veterans on the roster, most notably Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Ryan had a strong season throwing for 4,581 yards with 26 touchdowns. Jones was hampered by injuries all season missing the last four games. He finished with 51 receptions, 771 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. Those two have been a big part of the offense for a decade and their time could be coming to an end with owner Arthur Blank saying nothing is on the table when a new coach and GM are in place.
You might think the Falcons need a complete overhaul after finishing with a 4-12 record. That isn’t necessarily the case since they were close in a number of games and a few bounces along the way could have completely changed things. Eight of their 12 losses were by a single possession with four of them by a field goal or less. The first four defeats in their season-ending five-game slide were by a total of 15 points. That’s a sign that the team isn’t too far off. It’s also a sign that maybe the current group just can’t get it done. There are people who get paid a lot of money to make decisions about which players to keep and which ones to let go.
The acquisition of Todd Gurley was supposed to help a suffering ground game, but that didn’t work out. The Falcons averaged less than 100 yards on the ground and the group was far removed from the one that led the league in scoring just a few years ago. Letting Ryan go isn’t the answer. Shoring up the other side of the football is. The Falcons were not very good defensively finishing last in the NFL against the pass and 29th overall. They surrendered 25.9 points per game to rank 19th.
The offseason will prove to be a defining time for the franchise with a lot of work to be done.
Atlanta Falcons Schedule & Results
Falcons Past Seasons (2000)
| YEAR |
RECORD |
PLAYOFFS |
| 2020 |
4-12 |
None |
| 2019 |
7-9 |
None |
| 2018 |
7-9 |
None |
| 2017 |
10-6 |
Lost Divisional Round |
| 2016 |
11-5 |
Lost Super Bowl |
| 2015 |
8-8 |
None |
| 2014 |
6-10 |
None |
| 2013 |
4-12 |
None |
| 2012 |
13-3 |
Lost Conference Championship |
| 2011 |
10-6 |
Lost Wild Card Round |
| 2010 |
13-3 |
Lost Divisional Round |
| 2009 |
9-7 |
None |
| 2008 |
11-5 |
Lost Wild Card Round |
| 2007 |
4-12 |
None |
| 2006 |
7-9 |
None |
| 2005 |
8-8 |
None |
| 2004 |
11-5 |
Lost Conference Championship |
| 2003 |
5-11 |
None |
| 2002 |
9-6-1 |
Lost Divisional Round |
| 2001 |
7-9 |
None |
| 2000 |
4-12 |
None |
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