2007 Recap

The Atlanta Falcons season’s fate was decided in the 2007 offseason when Michael Vick was arrested for dog fighting. The Falcons finished the year in last place in the NFC South with a 4-12 record and without a true starting quarterback.

The Falcons offense was led by QB Joey Harrington, the Detroit Lions castoff, at the beginning of the season, but he was eventually replaced by veteran Chris Redmond, who finished the season with a strong four-touchdown game against the Seattle Seahawks. The running game was led by Warrick Dunn, who was released at the end of the season. The Falcons signed impressive San Diego backup Michael Turner as the feature running back. The passing game did see the emergence of WR Roddy White, who caught 83 passes for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns.

The Falcons have spent the offseason so far trying to repair a defense that gave up almost 26 pints a game. The team signed DB Von Hutchins, DT Kindal Moorehead, and hope to use the third pick in the 2008 draft to repair another key position.

Team History

The Atlanta Falcons were established in 1966 in an NFL expansion. There existence has been less than stellar, with a 161-386-6 record, but the franchise has seen its share of exciting years.

The 1998 Falcons went to the Super Bowl, ultimately losing 34-19 to the Denver Broncos. The team was led by QB Chris Chandler and RB Jamal Anderson. A trade in 2001 gave the Falcons a draft pick they used to draft Michael Vick. The quarterback sat behind Chris Chandler for one year before taking over as starting quarterback in 2002, a year in which he took the team to the playoffs. He led the team to an 11-5 season in his third season as starting quarterback, ultimately losing in the NFC Conference Championship to the Philadelphia Eagles.