2008 Atlanta Falcons season
| 2008 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Head coach | Mike Smith |
| General manager | Thomas Dimitroff |
| Owner | Arthur Blank |
| Home field | Georgia Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Cardinals) 30–24 |
| Pro Bowlers | 2 |
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, 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 would fall to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Mike Smith was named 2008 NFL Coach of the Year, and quarterback Matt Ryan earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
On February 22, prior the start of the NFL Combine, the Falcons won a coin toss that gave them the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft in a gathering with the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs to break a three-way-tie. Each team finished 2007 with a 4–12 record. Some experts said that the Falcons should have used this selection to pick LSU Defensive Tackle Glenn Dorsey, but the Falcons used their first-round pick to draft Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. The Falcons also traded two of their second-round picks (No. 34 and No. 48) and a fourth-round pick (No. 103) with Washington Redskins to move to No. 21 overall and select USC tackle Sam Baker.
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