2007 Atlanta Falcons season
 | This article documents a current sporting event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports, scores, or statistics may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
| 2007 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bobby Petrino |
| Home field | Georgia Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 0-3 |
| Division place | Last |
| Playoff finish | TBD |
The 2007 Atlanta Falcons season is the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League. They are trying to improve their 7-9 record in 2006 after finishing third place in the NFC South.
Offseason
Head coach change
Head coach Bobby Petrino will be entering his first year with the Atlanta Falcons. He was hired on January 7, 2007 after the Falcons fired Jim Mora, Jr., who was fired on New Year's Day.
Departures
On March 2, the Falcons released linebackers Edgerton Hartwell and Ike Reese.
On March 5, the Falcons released guard Matt Lehr and long-snapper Gavin Tarquinio.
On March 6, wide receiver Ashley Lelie signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
On March 7, defensive end Patrick Kerney signed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
On March 9, fullback Justin Griffith signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders.
Signings
On March 2, the Falcons signed fullback Ovie Mughelli, formerly with the Baltimore Ravens, to a contract.
On March 3, the Falcons signed linebacker Marcus Wilkins, formerly with the Cincinnati Bengals, to a contract.
On March 7, the Falcons signed cornerback Lewis Sanders, formerly with the Houston Texans, to a contract.
On March 8, the Falcons signed wide receiver Joe Horn, formerly with the New Orleans Saints, to a contract.
On March 15, the Falcons signed guard Toniu Fonoti, formerly with the Miami Dolphins, to a contract.
On March 15, the Falcons signed wide receiver Derrick Hamilton, formerly with the San Francisco 49ers, to a contract.
On March 22, the Falcons signed kicker Aaron Elling, formerly with the Baltimore Ravens, to a contract.
On March 23, the Falcons signed quarterback Chris Redman to a contract.
On April 9, the Falcons signed quarterback Joey Harrington, formerly with the Miami Dolphins, to a contract.
On May 4, the Falcons signed kicker Billy Cundiff to a contract.
On May 9, the Falcons signed tackle Leander Jordan, formerly with the San Diego Chargers, to a contract.
Free agents heading into the 2007 season:
| Position | Player | Free agency tag[1] |
Date signed | 2007 team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | Morten Andersen | UFA | ||
| TE | Dwayne Blakley | RFA | April 4 | Atlanta Falcons |
| CB | Chris Cash | UFA | ||
| G | Ben Claxton | ERFA | ||
| FB | Justin Griffith | UFA | March 9 | Oakland Raiders |
| DE | Patrick Kerney | UFA | March 7 | Seattle Seahawks |
| C | Austin King | RFA | ||
| P | Michael Koenen | ERFA | March 19 | Atlanta Falcons |
| WR | Ashley Lelie | UFA | March 6 | San Francisco 49ers |
| FB | Fred McCrary | UFA | ||
| FB | Corey McIntyre | ERFA | March 19 | Atlanta Falcons |
| QB | Matt Schaub | RFA[2] | March 22 | Houston Texans |
| S | Lance Schulters | UFA | ||
| LB | Demorrio Williams | RFA | April 23 | Atlanta Falcons |
2007 NFL Draft
| Draft | Player name | Position | College | Height | Weight | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rnd | Pick | ||||||
| 1 | 8 | Jamaal Anderson | Defensive end | Arkansas | 6 ft 5 in | 288 lbs | from Houston |
| 2 | 39 | Justin Blalock | Offensive guard | Texas | 6 ft 3 in | 320 lb | from Houston |
| 41 | Chris Houston | Cornerback | Arkansas | 5 ft 9 in | 185 lb | from Minnesota | |
| 3 | 75 | Laurent Robinson | Wide receiver | Illinois State | 6 ft 2 in | 199 lb | |
| 4 | 109 | Stephen Nicholas | Linebacker | South Florida | 6 ft 1 in | 232 lb | Compensatory selection |
| 133 | Martrez Milner | Tight end | Georgia | 6 ft 3 in | 252 lb | ||
| 6 | 85 | Trey Lewis | Defensive tackle | Washburn | 6 ft 3 in | 318 lb | from Jacksonville |
| 194 | David Irons | Cornerback | Auburn | 5 ft 10 in | 190 lb | from Jacksonville, thru Denver | |
| 198 | Doug Datish | Center | Ohio State | 6 ft 4 in | 302 lb | from Jacksonville, thru Baltimore | |
| 203 | Daren Stone | Safety | Maine | 6 ft 3 in | 218 lb | ||
| 7 | 244 | Jason Snelling | Fullback | Virginia | 5 ft 11 in | 230 lb | Compensatory selection |
Regular season
Uniforms
Home uniform Away uniform Alternate home uniform Alternate away uniform Alternate home uniform
The Atlanta Falcons will enter the 2007 season using the same uniform combinations as they used in 2006.
Current roster
Current staff
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Schedule
Preseason schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Stadium | Box scores | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||||
| 1 | August 10 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | @ New York Jets | L 31-16 | 0-1 | Giants Stadium | TBD |
| 2 | August 17 | 7:00 p.m. EDT | @ Buffalo Bills | W 13–10 | 1–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | TBD |
| 3 | August 27 | 8:00 p.m. EDT | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24–19 | 2-1 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 4 | August 31 | 7:30 p.m. EDT | Baltimore Ravens | W 13–10 | 3-1 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
Regular season schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Stadium | Box scores | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||||
| 1 | September 9 | 1:00 p.m. EDT | @ Minnesota Vikings | L 24–3 | 0–1 | Metrodome | TBD |
| 2 | September 16 | 1:00 p.m. EDT | @ Jacksonville Jaguars | L 13-7 | 0–2 | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium | TBD |
| 3 | September 23 | 4:15 p.m. EDT | Carolina Panthers | L 27–20 | 0–3 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 4 | September 30 | 1:00 p.m. EDT | Houston Texans | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 5 | October 7 | 1:00 p.m. EDT | @ Tennessee Titans | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | LP Field | TBD |
| 6 | October 15 | 8:30 p.m. EDT | New York Giants | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 7 | October 21 | 1:00 p.m. EDT | @ New Orleans Saints | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Superdome | TBD |
| 8 | Bye | ||||||
| 9 | November 4 | 1:00 p.m. EST | San Francisco 49ers | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 10 | November 11 | 1:00 p.m. EST | @ Carolina Panthers | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Bank of America Stadium | TBD |
| 11 | November 18 | 1:00 p.m. EST | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 12 | November 22 | 8:15 p.m. EST | Indianapolis Colts | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 13 | December 2 | 1:00 p.m. EST | @ St. Louis Rams | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Edward Jones Dome | TBD |
| 14 | December 10 | 8:30 p.m. EST | New Orleans Saints | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
| 15 | December 16 | 1:00 p.m. EST | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Raymond James Stadium | TBD |
| 16 | December 23 | 4:05 p.m. EST | @ Arizona Cardinals | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | University of Phoenix Stadium | TBD |
| 17 | December 30 | 1:00 p.m. EST | Seattle Seahawks | TBD 0–0 | TBD 0–0 | Georgia Dome | TBD |
Division Standings
| NFC South | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Carolina Panters | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 75 | 67 | W-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 61 | 37 | W-2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 24 | 72 | L-2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 30 | 64 | L-3 |
Regular season week-by-week results
Week 1: at Minnesota Vikings
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Vikings | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Game summary
Hoping to put a troublesome offseason behind them, the Falcons began their 2007 campaign on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, Atlanta immediately trailed as Vikings DT Kevin Williams returned an interception 54 yards for a touchdown, which would be the only score of the half. In the third quarter, Minnesota increased its lead with kicker Ryan Longwell getting a 49-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Falcons got their only score of the game, with kicker Matt Prater getting a 45-yard field goal. From there, the Vikings put the game away with QB Tarvaris Jackson completing a 60-yard TD pass to RB Adrian Peterson, along with CB Antoine Winfield returning an interception 14-yard for a touchdown.
QB Joey Harrington, in his Falcons debut, completed 23 out of 32 passese for 199 yards with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
With the loss, Atlanta began its season at 0-1.
Scoring summary
Q1 - MIN - 7:56 - Kevin Williams 54 yard interception return TD (Ryan Longwell kick) (MIN 7-0)
Q3 - MIN - 1:51 - Ryan Longwell 49 yard FG (MIN 10-0)
Q4 - ATL - 9:28 - Matt Prater 45 yard FG (MIN 10-3)
Q4 - MIN - 7:31 - 60 yard TD pass from Tarvaris Jackson to Adrian Peterson (Longwell kick) (MIN 17-3)
Q4 - MIN - 2:48 - Antoine Winfield 14 yard interception return TD (Longwell kick) (MIN 24-3)
Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 88°F (Rainy)
- Game attendance: 61,821
- Referee: Tony Corrente
Game Summary
Trying to rebound from their road loss to the Vikings, the Falcons went to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium for a Week 2 interconference fight with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta trailed early as Jaguars kicker John Carney got a 35-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Falcons would get their only score of the game as RB Warrick Dunn got a 4-yard TD run. After a scoreless third quarter, Jacksonville would seal the win with QB David Garrard's 14-yard TD pass to WR Reggie Williams and Carney's 27-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Falcons would fall to 0-2.
Scoring Summary
Q2 - JAC - 13:30 - John Carney 35 yard FG (JAC 3-0)
Q2 - ATL - 1:51 - Warrick Dunn 4 yard TD run (Matt Prater kick) (ATL 7-3)
Q4 - JAC - 14:10 - 45 yard TD pass from David Garrard to Reggie Williams (Carney kick) (JAC 10-7)
Q4 - JAC - 3:39 - Carney 27 yard FG (JAC 13-7)
Week 3: vs. Carolina Panthers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: 68,175
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
Game Summary
Trying to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1999, the Falcons played their Week 3 homeopener against their divisional rival, the Carolina Panthers. After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta trailed early as Panthers kicker John Carney got a 45-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Falcons took the lead with QB Joey Harrington completing a 69-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White. However, Carolina retook the lead with QB Jake Delhomme completing a 13-yard TD pass to RB DeShaun Foster. Atlanta would tie the game prior to halftime with kicker Morten Andersen getting a 24-yard field goal.
In the third quarter, the Falcons regained the lead with Harrington completing a 13-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler, yet the Panthers regained the lead with Delhomme completing a 5-yard TD pass to TE Jeff King, along with Foster's 10-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Carolina ended its scoring with Kasay kicking a 49-yard field goal. Atlanta tried to mount a comeback, yet the only score was Andersen's 25-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 0-3.
Week 4 vs Houston Texans
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 5 at Tennessee Titans
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | ||||
| Titans | 0 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: To be determined
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 6 vs New York Giants
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Tony Kornheiser (color commentator) and Ron Jaworski (color commentator)
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 7 at New Orleans Saints
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | ||||
| Saints | 0 |
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 8 bye
The Atlanta Falcons will not play a game during the week of October 28.
Week 9 vs San Francisco 49ers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 10 at Carolina Panthers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | ||||
| Panthers | 0 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: To be determined
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 11 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 12 vs Indianapolis Colts
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers (NFL Network): Bryant Gumbel (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (color commentator)
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 13 at St. Louis Rams
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | ||||
| Rams | 0 |
at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 14 vs New Orleans Saints
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Tony Kornheiser (color commentator) and Ron Jaworski (color commentator)
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 15 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | ||||
| Buccaneers | 0 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: To be determined
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 16 at Arizona Cardinals
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | ||||
| Cardinals | 0 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game weather: To be determined
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
Week 17 vs Seattle Seahawks
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | ||||
| Falcons | 0 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Game played indoors (Domed stadium)
- Game attendance: To be determined
- Referee: To be determined
- TV announcers: To be determined
Scoring drives
To be determined
Game summary
To be determined
References
- ^ RFA: Restricted free-agent, UFA: Unrestricted free-agent, ERFA: Exclusive rights free agent
- ^ Pasquarelli, Len (2007-03-22). "Falcons agree to deal backup QB Schaub to Houston". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
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| Preceded by 2006 Atlanta Falcons season |
2007 Atlanta Falcons season | Succeeded by 2008 Atlanta Falcons season |