Atlanta Falcons

1999 was a disaster both for the franchise, as well as for several key players. Things started to unravel soon after the Super Bowl, when starting WR Tony Martin was arrested on charges of money laundering and conspiracy. With his trial looming, the Falcons elected to release him rather than endure the controversy. Martin subsequently signed with the Miami Dolphins and would later be acquitted of all charges.

On draft day, many fans felt that the Falcons needed wide receiver help to replace Martin should the team decline to keep him. With their first round selection(#30 overall), the Falcons instead chose "the best player available," promising University of Virginia DE Patrick Kerney.

Controversy would arise in the succeeding round. Atlanta initially had no 2nd round pick, as it had been dispensed the previous season in the trade with San Diego for Tony Martin. Feeling a compulsive urge to fine-tune his championship team, Dan Reeves chose to barter a 1st round selection in the 2000 draft for Baltimore's 2nd round choice in 1999. Though the pick the Falcons traded was unconditional, meaning Baltimore could use it regardless of its position, it was anticipated to be low considering the Falcons' success in 1998.

Fans initially applauded the move, as they believed that Reeves was moving up to capture celebrated University of Tennessee receiver Peerless Price. Cheers turned to outright scorn, however, when the pick was revealed to be obscure tight end Reggie Kelly from Mississippi State University. Though Kelly eventually developed into a solid NFL tight end, this selection would be a point of fan controversy for years, and a frequent argument towards the detachment of Dan Reeves from front office decisions.

To address the loss of Martin, the Falcons later in the offseason signed veteran possession receiver Chris Calloway, leaving them without a legitimate downfield threat. Regardless, with the dismantling of the 49ers, the Falcons were still the resounding favorite to repeat in their division heading into the 1999 season.

Things, however, went sour from the outset. Chris Chandler was promptly knocked out of Atlanta's season opening loss to Minnesota, ominously setting the tone for a painful and embattled season. The next week, on a Monday night in Dallas, the Tony Graziani-led Falcons lost Jamal Anderson for the season when he tore his ACL early in the first quarter. Anderson would return the next season, but would never be the same, eventually retiring in 2002.

Though Chandler soon recovered, the Falcons' once-deadly passing attack was rendered impotent by an inconsistent running game, the lack of a deep threat wide-out, and a porous offensive line. Atlanta would score a total of 27 points in three losses following the opener, finally notching their first win in week 5, a franchise-record ninth-straight victory in the series versus the New Orleans Saints. Atlanta's tenth consecutive win in this rivalry would come in week 13, though it would only be the team's third win of the season.

Long out of playoff contention, the Falcons somnambulated their way into the final game of the season, an anti-climactic Monday night siesta against the toothless 49ers. What had undoubtedly looked to ABC executives as a blockbuster matchup between two NFC West contenders had with time horribly transfigured into a leprous prime-time wreck of four-win jalopies. Before a crowd resembling that of a high school JV game, the Falcons took a languid and empty 34-29 decision, mercifully concluding the season at 5-12. With a roster in shambles, and an uncertain front office devoid of a 1st round draft pick, the organization was at perhaps the lowest point in its low, low history.

2000

For the 2000 season the Falcons once again went to finish with a 4-12 record. Following the season the Falcons traded the #5 pick along with Tim Dwight to the San Diego Chargers for the #1 pick in the draft. With that pick, they selected Michael Vick, who went on to become the face of the franchise. Michael Vick slightly turned around the Falcons franchise in 2001, however they finished with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs. But the Falcons made a change and released Chris Chandler to give Vick the starting job. The Falcons would also release Jamal Anderson who would then be replaced by Warrick Dunn.

Michael Vick

The Falcons make the playoffs with a 9-6-1 record in 2002, then shocked the National Football League on January 4th, 2003 by becoming the first road team in NFL history to defeat the Green Bay Packers 27-7 in a playoff game at Lambeau Field. Their playoff run would end in Philadelphia as the Eagles won, 20-6. During the 2003 preseason, Falcons star QB Michael Vick breaks his leg, because of this the Falcons suffer through a 5-11 season despite Vick going 3-1 as starter at the end of end of the season . With 3 games left in the season, coach Dan Reeves resigns, handing the team to his defensive coordinator and former Bills coach Wade Phillips. The Falcons would draft Virginia Tech CB DeAngelo Hall with the 8th pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.

2004

In 2004, with the Falcons being buoyed by the return of QB Michael Vick and energized by their new Head Coach Jim L. Mora, they would go 11-5 and easily win the NFC South. After having a first round bye and defeating the St. Louis Rams in the Divisional Round 47-17, they advanced to the NFC Championship game where they lost to the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles 27-10.

2005

During the 2005 season the Falcons would start 6-2, but finished second half 2-6 . Bright spots included the Falcons ending their Monday Night Football jinx by going 3-0, and on Thursday, November 24, the Falcons played on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in franchise history, beating the Detroit Lions 27-7. On the next-to-last game of the regular season, the Falcons got eliminated from playoff contention with a 27-24 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons finished 8-8 and once again failed to attain back-to-back winning seasons.

2006

In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Falcons used their first pick (originally from the Packers, Broncos, and the 49ers) on Virginia Tech DB Jimmy Williams. They then used their next pick on Mississippi St. RB Jerious Norwood. The rest of their picks included Syracuse OT Quinn Ojinnaka, Fresno St. WR Adam Jennings, and Georgia QB D.J. Shockley.

Logo and uniforms

Falcons logo (1966-2002)

Falcons logo (2003-present)

When the team debuted in 1966, the Falcons wore red helmets with a black falcon crest logo. They wore white pants and either black or white jerseys. At first, the falcon crest logo was also put on the jersey sleeves, but it was replaced by a red and white stripe pattern one year later. They switched from black to red jerseys in 1971, and the club began to wear grey pants in 1978.

In 1990, the uniform design changed to black helmets, gray pants, and either black or white jerseys. The numbers on the white jerseys were black, but were changed to red in 1997. "Falcons Uniform History", NFL

Both the logo and uniforms radically changed in 2003. The logo was redesigned with red and silver accents to depict a more powerful, aggressive falcon."Falcons unveil New logo", NFL Although the Falcons still wore black helmets, the new uniforms featured jerseys and pants with red trim down the sides. The uniform design consisted of either black or white jerseys, and either black or white pants. During that same year, a red alternate jersey with black trim was also introduced.

In 2004, the red jerseys became the primary jerseys, and the black ones became the alternate, primarily wearing black pants with the white jerseys and white pants with the red jerseys. In the past two seasons, the Falcons wore an all-black combination for home games against the archrival New Orleans Saints, winning both contests (24-21 in 2004 and 36-17 in 2005).

Season-by-season records