October 7, 2026
October 7, 2026
1998 Atlanta Falcons: The Year of the Dirty Birds
When Terance Mathis caught the game-tying touchdown with less than a minute to play in the NFC Championship Game, the momentum was in the Atlanta Falcons’ favor. The Minnesota Vikings squandered their 10-point lead and allowed the Falcons to send the game into overtime. The Falcons won the game thanks to Morten Andersen’s 38-yard field goal. The 1998 Atlanta Falcons were used to riding momentum. They had been riding the wave since the start of the season, and they rode it all the way to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.
The Falcons finished the regular season with a 14-2 record. They ranked fourth in points scored with 442, and their defense allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league. Despite their stellar numbers, they were the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, behind the 15-1 Minnesota Vikings.
The Falcons offense was led by quarterback Chris Chandler. Chandler threw for 3,154 yards and 25 touchdowns. Tony Martin and Terance Mathis were Chandler’s favorite targets. Martin had 66 receptions for 1,181 yards and 6 touchdowns. Mathis was right behind him with 64 receptions, 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Atlanta passing game was good, but the engine of the team was running back Jamal Anderson. Anderson was second in the league in rushing yards, behind league MVP Terrell Davis. Davis rushed for 2,008 yards, while Anderson wasn’t far behind with 1,846. Anderson scored 14 rushing touchdowns while adding 319 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
The defense enjoyed a terrific year. Its stout run defense allowed only 1,203 rushing yards all season, which ranked second in the league. The defense allowed only 7 rushing touchdowns, which was tied for third. Lester Archambeau led the team in sacks with 10, while Pro Bowl cornerback Ray Buchanan led the team with 7 interceptions. Linebacker Jessie Tuggle and free safety Eugene Robinson also earned Pro Bowl invitations for their stellar defensive play.
After the franchise’s best regular season to date, the 1998 Atlanta Falcons earned a first-round bye and then a matchup against Steve Young, Jerry Rice and the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
The Falcons defense forced three turnovers, and the team led for the entire game. Steve Young scored a rushing touchdown with less than five minutes to play to bring the 49ers within two points, but that was as close as they would get. The Falcons won 20-18, which set up the franchise’s first trip to the NFC Championship Game.
The Vikings held Jamal Anderson to only 67 yards on 23 carries, but Chris Chandler threw for 340 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Terance Mathis caught two touchdown passes, including the clutch game-tying score that sent the game into overtime. The Falcons defeated the Minnesota Vikings in dramatic fashion, 30-27, sending Atlanta to Super Bowl XXXIII to face the Denver Broncos.
Morten Andersen, one of the heroes of the NFC Championship Game, opened the scoring with a field goal to give the Falcons a 3-0 lead. It would be the only lead the Falcons enjoyed all game. John Elway found Rod Smith for an 80-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 17-3 lead. Andersen added another field goal, but the Broncos answered with two rushing touchdowns to extend their lead to 25 points. Tim Dwight returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough. The Falcons turned the ball over four times and were defeated by Elway and the Broncos, 34-19. The season didn’t end the way they wanted, but it was still a memorable one for the franchise.
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