| 2008 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Arthur Blank |
| General manager | Thomas Dimitroff |
| Head coach | Mike Smith |
| Home field | Georgia Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Cardinals) 24–30 |
| Pro Bowlers | RB Michael Turner WR Roddy White |
The 2008 Atlanta Falcons season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). Overcoming a disappointing 4–12 record, quarterback Michael Vick's dog fighting scandal and head coach Bobby Petrino's abrupt resignation in 2007, the Falcons, who were expected to be in a rebuilding phase,[1] completed the regular season with a surprising 11–5 record and earned the #5 seed in the NFC playoffs under first-year head coach Mike Smith; however, the team fell to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round of the playoffs.[2]
Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year, and quarterback Matt Ryan earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
- ^ "Falcons preview: Beginning massive rebuilding project". Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
- ^ Weintraub, Robert (December 31, 2008). "The Falcons and Dolphins prove that the Detroit Lions can turn things around". Slate Magazine. Retrieved July 19, 2022.