2013 Atlanta Falcons season
      
The 2013 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League and the sixth under head coach Mike Smith. An expected Super Bowl contender riddled with injuries, the Falcons had a tough start to the season, finishing with a 4–12 record and failing to improve their 13–3 record from 2012.
2013 draft class
Main article: 
2013 NFL Draft- Notes
- ^[a]  The Falcons traded their first- (No. 30 overall), third (No. 92 overall) and sixth- (No. 198 overall) round selections to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for the Rams' 2013 first-round selection (No. 22 overall) and a 2015 seventh-round selection.
- ^[b]  Compensatory selection.
- ^[c]  The Falcons traded their fifth- (No. 163 overall) and original seventh- (No. 236 overall) round selections to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the Bears' fifth-round selection (No. 153 overall).
Staff
| 2013 Atlanta Falcons staff | 
|  | 
|  | Front office  Owner/Chairman – Arthur Blank President/CEO – Rich McKay General Manager – Thomas Dimitroff Director of Player Personnel – Lionel Vital Director of Football Administration – Nick Polk Director of Pro Scouting – DeJuan Polk Director of College Scouting – Steve Sabo
 Head coaches  Head Coach – Mike Smith Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers – Terry Robiskie
 Offensive coaches |  |  | Defensive coaches Special teams coaches  Special Teams Coordinator – Keith Armstrong Assistant Special Teams – Eric Sutulovich
 Strength and conditioning  Head Strength and Conditioning – A. J. Neibel Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Jonas Beauchemin
 | 
Final roster
| 2013 Atlanta Falcons final roster | 
|  | 
|  | Quarterbacks Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends |  | Offensive linemen Defensive linemen |  | Linebackers Defensive backs Special teams |  | Reserve lists Practice squad
 Rookies in italics
 53 Active, 11 Inactive, 6 Practice squad
 | 
Depth Chart
| 
  
  | Defense[1] |  
    
  
  |  |  
  |  |  |  |  |  |  
  | Offense[2] |  
  |  |  |  |  |  |   
  |  |  |  |   
  | 
      | Key Reserves | 
|---|
 
        | TE Adam Nissley |  |  |  |  |  |  
  |  |  |  |  | 
Schedule
Preseason
Regular season
- Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
-  #  Indicates that the Falcons were the visiting team in the Bills Toronto Series.
Game summaries
Week 1: at New Orleans Saints
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 2: vs. St. Louis Rams
Week Two: St. Louis Rams at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Rams | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 | 
| Falcons | 14 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,056
- Referee: Scott Green
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
 
Week 3: at Miami Dolphins
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
  ATL – Robert McClain –  6 TACKLES, 1 SACK MIA – Dannell Ellerbee –  10 TACKLES
 |  | 
 
Week 4: vs. New England Patriots
Week Four: New England Patriots at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Patriots | 0 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 30 | 
| Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 23 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 5: vs. New York Jets
Week Five: New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Jets | 3 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 30 | 
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Seven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 
| Falcons | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 8: at Arizona Cardinals
Week Eight: Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Falcons | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 
| Cardinals | 0 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 27
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. Arizona time
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 60,671
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Molly McGrath
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 9: at Carolina Panthers
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Seahawks | 3 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,309
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 11: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Twelve: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
With the loss, coupled with wins by the Cardinals, 49ers and the Panthers, the Falcons were the first team this season to be eliminated from playoff contention.[3]
Week 13: at Buffalo Bills
- Bills Toronto Series
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 14: at Green Bay Packers
Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Falcons | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 
| Packers | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: December 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 9 °F (−13 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 77,550
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 15: vs. Washington Redskins
Week Fifteen: Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Redskins | 7 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 
| Falcons | 14 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 27 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,069
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Heath Evans and Molly McGrath
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 16: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 
| 49ers | 3 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 34 | 
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: December 23
- Game time: 8:40 p.m. EST/5:40 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 69,732
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
|  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
| Panthers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 
| Falcons | 7 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,427
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Game book
 
| Game information | 
| 
| 
First quarterSecond quarterThird quarterFourth quarter
 | 
Top passers
 Top rushers
 Top receivers
 Top tacklers
 |  | 
 
With the loss, the Falcons finished their season 4-12 being swept by the Panthers for the first time since 1997.
Standings
Division
Conference
References
External links
| |  | 
|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | Franchise |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Stadiums |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Culture |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Rivalries |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Division championships (5) |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Super Bowl appearances (1) |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Ring of Honor |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | Current league affiliations |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | 1960s |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | 1970s |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | 1980s |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | 1990s |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | 2000s |  | 
|---|
 |  |  | 2010s |  | 
|---|
 | 
 |