Franchise Moments: 
Atlanta Falcons' Defining Moment of the Past Decade
You know exactly what we're going to talk about. Falcons fans, now is your chance to turn away.
Falcons' Defining Moment of the Last Ten Years
The winner, as voted on by RotoWire's expert panel: James White's overtime touchdown in Super Bowl LI.
The game-winning touchdown from James White in overtime of Super Bowl 51.
Only overtime Super Bowl in history, and it took a 28-3 comeback in one quarter to get there. White was a big part of it with 14 receptions for 110 yards and 3 total TDs. pic.twitter.com/d55jBkU09G
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 11, 2022
A moment and a game so vital to the history and lore of the NFL that our RotoWire staff named it as the defining moment for both the Falcons and Patriots.
I certainly remember this game. I was in the final year of college and had the game going on in the background while working through assignments. My roommate at the time was a huge Falcons fan and was texting me with absolute glee about the Falcons' halftime lead and how overrated Tom Brady is. As she and many others were reminded of that night, "any given Sunday" even applies to the biggest game of the season.
The Falcons were the second seed of the NFC and faced little resistance from the Seahawks and Packers en route to Super Bowl LI. However, the Patriots were the heavy favorites heading into Super Bowl LI following a 14-2 regular season while breezing through the Texans and Steelers in the AFC side of the playoff bracket.
Theo GremmingerSee Theo's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsRotoWire Analyst
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Mario PuigSee Mario's personal rankings, tiers, and draft targets.View RankingsStill, the Falcons had MVP Matt Ryan on their side, and he led the Falcons into halftime with a 21-3 lead before extending it to 28-3 in the third quarter. 28-3, against Brady and Bill Belichick. A meaningless number to non-football fans, but perhaps the most memorable and meme-able mention in NFL history.
Atlanta's good vibes didn't last long. Brady and the Patriots got to work in the third quarter, with the offense scoring 25 points over their next four drives while the defense did their job with two three-and-outs and a sack-fumble on Ryan in the fourth.
New England won the coin toss for first possession in overtime and didn't look back, with Brady commanding an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a James White two-yard touchdown run and the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
White finished with 139 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns, but Brady was the one who took home the Super Bowl MVP honors after completing 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding a 15-yard carry. For the Falcons, Ryan completed 17 of 23 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns while Julio Jones finished with four catches on as many targets for 87 yards.
The other three defining moments as voted on by the RotoWire staff were Ryan winning NFL MVP, the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Julian Edelman's diving catch during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI.
What Happened Next?
The Falcons made it back to the playoffs in 2017 as a wild card but were defeated by the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round. Atlanta has not made the playoffs since and have eight-straight losing seasons, with Ryan leaving the franchise for Indianapolis in 2022, ultimately retiring after one year with the Colts. Then-head coach Dan Quinn is now in DC with the Commanders, while offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan took over the 49ers after the Super Bowl loss.
On the other side, the Patriots made each of the next two Super Bowls, losing to the Eagles in LI before beating the Rams in LII, marking the sixth SB win for Brady and Belichick. Brady went on to win a seventh Super Bowl with the Buccaneers before retiring after the 2022 season and joining Ryan in a media role.
Looking ahead to the Falcons' 2026 Season
Speaking of Ryan, he reunited with the Falcons this offseason as the President of Football in January. He got to work this offseason, replacing Raheem Morris with Kevin Stefanski at head coach, with the latter coming to Atlanta after six seasons in Cleveland.
Atlanta's biggest move arguably being the signing of Tua Tagovailoa after the southpaw was released by the Dolphins. Tagovailoa and 2024 first-rounder Michael Penix enter training camp competing for the starting quarterback job, though both are currently working through issues that have limited their practice participation, leaving Jack Strand and Cooper Rush as the only healthy quarterbacks on the roster.
The Falcons also came to an agreement on a long-term extension with superstar running back Bijan Robinson. His offensive teammates, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts, both inked extensions earlier this offseason.
More About The Campaign
The RotoWire expert panel voted to select the single most franchise-defining moment from the last 10 years for all 32 NFL teams. Voting has now closed. The results power a 33-article editorial series published across RotoWire ahead of the NFL season -- one dedicated article per franchise, plus one overarching piece covering the broader trends and standout moments across the league.
