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1971 Atlanta Falcons season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = Atlanta Falcons

| year = 1971

| record = 7–6–1

| division_place = 3rd NFC West

| coach = Norm Van Brocklin

| general_manager = Norm Van Brocklin

| owner = Rankin M. Smith Sr.

| stadium = Atlanta Stadium

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| shortnavlink = Falcons seasons

}}

The 1971 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's sixth year in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first winning season in franchise history.

Offseason

=NFL Draft=

{{main article|1971 NFL Draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1971

| teamname = Atlanta Falcons

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 7

| player = Joe Profit

| position = Running back

| college = Northeast Louisiana

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| probowl = no

| hof = no

}}

{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/atl/1971_draft.htm |title=1971 Atlanta Falcons draftees |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |accessdate=October 24, 2014 }}

Personnel

=Staff=

{{NFL final staff

| year = 1971

| team = Atlanta Falcons

| front_office =

| head_coach =

  • Head coach – Norm Van Brocklin

| offensive =

| defensive =

}}

= Roster =

{{NFL final roster

|Year=1971

|TeamName=Atlanta Falcons

|Active=

|Inactive=

|PS=

|Quarterbacks=

{{NFLplayer|17|Bob Berry|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|10|Leo Hart|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|11|Dick Shiner}}

|Running Backs=

{{NFLplayer|28|Willie Belton|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|33|Cannonball Butler|FB}}

{{NFLplayer|45|Sonny Campbell}}

{{NFLplayer|25|Art Malone|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|23|Joe Profit|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|5|Harmon Wages}}

|Wide Receivers=

{{NFLplayer|82|Ken Burrow|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|81|Wes Chesson|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|45|Ray Jarvis|d=American football|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|85|Ray Poage}}

|Tight Ends=

{{NFLplayer|84|Mike Donohoe}}

{{NFLplayer|86|Jim Mitchell|d=tight end}}

|Offensive Linemen=

{{NFLplayer|63|Dick Enderle|G}}

{{NFLplayer|65|Len Gotshalk|rookie=y|T}}

{{NFLplayer|75|George Kunz|T}}

{{NFLplayer|53|John Matlock|C}}

{{NFLplayer|64|Andy Maurer|G}}

{{NFLplayer|61|Bill Sandeman|T}}

{{NFLplayer|67|Malcolm Snider|G}}

{{NFLplayer|57|Jeff Van Note|C}}

|Defensive Linemen=

{{NFLplayer|88|Glen Condren|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|87|Claude Humphrey|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|72|Greg Lens|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|69|Mike Lewis|d=American football|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|89|Randy Marshall|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|66|John Small|d=American football|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|71|John Zook|DE}}

|Linebackers=

{{NFLplayer|52|Ron Acks}}

{{NFLplayer|54|Grady Allen}}

{{NFLplayer|62|John Bramlett}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Greg Brezina}}

{{NFLplayer|58|Don Hansen}}

{{NFLplayer|59|Rudy Kuechenberg}}

|Defensive Backs=

{{NFLplayer|34|Ray Brown|d=safety|rookie=y|S}}

{{NFLplayer|27|Tom Hayes|d=cornerback|rookie=y|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|35|Tony Plummer}}

{{NFLplayer|22|John Mallory|d=American football|SS}}

{{NFLplayer|36|Ken Reaves|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|47|Rudy Redmond|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|30|Larry Shears|rookie=y}}

|Special Teams=

{{NFLplayer|37|Bill Bell|d=American football|K}}

{{NFLplayer|26|Billy Lothridge|P}}

|Reserve Lists=

{{NFLplayer|20|Tom McCauley|d=American football|FS|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|60|Tommy Nobis|LB|IR}}

{{NFLplayer|80|Todd Snyder|d=American football|WR|IR}}

|Practice Squad=

{{NFLplayer|56|Dennis Havig|rookie=y|G}}

}}

Regular season

=Schedule=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Week

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Date

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Opponent

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Result

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Record

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Venue

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"| Attendance

style="background:#cfc"

! 1

| September 19

| San Francisco 49ers

| W 20–17

| 1–0

| Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium

| 56,990

style="background:#ffc"

! 2

| September 26

| at Los Angeles Rams

| T 20–20

| 1–0–1

| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

| 57,895

style="background:#fcc"

! 3

| October 3

| at Detroit Lions

| L 38–41

| 1–1–1

| Tiger Stadium

| 54,418

style="background:#fcc"

! 4

| October 10

| St. Louis Cardinals

| L 9–26

| 1–2–1

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#fcc"

! 5

| October 17

| Los Angeles Rams

| L 16–24

| 1–3–1

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#cfc"

! 6

| October 24

| New Orleans Saints

| W 28–6

| 2–3–1

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#cfc"

! 7

| October 31

| at Cleveland Browns

| W 31–14

| 3–3–1

| Cleveland Municipal Stadium

| 76,825

style="background:#cfc"

! 8

| November 7

| at Cincinnati Bengals

| W 9–6

| 4–3–1

| Riverfront Stadium

| 59,604

style="background:#fcc"

! 9

| November 14

| New York Giants

| L 17–21

| 4–4–1

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#cfc"

! 10

| {{dow tooltip|November 22, 1971}}

| Green Bay Packers

| W 28–21

| 5–4–1

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#fcc"

! 11

| November 28

| at Minnesota Vikings

| L 7–24

| 5–5–1

| Metropolitan Stadium

| 49,784

style="background:#cfc"

! 12

| December 5

| Oakland Raiders

| W 24–13

| 6–5–1

| Atlanta Stadium

| 58,850

style="background:#fcc"

! 13

| December 12

| at San Francisco 49ers

| L 3–24

| 6–6–1

| Kezar Stadium

| 44,582

style="background:#cfc"

! 14

| December 19

| at New Orleans Saints

| W 24–20

| 7–6–1

| Tulane Stadium

| 75,954

style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Atlanta Falcons|year=1971|border=2}}"

|colspan="7"| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

=Standings=

{{1971 NFC West standings}}

{{1971 NFC Central standings}}

{{1971 NFC East standings}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Atlanta Falcons}}

{{Atlanta Falcons seasons}}

{{1971 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1971 Atlanta Falcons Season}}

Atlanta Falcons

Category:Atlanta Falcons seasons

Atlanta

{{Americanfootball-season-stub}}