1973 Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1966. Like most expansion teams, they struggled during their first five seasons, winning only 16 of 70 games. They recorded their first winning season in 1971, finishing 7–6–1, and followed that with a 7–7 record in 1972.

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The first game of the 1973 season couldn’t have gone any better for the Falcons, as they blew out the Saints 62–7. It was the third biggest blowout in NFL history up to that point, and still ranks in the top six all-time as of 2025. The Falcons’ defense recorded five interceptions and recovered three fumbles while holding the Saints to only 187 total yards.

Cornerback Tom Haynes had two interceptions, one of which he returned 65 yards for a touchdown. Offensively, quarterback Dick Shiner completed 13 of 15 passes with three touchdowns. Tight end Jim Mitchell caught seven passes for 111 yards, while Ken Borrow scored on 23- and 34-yard touchdown receptions. Running back Dave Hampton carried the ball nineteen times for 104 yards.

The following week marked a complete turnaround in the Falcons’ performance. This time, Atlanta suffered a blowout, losing 31–0 to the Rams. The Falcons’ offense, which had 32 first downs and gained 496 yards against the Saints, managed just two first downs in this game, totaling only 70 yards. Quarterback Dick Shiner, who played brilliantly against the Saints, completed only two of nine passes for 17 yards with one interception. Rams quarterback John Hadl completed 12 of 15 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

For the second consecutive week, Atlanta was blown out, this time by the Lions, 31–6. The Falcons’ defense, which had surrendered 209 yards rushing to the Rams, was even worse this week, allowing 258 yards on the ground. Dick Shiner struggled again, completing 15 of 30 passes for only 124 yards with two interceptions. He was also sacked six times.

The Falcons’ defense played better in a week four game against the 49ers, giving up only one touchdown. Still, their offensive passing attack continued to struggle, as Dick Shiner and Bob Lee completed 17 of 38 passes for just 164 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. Atlanta lost their third straight game, 13–9, and had not scored a touchdown since week one.

In a game against the Bears in week five, the Falcons fell behind 6–0 in the second quarter before a 24-yard touchdown run by Dave Hampton put them in the lead. Late in the second quarter, Ken Burrow scored on a 41-yard reception to give the Falcons a 17–6 halftime lead. The Falcons never looked back, cruising to a 41–6 victory. The Falcons’ defense allowed only 158 yards and recorded six sacks. Quarterbacks Bob Lee and Pat Sullivan combined to complete 17 of 20 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns.

Next, the Falcons traveled to San Diego to face the 1–4 Chargers, and it was not even close. Atlanta’s defense gave up only 177 total yards and 11 first downs, and it forced five turnovers, leading to a 41–0 victory. On offense, the Falcons gained 196 yards rushing and 173 passing. Their record was now 3–3, but no one could quite figure out this team. Was it the team that had blown out three opponents, or the one that had been blown out twice? Only time would tell.

The Falcons started strong in their week seven game against the 49ers when Bob Lee, now the starting quarterback, connected with Ken Burrow on a 51-yard touchdown pass. The duo linked up again in the second quarter for a 22-yard touchdown. Atlanta easily secured a 17–3 victory. Nick Mike-Meyer kicked a 52-yard field goal, the longest in Falcons history. Bob Lee completed 11 of 13 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns, despite being sacked four times. Ken Burrow caught five passes for 164 yards, while Dave Hampton had his second 100-yard rushing game. On defense, the Falcons allowed only 178 yards in total.

The Falcons fell behind 10–0 early in their rematch with the Rams, but three Nick Mike-Meyer field goals brought them within one point of tying the game. Both teams played strong defense, and the Rams led 13–12 late in the fourth quarter.

With 54 seconds remaining, Mike-Meyer kicked the game-winning field goal. The Falcons’ defense, which had struggled in their earlier losses to the Lions and Rams this season, had allowed only two touchdowns and 35 points in their last five games.

Next up for the Falcons was the Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons’ defense struggled to contain receiver Harold Carmichael, who caught six passes for 105 yards and scored a touchdown. Falcons punt returner Ray Brown had an impactful game, gaining over 100 yards and providing the offense with favorable field position several times.

With the score tied at 20–20 after three quarters, the Falcons scored 24 points in the fourth quarter. Their running game gained 170 yards. The final score was Atlanta 44, Philadelphia 27. The bad news was that the Falcons’ top receiver, Ken Burrow, suffered a neck injury and was out for the rest of the season.

The Falcons’ record was 6–3, and they had become a legitimate playoff contender. However, some still doubted their talent. Only one of their six wins was against a team with a winning record, and many remembered the three games they lost by a total score of 75–15. On November 19th, the Falcons would get a chance to prove they were the real deal. The 9–0 Minnesota Vikings headed to Atlanta to face these rising Falcons on Monday Night Football.

The Vikings took a 7–3 lead in the second quarter when Fran Tarkenton connected with John Gilliam for a 39-yard touchdown pass. But Atlanta answered with two touchdowns of their own and led 17–7 at halftime.

They extended their lead to 20–7 in the third quarter and held on for a 20–14 victory. The Falcons’ defense limited the Vikings’ running game to 82 yards. Dave Hampton ran for 108 yards on 23 carries, while Bob Lee completed 11 of 23 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns. The win was especially satisfying for Lee and Coach Norm Van Brocklin. Lee had played for the Vikings from 1969 to 1972, and Van Brocklin coached the Vikings from 1961 to 1966.

The Falcons traveled to rainy Shea Stadium in New York for a Week Eleven game against the Jets. Tom Geredine got the Falcons off to a good start, scoring the first touchdown on a 39-yard reception. With Atlanta holding a 14–13 lead in the second quarter, Bob Lee connected with Louis Neal for a 47-yard touchdown.

The Jets responded in the third quarter with a touchdown, but the Falcons edged out a 28–20 victory. Without their top receiver, Ken Burrow, the Falcons leaned on their running game, gaining 147 yards on 44 carries. Defensively, the Falcons forced six turnovers. This was Atlanta’s seventh consecutive win.

With only three games remaining in the season, the Falcons were in position to secure a playoff spot as the wild-card team. Their next game was against the 6–5 Buffalo Bills, which didn’t go as expected. The Falcons’ defense couldn’t stop the Bills’ strong running game, as Buffalo carried the ball 54 times for 239 yards.

Offensively, Bob Lee was sacked four times, and Atlanta lost three fumbles. The final score was Buffalo 17, Atlanta 6. Although the loss hurt their chances of making the playoffs, it didn’t eliminate them. The Falcons were tied with the Cowboys for the wild-card spot with two games remaining.

In a week twelve game against the 3–8–1 Cardinals, cornerback Tom Hayes returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown, giving the Falcons a 10–0 lead in the first quarter. From there, the Falcons collapsed and suddenly reverted to the team that got blown out in weeks two and three. The Cardinals dominated the line of scrimmage, running the ball for 243 yards on 60 carries.

The Atlanta offense was just as poor as their defense, gaining only 120 yards and fumbling three times. Bob Lee completed 3 of 16 passes for 27 yards, threw two interceptions, and was sacked four times. It’s hard to understand how a team that had won seven straight games could perform so poorly against a subpar team with a playoff spot at stake.

The Cowboys defeated the Redskins, leaving both teams with a 9–4 record. The 8–5 Falcons still had a slim chance of making the playoffs if they won their last game and either the Cowboys or Redskins lost. The Falcons faced the Saints in the final game and jumped out to a 14–0 halftime lead.

However, they nearly blew it in the second half, hanging on to win 14–10. Dave Hampton ran for 84 yards, leaving him just three yards short of a 1,000-yard season. The Cowboys defeated the Cardinals (the same team that knocked the Falcons out of the playoffs) 30–3. The Redskins beat the Eagles.

Kicker Nick Mike-Meyer, offensive tackle George Kunz, and defensive ends John Zook and Claude Humphrey made the Pro Bowl. Humphrey also earned All-Pro honors.

While it was the Falcons’ best season in eight years, putting a positive spin on such a disappointing ending isn’t easy. The Falcons never recovered from their collapse. In 1974, Norm Van Brocklin was fired as the head coach after a 42–7 loss to the Dolphins in Week 8.

Atlanta finished the season with a 3–11 record. In 1975 and 1976, they were 4–10. The Falcons finally reached the Super Bowl in 1998 but lost to the Denver Broncos. They made it back to the Super Bowl in 2016, but blew a 28–3 lead to the NE Patriots.

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)