The 2011

2011 NFL season

The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...

 Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 season will be the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 and the fourth under head coach Mike Smith. After a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

 in the divisional round of the playoffs

2010–11 NFL playoffs

The National Football League playoffs for the 2010 season began on January 8, 2011 and led up to Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas....

, the Falcons will attempt to defend its NFC South

NFC South

The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...

 division title and contend for another Super Bowl

Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

.

2011 NFL Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	6	Julio Jones Julio Jones Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons with the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide...	Wide Receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...	Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
3	91	Akeem Dent Akeem Dent Akeem Dent is an American football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....	Inside Linebacker	Georgia University of Georgia The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
5	158	Jacquizz Rogers	Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...	Oregon State
6	192	Matt Bosher Matt Bosher Matt Bosher is an American football punter for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Bosher played high school football at Jupiter High School in Jupiter, Florida...	Punter	Miami (FL)
7	210	Andrew Jackson	Offensive Guard	Fresno State
7	230	Cliff Matthews Cliff Matthews (American football) Cliff Matthews is an American football defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina....	Defensive End Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...	South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

The Falcons acquired this seventh-round selection and a 2010

2010 NFL Draft

The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...

 sixth-round selection in a trade that sent CB

Cornerback

A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...

 Chris Houston

Chris Houston (American football)

Chris Houston is an American Football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

 to the Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

.

The Falcons acquired this seventh-round selection in a trade that sent T Quinn Ojinnaka

Quinn Ojinnaka

Quinn Ojinnaka is an American football offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse....

 to the New England Patriots

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

.

Schedule

The Falcons' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

Week	| Date	| Kickoff	| Opponent	| Results		| Game site	| TV	| NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	August 12	7:30 p.m. EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...	Miami Dolphins 2011 Miami Dolphins season The 2011 Miami Dolphins season will be the team's 42nd season in the National Football League, the 46th overall and the fourth under head coach Tony Sparano...	L 23–28	0–1	Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...		Recap
2	August 19	8:00 p.m. EDT	at Jacksonville Jaguars 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars season is the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League and the 9th under head coach Jack Del Rio, who was fired on November 29 and replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. The team had hoped to improve on their 8–8 record from...	L 13–15	0–2	EverBank Field	FOX NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...	Recap
3	August 27	7:30 p.m. EDT	at Pittsburgh Steelers 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season will be the team's 79th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League . It is expected to be the twelfth season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fifth under head coach Mike Tomlin...	L 16–34	0–3	Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...		Recap
4	September 1	7:30 p.m. EDT	Baltimore Ravens 2011 Baltimore Ravens season The 2011 Baltimore Ravens season will be the 16th in the National Football League and city of Baltimore, Maryland, and the 14th to host home games at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens will seek to act upon their 12–4 record from 2010 and win the American Football Conference's North division title for...	L 7–21	0–4	Georgia Dome		Recap

Schedule

Week	| Date	| Kickoff	| Opponent	| Results		| Game site	| TV	| NFL.com recap
				Final score	Team record
1	September 11	1:00 p.m. EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...	at Chicago Bears 2011 Chicago Bears season The 2011 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 92nd overall season in the National Football League, and the 8th under head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears, defending NFC North Division champions, will seek a return to the playoffs after falling in the NFC Championship Game to their arch-rivals the...	L 12–30	0–1	Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...	Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports...	Recap
2	September 18	8:20 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia Eagles 2011 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles season will be the 79th season for the team in the National Football League . The Eagles will play all of their home games at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Personnel changes:...	W 35–31	1–1	Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...	NBC NBC Sunday Night Football NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...	Recap
3	September 25	4:15 p.m. EDT	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2011 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season will be the club's 36th season as a franchise in the NFL. The team will compete in the NFC South. Both of their preseason home games, and seven of their regular season home games will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida...	L 13–16	1–2	Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...	Fox	Recap
4	October 2	4:05 p.m. EDT	at Seattle Seahawks 2011 Seattle Seahawks season The 2011 Seattle Seahawks season is the franchise's 36th season in the National Football League, the 10th playing their home games at CenturyLink Field and the second under head coach Pete Carroll...	W 30–28	2–2	CenturyLink Field	Fox	Recap
5	October 9	8:20 p.m. EDT	Green Bay Packers 2011 Green Bay Packers season The 2011 Green Bay Packers season is the franchise's 91st season in the National Football League, the 93rd season overall and the sixth under head coach Mike McCarthy...	L 14–25	2–3	Georgia Dome	NBC	Recap
6	October 16	1:00 p.m. EDT	Carolina Panthers 2011 Carolina Panthers season The 2011 Carolina Panthers season will be the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League and the first season for Ron Rivera as the head coach. In Week 16 of the 2010 season, the team clinched the NFL's worst record of the year and was given the #1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, with...	W 31–17	3–3	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap
7	October 23	1:00 p.m. EDT	at Detroit Lions 2011 Detroit Lions season The 2011 Detroit Lions season is the franchise's 82nd season in the National Football League, the 10th playing its home games at Ford Field and the third year under head coach Jim Schwartz. Currently 7–4, the team has improved on its 6–10 record from 2010, which is its third consecutive improved...	W 23–16	4–3	Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...	Fox	Recap
8	Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
9	November 6	1:00 p.m. EST	at Indianapolis Colts 2011 Indianapolis Colts season The 2011 Indianapolis Colts season is the franchise's 59th season in the National Football League, the 28th in Indianapolis and the third under head coach Jim Caldwell. The Colts are coming off a 10–6 record in 2010 and a second consecutive AFC South championship, as well as a ninth consecutive...	W 31–7	5–3	Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...	Fox	Recap
10	November 13	1:00 p.m. EST	New Orleans Saints 2011 New Orleans Saints season The 2011 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League, the 36th to host home games at the Louisiana Superdome and the sixth under head coach Sean Payton.-2011 draft board:-Schedule:...	L 23–26 (OT)	5–4	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap
11	November 20	4:15 p.m. EST	Tennessee Titans 2011 Tennessee Titans season The 2011 Tennessee Titans season will be the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League , the 52nd overall and the 15th in the state of Tennessee. It will also mark the first season under new head coach Mike Munchak, replacing longtime head coach Jeff Fisher, who resigned on January 27...	W 23–17	6–4	Georgia Dome	CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...	Recap
12	November 27	1:00 p.m. EST	Minnesota Vikings 2011 Minnesota Vikings season -Week 2: at Seattle Seahawks:-Week 3: vs. Dallas Cowboys:-Week 4: vs. Houston Texans:-Schedule:COLOR KEY & NOTES:-Week 1: at San Diego Chargers:-Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:-Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions:-Week 4: at Kansas City Chiefs:...	W 24–14	7–4	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap
13	December 4	1:00 p.m. EST	at Houston Texans 2011 Houston Texans season The 2011 Houston Texans season will be the team's 10th season in the National Football League . The Texans have improved on their record from the 2010 season, and attempt to earn the franchise's first playoff berth...			Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....	Fox
14	December 11	1:00 p.m. EST	at Carolina Panthers			Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...	Fox
15	December 15	8:20 p.m. EST	Jacksonville Jaguars 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars season is the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League and the 9th under head coach Jack Del Rio, who was fired on November 29 and replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. The team had hoped to improve on their 8–8 record from...			Georgia Dome	NFLN NFL Network NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
16	December 26	8:30 p.m. EST	at New Orleans Saints			Mercedes-Benz Superdome	ESPN Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
17	January 1	1:00 p.m. EST *	Tampa Bay Buccaneers			Georgia Dome	Fox

Indicates that the game time is subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling.

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

The Falcons started their season out on the road against the Bears. With the loss, the team fell to 0-1.

Week 2: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

For the regular season opener at home, the Falcons faced the Eagles. The win improved the team to 1-1 and also helped Starting QB Matt Ryan improve to 4-0 as a regular season starter during home games.

Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 6: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 7: at Detroit Lions

Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 11: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 13: at Houston Texans

Week 14: at Carolina Panthers

Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 16: at New Orleans Saints

Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Gametime subject to change due to flexible scheduling.