1974 Atlanta Falcons season
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 obtain in-demand guard Royce Smith[1] in a widely criticized move. 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]
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.[7][8]
Offseason
NFL Draft
[9]
Personnel
Staff
1974 Atlanta Falcons staff |
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Front office
Head coaches
- Head Coach – Norm Van Brocklin
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
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Regular season
Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Record |
Attendance |
Notable events |
1 |
September 15, 1974 |
Dallas Cowboys |
L 0–24 |
0–1 |
52,322 |
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2 |
September 22, 1974 |
San Francisco 49ers |
L 10–16 |
0–2 |
47,686 |
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3 |
September 29, 1974 |
at New Orleans Saints |
L 13–14 |
0–3 |
62,273 |
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4 |
October 6, 1974 |
at New York Giants |
W 14–7 |
1–3 |
42,379 |
5 |
October 13, 1974 |
Chicago Bears |
W 13–10 |
2–3 |
47,835 |
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6 |
October 20, 1974 |
New Orleans Saints |
L 3–13 |
2–4 |
47,217 |
7 |
October 28, 1974 |
at Pittsburgh Steelers |
L 17–24 |
2–5 |
48,094 |
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8 |
November 3, 1974 |
at Miami Dolphins |
L 7–42 |
2–6 |
64,399 |
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9 |
November 10, 1974 |
at Los Angeles Rams |
L 0–21 |
2–7 |
70,056 |
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10 |
November 17, 1974 |
Baltimore Colts |
L 7–17 |
2–8 |
41,278 |
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11 |
November 24, 1974 |
at San Francisco 49ers |
L 0–27 |
2–9 |
45,435 |
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12 |
December 1, 1974 |
Los Angeles Rams |
L 7–30 |
2–10 |
18,648 |
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13 |
December 7, 1974 |
at Minnesota Vikings |
L 10–23 |
2–11 |
47,105 |
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14 |
December 15, 1974 |
Green Bay Packers |
W 10–3 |
3–11 |
10,020 |
Season summary
Week 4
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Falcons |
0 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
14 |
Giants |
7 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
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[10]
Standings
References
- ↑ “Falcons deny trading Reaves Connected with Players’ Strike”; in Ellensburg Daily Record; July 20, 1974; p. 4
- ↑ “Falcons blast Eagles, 23–7”; in St. Petersburg Times; August 5, 1974; p. 9C
- ↑ “Harold Hart, Stabler Leader Raiders’ Win Over Falcons”; in The Tuscaloosa News; August 11, 1974; p. 2C
- ↑ “Falcon Tackle out for Season”; in Bangor Daily News; August 22, 1974; p. 18
- ↑ “Hampton out with Bum Knee”; in Rome News-Tribune; August 27, 1974; p. 6
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1961 to 1978, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points For and Requiring Points For less than 200
- ↑ “Falcons Dump the Dutchman”; in The Pittsburgh Press, November 5, 1974; p. 69
- ↑ “Steelers Take on Falcons”; in St. Petersburg Times; October 28, 1974; p. 3C
- ↑ "1974 Atlanta Falcons draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
External links
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Franchise | |
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Stadiums | |
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Division championships (5) | |
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Conference championships (1) | |
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Ring of Honor | |
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Current league affiliations | |
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Seasons (50) | |
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Atlanta Falcons