2016 Atlanta Falcons Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

After making the playoffs three years in a row between 2010 and 2012, the Atlanta Falcons are coming off their third straight season without a winning record following an 8-8 campaign in 2015.

While the Falcons missed out on the postseason, fans should consider last year a bit of a success under head coach Dan Quinn. Quinn built his reputation on his defensive expertise, and he made an immediate impact on the team.

In 2014, Atlanta allowed an NFL-worst 398.3 yards per game and 26.1 points per game, which ranked 27th. In 2015, it ranked 16th (347.6 YPG) and 14th (21.6) in those respective categories. Football Outsiders also ranked the Falcons 22nd in defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), up from 32nd two years ago.

Atlanta was also buoyed by the emergence of running back Devonta Freeman, who went from backing up Tevin Coleman in Week 1 to running for 1,056 yards and 11 touchdowns and catching 73 passes for 578 yards and three touchdowns.

In February, Quinn identified turnover margin as one of the biggest factors playing into the team's potential for the upcoming season after it ranked 27th in the category, per ESPN.com.

"That's job No. 1 for us," he said, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "When we get that part of our game right, I think we can compete with anybody. That's why I'm so excited about it. Because I think there are a lot of weapons that we have."

It may be somewhat unrealistic to expect the Falcons to challenge the Carolina Panthers, who are coming off an NFC title. Still, there's no reason they can't at least challenge for a wild-card spot as long as quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones stay healthy and the defense takes another step forward under Quinn.

Here's a look at Atlanta's road ahead as the team hopes to end its playoff drought.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV Info
1	Sept. 11	vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1 p.m.	Fox
2	Sept. 18	at Oakland Raiders	4:25 p.m.	CBS
3	Sept. 26	at New Orleans Saints	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
4	Oct. 2	vs. Carolina Panthers	1 p.m.	Fox
5	Oct. 9	at Denver Broncos	4:05 p.m.	Fox
6	Oct. 16	at Seattle Seahawks	4:25 p.m.	Fox
7	Oct. 23	vs. San Diego Chargers	4:05 p.m.	Fox
8	Oct. 30	vs. Green Bay Packers	1 p.m.	Fox
9	Nov. 3	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8:25 p.m.	NFL Network
10	Nov. 13	at Philadelphia Eagles	1 p.m.	Fox
11	BYE
12	Nov. 27	vs. Arizona Cardinals	1 p.m.	Fox
13	Dec. 4	vs. Kansas City Chiefs	1 p.m.	CBS
14	Dec. 11	at Los Angeles Rams	4:25 p.m.	Fox
15	Dec. 18	vs. San Francisco 49ers	4:05 p.m.	Fox
16	Dec. 24	at Carolina Panthers	1 p.m.	Fox
17	Jan. 1	vs. New Orleans Saints	1 p.m.	Fox

Analysis

Simply put, the Falcons have the toughest schedule in the league. According to CBSSports.com's John Breech, their 2016 opponents had a collective .555 winning percentage, which is tied for the highest along with the San Francisco 49ers' future opponents:

Rank	Team	Opponent Record	Opponent Winning %
T1	Atlanta Falcons	142-114	.555
T1	San Francisco 49ers	142-114	.555
3	Los Angeles Rams	141-115	.551
4	New Orleans Saints	140-116	.547
T5	Seattle Seahawks	139-117	.543
T5	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	139-117	.543

Atlanta has the misfortune of playing both reigning conference champions on the road, and in total, the Falcons will face off with six playoff teams from last year: the Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

The conference slate, however, shouldn't be all that daunting. Playing Carolina twice will obviously be difficult. But the New Orleans Saints look to be on the end of their competitive cycle, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be another year away from playoff contention.

Conservatively, a 3-3 division record should be the minimum for the Falcons if they want to make the postseason, especially considering how difficult the rest of their schedule is.

Looking beyond the six playoff teams, Atlanta could have its hands full against the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams, all of whom should be stronger after finishing with losing records in 2015.

Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution believes merely standing pat this coming year won't be enough to get the Falcons into the playoffs:

"

The 2015 Falcons played five games against teams that would qualify for postseason. Houston, Washington and Minnesota lost in the wild card round. (The other two games were against Carolina, duh.)

Even with a flying start against a bunny schedule, the 2015 Falcons couldn't make the playoffs. They should be better — at least better than they were over the final two months — next time around. If they’re not better, they'll be going nowhere fast.

"

It's possible Atlanta could finish with the same record or win fewer games than it did a year ago and still manage to make progress on the field in Quinn's second season at the helm.

Pivotal Matchups

Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

The Panthers are the measuring stick for the Falcons, both in the division and the NFC as a whole, and how Atlanta performs against Carolina will go a long way toward bolstering its playoff credentials.

However, Atlanta's record against the rest of the division—New Orleans and Tampa Bay—will have a bigger say in how the 2016 season plays out.

Going 3-1 or even 4-0 against the Saints and Buccaneers is more than attainable for Atlanta. New Orleans' dreadful defense hasn't made significant improvements, while the team continues to rely on a rapidly aging Drew Brees (37 years old). Tampa Bay, meanwhile, will need a big jump from signal-caller Jameis Winston in Year 2 to be a serious threat.

The Falcons, on paper, should be better than both the Saints and Bucs. Some may even argue they're set up for more success than the Panthers, who in all likelihood won't have the luxury of another historic season from reigning MVP Cam Newton.

Either way, Atlanta went winless against both Tampa Bay and New Orleans in 2015, and it can't afford a repeat. The team's schedule outside of its division is too difficult to envision a 2-4 or a 1-5 NFC South record being good enough to secure postseason football.