The 1974 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's ninth year in the National Football League (NFL). After coming close to their maiden postseason appearance the previous season and finishing with a best-to-date 9–5 record despite an upset loss to the Cardinals, the Falcons traded star cornerback Ken Reaves to the archrival New Orleans Saints to obtain in-demand guard Royce Smith, a former Georgia Bulldogs All-American,[1] in a widely criticized move (Reaves played only five games for New Orleans before he was cut; he signed with St. Louis, where he remained through his retirement in 1978). During the strike-affected pre-season, they beat the Eagles 23 to 7 in a rain-soaked match,[2] before losing to the Raiders, 28–16.[3] Soon afterwards the Falcons lost key offensive tackle Bill Sandeman for the entire season with a slipped disc in his back.[4]
Quick Facts Atlanta Falcons season, Owner ...
Close
Along with a form lapse from quarterback Bob Lee and an injury to running back Dave Hampton,[5] this destroyed the Falcons’ offense. The 1974 Falcons scored 111 points with a mere twelve touchdowns, the lowest total in franchise history, and the second lowest by any team in a fourteen-game NFL season[6] after the infamous “Zero Gang” offense of the 1977 Buccaneers who were shut out six times in fourteen games. Their failure to score more than seventeen points in any game has been equalled since only by the infamous offense of the 1992 Seahawks.
The Falcons sacked long-serving head coach Norman van Brocklin after being thrashed by the Miami Dolphins and having heard demands from fans to make that move. Three of his successors have suffered the same humiliation in the middle of a season: Marion Campbell (1976 and 1989), Dan Reeves (2003) and Dan Quinn (2020), and Bobby Petrino quit with three games remaining in 2007.[7][8]
The 1974 Falcons suffered through the humiliation of being the first Falcons team to be swept by the Saints since the teams became division rivals with the AFL-NFL merger. The Saints entered the season 1–9 all-time vs. the Falcons, with that win coming in the teams' first meeting in 1967. New Orleans did not sweep Atlanta again until 1983.
NFL Draft
More information Round, Pick ...
Close
[9]
Staff
1974 Atlanta Falcons staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
- Head coach – Norm Van Brocklin (games 1-8)
Marion Campbell (games 9-14)
Offensive coaches
|
|
|
Defensive coaches
|
Schedule
More information Week, Date ...
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Record |
Venue |
Attendance |
Recap |
1 |
September 15 |
Dallas Cowboys |
L 0–24 |
0–1 |
Atlanta Stadium |
52,322 |
Recap |
2 |
September 22 |
San Francisco 49ers |
L 10–16 |
0–2 |
Atlanta Stadium |
47,686 |
Recap |
3 |
September 29 |
at New Orleans Saints |
L 13–14 |
0–3 |
Tulane Stadium |
62,273 |
Recap |
4 |
October 6 |
at New York Giants |
W 14–7 |
1–3 |
Yale Bowl |
42,379 |
Recap |
5 |
October 13 |
Chicago Bears |
W 13–10 |
2–3 |
Atlanta Stadium |
47,835 |
Recap |
6 |
October 20 |
New Orleans Saints |
L 3–13 |
2–4 |
Atlanta Stadium |
47,217 |
Recap |
7 |
|
at Pittsburgh Steelers |
L 17–24 |
2–5 |
Three Rivers Stadium |
48,094 |
Recap |
8 |
November 3 |
at Miami Dolphins |
L 7–42 |
2–6 |
Miami Orange Bowl |
64,399 |
Recap |
9 |
November 10 |
at Los Angeles Rams |
L 0–21 |
2–7 |
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
70,056 |
Recap |
10 |
November 17 |
Baltimore Colts |
L 7–17 |
2–8 |
Atlanta Stadium |
41,278 |
Recap |
11 |
November 24 |
at San Francisco 49ers |
L 0–27 |
2–9 |
Candlestick Park |
45,435 |
Recap |
12 |
December 1 |
Los Angeles Rams |
L 7–30 |
2–10 |
Atlanta Stadium |
18,648 |
Recap |
13 |
|
at Minnesota Vikings |
L 10–23 |
2–11 |
Metropolitan Stadium |
47,105 |
Recap |
14 |
December 15 |
Green Bay Packers |
W 10–3 |
3–11 |
Atlanta Stadium |
10,020 |
Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Close
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Cowboys |
7 |
10 |
0 | 7 | 24 |
Falcons |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
- DAL – Mac Percival 33-yard field goal. Cowboys 10–0.
- DAL – Golden Richards 52-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Mac Percival kick). Cowboys 17–0.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
49ers |
13 |
0 |
0 | 3 | 16 |
Falcons |
7 |
0 |
0 | 3 | 10 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 32-yard field goal. 49ers 13–10.
- SF – Bruce Gossett 25-yard field goal. 49ers 16–10.
|
Top passers
- SF – Joe Reed – 7/22, 101 yards, TD, INT
- ATL – Bob Lee – 10/23, 99 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 2: San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 22
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
- Game attendance: 47,686
- Box score
Week 3: at New Orleans Saints
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
3 | 3 | 13 |
Saints |
0 |
7 |
0 | 7 | 14 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 21-yard field goal. Falcons 10–7.
Fourth quarter
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 27-yard field goal. Falcons 13–7.
- NO – Jess Phillips 8-yard run (Bill McClard kick). Saints 14–13.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 4: at New York Giants
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
Giants |
7 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- ATL – Ray Brown 59-yard interception return (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Falcons 14–7.
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
- ATL – Bob Lee – 10/17, 142 yards, TD, 3 INT
- NYG – Norm Snead – 10/20, 85 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 4: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – Game summary
at Yale Bowl, New Haven, Connecticut
- Date: October 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C)
- Game attendance: 42,379
- Box score
Week 5: vs. Chicago Bears
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Bears |
0 |
0 |
0 | 10 | 10 |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
3 | 3 | 13 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 35-yard field goal. Falcons 10–0.
Fourth quarter
- CHI – Bo Rather 59-yard pass from Gary Huff (Mirro Roder kick). Falcons 10–7.
- CHI – Mirro Roder 37-yard field goal. Tied 10–10.
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 31-yard field goal. Falcons 13–10.
|
Top passers
- CHI – Gary Huff – 14/25, 177 yards, TD, 2 INT
- ATL – Bob Lee – 10/18, 121 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 5: Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
- Game attendance: 47,835
- Box score
Week 6: vs. New Orleans Saints
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Saints |
0 |
10 |
3 | 0 | 13 |
Falcons |
0 |
3 |
0 | 0 | 3 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- NO – Bill McClard 31-yard field goal. Saints 13–3.
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 6: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 20
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 47,217
- Box score
Week 7: at Pittsburgh Steelers
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
14 |
0 | 3 | 17 |
Steelers |
14 |
0 |
3 | 7 | 24 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- PIT – Roy Gerela 33-yard field goal. Steelers 17–14.
Fourth quarter
- PIT – Franco Harris 7-yard run (Roy Gerela kick). Steelers 24–14.
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 32-yard field goal. Steelers 24–17.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
- ATL – Jim Mitchell – 2 receptions, 62 yards
- PIT – Franco Harris – 2 receptions, 37 yards
|
|
Close
Week 8: at Miami Dolphins
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
Dolphins |
0 |
14 |
21 | 7 | 42 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- MIA – Don Nottingham 1-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 21–7.
- MIA – Jim Mandich 18-yard pass from Bob Griese (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 28–7.
- MIA – Don Nottingham 2-yard run (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 35–7.
Fourth quarter
- MIA – Don Nottingham 1-yard (Garo Yepremian kick). Dolphins 42–7.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 8: Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
- Date: November 3
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C)
- Game attendance: 64,399
- Box score
Week 9: at Los Angeles Rams
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
Rams |
7 |
0 |
7 | 7 | 21 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- LAR – Tony Baker 1-yard run (David Ray kick). Rams 14–0.
Fourth quarter
- LAR – Harold Jackson 25-yard pass from James Harris (David Ray kick). Rams 21–0.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
- ATL – Art Malone – 6 receptions, 33 yards
- LAR – Harold Jackson – 3 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD
|
|
Close
Week 10: vs. Baltimore Colts
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Colts |
0 |
10 |
0 | 7 | 17 |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- BAL – Bill Olds 1-yard run (Toni Linhart kick). Colts 17–7.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 10: Baltimore Colts at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 17
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 54 °F (12 °C)
- Game attendance: 41,278
- Box score
Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
49ers |
7 |
7 |
0 | 13 | 27 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
- SF – Gene Washington 53-yard pass from Tom Owen (Bruce Gossett kick). 49ers 14–0.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
- SF – Manfred Moore 88-yard punt return (Bruce Gossett kick). 49ers 21–0.
- SF – Bruce Gossett 20-yard field goal. 49ers 24–0.
- SF – Bruce Gossett 42-yard field goal. 49ers 27–0.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
- ATL – Dave Hampton – 4 receptions, 37 yards
- SF – Gene Washington – 2 receptions, 58 yards, 2 TD
|
|
Close
Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Rams
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Rams |
6 |
7 |
17 | 0 | 30 |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- LAR – Dave Elmendorf 57-yard interception return (David Ray kick). Rams 20–7.
- LAR – Jim Bertelsen 4-yard run (David Ray kick). Rams 27–7.
- LAR – David Ray 23-yard field goal. Rams 30–7.
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 12: Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 1
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Rain, 36 °F (2 °C)
- Game attendance: 18,648
- Box score
Week 13: at Minnesota Vikings
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons |
0 |
7 |
0 | 3 | 10 |
Vikings |
7 |
3 |
6 | 7 | 23 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
- MIN – Dave Osborn 5-yard run (kick failed). Vikings 16–7.
Fourth quarter
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 36-yard field goal. Vikings 16–10.
- MIN – Stu Voigt 10-yard pass from Bob Berry (Fred Cox kick). Vikings 23–10.
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
- ATL – Ken Burrow – 3 receptions, 50 yards
- MIN – Dave Osborn – 6 receptions, 39 yards
|
|
Close
Week 14: vs. Green Bay Packers
More information Quarter, Total ...
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Packers |
0 |
0 |
3 | 0 | 3 |
Falcons |
7 |
3 |
0 | 0 | 10 |
Close
More information Game information ...
Game information |
First quarter
Second quarter
- ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 47-yard field goal. Falcons 10–0.
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
|
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
|
Close
Week 14: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
- Game attendance: 10,020
- Box score
Standings
More information NFC West, W ...
Close
“Harold Hart, Stabler Leader Raiders’ Win Over Falcons”; in The Tuscaloosa News; August 11, 1974; p. 2C