1998 Atlanta Falcons season
| 1998 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
Dan Reeves Rich Brooks (weeks 15–16) |
| General manager | Harold Richardson |
| Home field | Georgia Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 14–2 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff finish |
Won Divisional Playoffs (49ers) 20–18 Won NFC Championship (at Vikings) 30–27 (OT) Lost Super Bowl XXXIII (vs. Broncos) 19–34 |
| Uniform | |
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|
The 1998 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 33rd in the National Football League (NFL). The Falcons qualified for the Super Bowl for the first time under the guidance of second-year head coach Dan Reeves. The team won its final nine games of the season to earn the #2 seed in the National Football Conference (NFC) for the playoffs and the first-week bye. They beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round and the #1-seed Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game before losing to Reeves' old team, the Denver Broncos, 34–19 in Super Bowl XXXIII.
Head coach Dan Reeves almost didn't make it to the end of the season. After Week 14, he was diagnosed with multiple blockages to his coronary arteries, necessitating quadruple bypass surgery. Reeves admitted he ignored the warning signs in hopes of finishing the season, but ultimately felt he needed to be checked out. Doctors stated by the time he went for treatment, he may have been "within hours of a catastrophic heart attack. Defensive coordinator Rich Brooks substituted for him as head coach during Weeks 15 and 16. Reeves returned for Week 17 and finished the season.
The Falcons ranked fourth in the league in points scored (442 points) and surrendered the fourth-fewest points (289) in 1998; the Falcons also led the league in turnover differential at +20. They were the first dome team to play in a Super Bowl. This would also be the last season the Falcons reached the Super Bowl until Super Bowl LI.
The Falcons' most decisive win of the season came in a 51–23 rout in the Georgia Dome. Jamal Anderson rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown while Chris Chandler threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns with two picks. From Tim Dwight's 93-yard opening kickoff return touchdown, the Falcons never let Carolina have a sniff of contention, leading 38–3 by the third quarter before cruising home with the win.
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