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1976 Atlanta Falcons

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Record: 4-10-0, Finished 3rd in NFC West Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 172 points (12.3/g), 24th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 312 points (22.3/g), 22nd.
 Differential of -140 points (-10.0/g), 25th.
 Expected W-L: 2.7-11.3.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -3 (-0.2/g), 18th.

Simple Rating System: Total -10.3, Offense: -6.7, Defense: -3.5, SoS: -0.3, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Marion Campbell (1-4-0) and Pat Peppler (3-6-0)
 Offensive Coordinator: Johnny Rauch
 Defensive Coordinator: Fred Bruney

Training Camp: Furman University (Greenville, South Carolina)

Starters

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters
QB Scott Hunter 29 5 6 51 for 110, 633 yards, 5 td, 4 int, & 14 rushes for 41 yards and 1 td Green Bay Packers / 6th / 140th pick / 1971
QB Steve Bartkowski 24 1 5 57 for 120, 677 yards, 2 td, 9 int, & 8 rushes for -10 yards and 1 td Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 1st pick / 1975
RB Sonny Collins 23 Rook 0 91 rushes for 319 yards, 0 td, & 4 catches for 37 yards and 0 td Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 36th pick / 1976
FB Mike Esposito 23 Rook 0 60 rushes for 317 yards, 2 td, & 17 catches for 88 yards and 0 td Atlanta Falcons / 7th / 159th pick / 1975
WR John Gilliam 31 9 0 21 catches for 292 yards, 2 td New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1967
WR Alfred Jenkins 24 1 14 41 catches for 710 yards, 6 td
TE Jim R. Mitchell 29 7 0 17 catches for 209 yards, 0 td, & 1 rush for -6 yards and 0 td Atlanta Falcons / 4th / 81st pick / 1969
LT Brent Adams 24 1 14 1 fumble recovered Atlanta Falcons / 8th / 185th pick / 1975
LG Larron Jackson 27 5 0 Houston Oilers / 4th / 81st pick / 1971
C Jeff Van Note 30 7 10 Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 262nd pick / 1969
RG Greg Kindle 26 2 10 1 fumble recovered St. Louis Cardinals / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1974
RT Len Gotshalk 27 4 0 1 fumble recovered Philadelphia Eagles / 8th / 186th pick / 1971
 Defensive Starters
LDE Claude Humphrey 32 8 13 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 3rd pick / 1968
LDT Mike Tilleman 32 10 14 Minnesota Vikings / 12th / 163rd pick / 1965
RDT Mike Lewis 27 5 12 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered
RDT Jim Bailey 28 6 6 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Baltimore Colts / 2nd / 44th pick / 1970
RDE Jeff Merrow 23 1 14 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 263rd pick / 1975
LLB Fulton Kuykendall 23 1 7 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Atlanta Falcons / 6th / 132nd pick / 1975
LLB Dewey McClain 22 Rook 5 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered
MLB Tommy Nobis 33 10 0 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 1st pick / 1966
Houston Oilers / 1st / 5th pick / 1966
RLB Greg Brezina 30 8 11 Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 275th pick / 1968
LCB Rolland Lawrence 25 3 14 6 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered
RCB Frank Reed 22 Rook 14 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Atlanta Falcons / 8th / 219th pick / 1976
SS Ray Brown 27 5 14 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Atlanta Falcons / 6th / 148th pick / 1971
FS Ray Easterling 27 4 14 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Atlanta Falcons / 9th / 223rd pick / 1972
 Special Teams Starters
K Nick Mike-Mayer 26 3 0 10 of 21 field goals & 20 of 20 extra points Atlanta Falcons / 10th / 248th pick / 1973
P John James* 27 4 0 101 punts for a 42.1 average, 0 blocked
PR Rolland Lawrence 25 3 14 54 punt returns for a 6.9 average and 0 td
KR Rolland Lawrence 25 3 14 21 kick returns for a 24.8 average and 0 td

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
81 Bob Adams 30 TE-T 13 0 225 6-2 Pacific 8/15/1946 7
62 Brent Adams 24 T 14 14 256 6-5 Tenn-Chattanooga 6/26/1952 1 Atlanta Falcons / 8th / 185th pick / 1975
72 Jim Bailey 28 DT-DE 7 6 253 6-4 Kansas 6/9/1948 6 Baltimore Colts / 2nd / 44th pick / 1970
10 Steve Bartkowski 24 QB 5 5 216 6-4 California 11/12/1952 1 Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 1st pick / 1975
44 Bubba Bean 22 RB 14 4 195 5-11 Texas A&M 1/26/1954 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 9th pick / 1976
50 Greg Brezina 30 LB 11 11 226 6-0 Houston 1/7/1946 8 Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 275th pick / 1968
34 Ray Brown 27 DB 14 14 208 6-1 West Texas A&M 1/12/1949 5 Atlanta Falcons / 6th / 148th pick / 1971
38 Rick Byas 26 DB 14 0 180 5-9 East. Michigan,Wayne State (MI) 10/19/1950 2
41 Sonny Collins 23 RB 11 0 196 6-1 Kentucky 1/17/1953 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 36th pick / 1976
51 Jim Cope 23 LB 6 0 235 6-1 Ohio St. 6/23/1953 Rook Cleveland Browns / 5th / 119th pick / 1975
47 Brad Davis 23 RB 1 0 204 5-10 LSU 2/9/1953 1 Atlanta Falcons / 9th / 211th pick / 1975
77 Ron East 33 DT-DE 14 0 250 6-4 Montana St.,Oregon St. 8/26/1943 9
32 Ray Easterling 27 DB 14 14 195 6-0 Richmond 9/3/1949 4 Atlanta Falcons / 9th / 223rd pick / 1972
26 Mike Esposito 23 RB 10 0 183 6-0 Boston Col. 4/24/1953 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 7th / 159th pick / 1975
80 Karl Farmer 22 WR 1 0 165 5-11 Pittsburgh 8/28/1954 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 7th / 193rd pick / 1976
89 Wallace Francis 25 WR 14 0 190 5-11 Ark-Pine Bluff 11/7/1951 3 Buffalo Bills / 5th / 110th pick / 1973
71 Steve George 25 DT 1 0 265 6-5 Houston 4/11/1951 2 St. Louis Cardinals / 3rd / 60th pick / 1974
42 John Gilliam 31 WR-FL 14 0 195 6-1 South Carolina St. 8/7/1945 9 New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1967
65 Len Gotshalk 27 T-G 14 0 259 6-4 Humboldt St. 10/21/1949 4 Philadelphia Eagles / 8th / 186th pick / 1971
43 Dave Hampton 29 RB 2 0 210 6-0 Wyoming 5/7/1947 7 Green Bay Packers / 9th / 220th pick / 1969
87 Claude Humphrey 32 DE 13 13 252 6-4 Tennessee St. 6/29/1944 8 Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 3rd pick / 1968
16 Scott Hunter 29 QB 8 6 205 6-2 Alabama 11/11/1947 5 Green Bay Packers / 6th / 140th pick / 1971
68 Larron Jackson 27 G-T 14 0 270 6-3 Missouri 8/26/1949 5 Houston Oilers / 4th / 81st pick / 1971
6 John James* 27 P 14 0 197 6-3 Florida 1/21/1949 4
84 Alfred Jenkins 24 WR 14 14 170 5-10 Morris Brown 1/25/1952 1
40 Bob Jones 25 DB 14 0 194 6-1 Virginia Union 2/10/1951 3 Cincinnati Bengals / 6th / 146th pick / 1973
63 Greg Kindle 26 G-T 10 10 265 6-4 Tennessee St. 9/16/1950 2 St. Louis Cardinals / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1974
54 Fulton Kuykendall 23 LB 7 7 225 6-4 UCLA 6/10/1953 1 Atlanta Falcons / 6th / 132nd pick / 1975
22 Rolland Lawrence 25 DB 14 14 179 5-10 Tabor 3/24/1951 3
69 Mike Lewis 27 DT-DE-NT 12 12 261 6-4 Wiley,Ark-Pine Bluff 7/14/1949 5
29 Ron Mabra 25 DB 8 0 166 5-10 Howard 6/4/1951 1
71 Greg Marderian 24 DT 1 0 250 6-4 USC 1/15/1952 Rook
52 Dewey McClain 22 LB 14 5 236 6-3 East Central (OK) 4/25/1954 Rook
73 Phil McKinnely 22 T-G-TE 12 0 248 6-4 UCLA 7/8/1954 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 9th / 246th pick / 1976
11 Kim McQuilken 25 QB 8 3 203 6-2 Lehigh 2/26/1951 2 Atlanta Falcons / 3rd / 69th pick / 1974
75 Jeff Merrow 23 DE-DT-LB 14 14 236 6-4 West Virginia 7/12/1953 1 Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 263rd pick / 1975
12 Nick Mike-Mayer 26 K 14 0 186 5-8 Temple 3/1/1950 3 Atlanta Falcons / 10th / 248th pick / 1973
86 Jim R. Mitchell 29 TE 14 0 234 6-1 Prairie View 10/19/1947 7 Atlanta Falcons / 4th / 81st pick / 1969
60 Tommy Nobis 33 LB 13 0 240 6-2 Texas 9/20/1943 10 Atlanta Falcons / 1st / 1st pick / 1966
Houston Oilers / 1st / 5th pick / 1966
55 Ralph Ortega 23 LB 14 4 220 6-2 Florida 7/6/1953 1 Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 29th pick / 1975
Wally Pesuit 22 G-C-T-DE 1 0 252 6-4 Kentucky 3/4/1954 Rook Dallas Cowboys / 5th / 151st pick / 1976
82 Scott Piper 22 WR 13 0 180 6-1 Arizona 6/18/1954 Rook Buffalo Bills / 6th / 171st pick / 1976
39 Billy Pritchett 25 RB 6 1 230 6-3 West Texas A&M 2/22/1951 1 Cleveland Browns / 6th / 146th pick / 1974
28 Frank Reed 22 DB 14 14 193 5-11 Washington 5/13/1954 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 8th / 219th pick / 1976
56 Guy Roberts 26 LB 14 3 217 6-1 Maryland 6/12/1950 4 Houston Oilers / 8th / 187th pick / 1972
53 Paul Ryczek 24 C 14 4 230 6-2 Virginia 6/25/1952 2 Atlanta Falcons / 10th / 252nd pick / 1974
70 Dave Scott 23 G-T 13 0 276 6-4 Kansas 12/26/1953 Rook Atlanta Falcons / 3rd / 71st pick / 1976
64 Royce Smith 27 G 10 0 250 6-3 Georgia 6/17/1949 4 New Orleans Saints / 1st / 8th pick / 1972
24 Haskel Stanback 24 RB 14 0 210 6-0 Tennessee 3/19/1952 2 Cincinnati Bengals / 5th / 114th pick / 1974
48 Woody Thompson 24 RB 7 0 228 6-1 Miami (FL) 8/20/1952 1 Atlanta Falcons / 3rd / 65th pick / 1975
74 Mike Tilleman 32 DT 14 14 272 6-7 Montana 3/30/1944 10 Minnesota Vikings / 12th / 163rd pick / 1965
57 Jeff Van Note 30 C-G-LB 10 10 247 6-2 Kentucky 2/7/1946 7 Atlanta Falcons / 11th / 262nd pick / 1969
58 Jim Weatherly 24 C 3 0 245 6-3 Mount San Antonio JC 4/13/1952 Rook
78 Bill Windauer 27 DT-DT 3 0 250 6-4 Iowa 11/22/1949 3 Baltimore Colts / 8th / 191st pick / 1973
79 Jeff Yeates 25 DE-DT-G 2 0 248 6-3 Boston Col. 8/3/1951 2 Buffalo Bills / 4th / 103rd pick / 1973
Team Total 25.7 14 223.1 6-1.8 3.0