The National Football League released the 2018 regular-season schedule today. As usual, the Falcons will go up against the NFC South, playing both road and home games against their divisional counterparts. Eight of Atlanta’s 16 games will be filled out by teams from the NFC East and AFC North. Atlanta will also face off against the Arizona Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers because of the teams’ third-place finishes in their respective divisions in 2017.
Once again, 92.9 The Game will serve as the Falcons radio broadcast partners for the 2018 season. All 20 Falcons games (preseason and regular season) can be heard on 92.9 The Game (92.9 FM), with Wes Durham and Dave Archer calling the action.
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The Falcons open up the season against the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Coming off their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, the Eagles made plenty of offseason moves, including trading for defensive lineman Michael Bennett. They also promoted Mike Groh to offensive coordinator after former offensive coordinator Frank Reich left to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.
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The Bengals traded their 12th overall pick in exchange for the Buffalo Bills 21st overall pick and left tackle Cordy Glenn. The Bengals also inked head coach Marvin Lewis to a two-year contract extension, as well as signing offensive coordinator Bill Lazor to a new two-year contract this offseason.
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This offseason the Steelers restructured Pro Bowl wide receiver Antonio Brown’s contract in an effort to help create more cap space for the team. The team also parted ways with cornerback William Gay, who spent 10 seasons in black and yellow. Pittsburgh also promoted Randy Fichtner to offensive coordinator.
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Leading up to this game, the Falcons have won the last three contests against the Buccaneers. During their last meeting, WR Julio Jones tied and passed Terance Mathis for second all-time on the franchise's reception list. The Buccaneers hold the seventh overall pick in the 2018 Draft.
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The last time these two teams met, WR Julio Jones caught a career-high 13 passes. The Giants have started over in their front office this offseason, as they hired a new coach, Pat Shurmur, and new general manager, Dave Gettleman. The Giants have the second overall pick in the draft this year, and they have added pieces such as offensive lineman Nate Solder, who signed a four-year $62 million deal. The Giants also traded Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in exchange for the Bucs third and fourth round picks.
Week 8 - Bye
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Washington made a blockbuster trade to kick off the 2018 offseason by trading for quarterback Alex Smith. The Redskins sent cornerback Kendall Fuller and a 2018 third-round draft pick to the Kansas City Chiefs, in exchange for the 14-year quarterback. Washington also gave Smith a four-year contract extension worth $94 million.
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Cleveland has arguably had the most active offseason. The Browns made several moves including, trading for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry. The team also gave Landry a five-year $75.5 million deal, with $47 million guaranteed and hired Todd Haley as their new offensive coordinator. The Browns have the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in the draft this year. The team also lost longtime offensive lineman Joe Thomas when he retired after 11 seasons with the Browns.
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Heading into this NFC matchup, the Falcons have won three straight against the Dallas Cowboys. The last time the two teams met, former Falcon defensive end, Adrian Clayborn, set a new franchise record with 6 sacks. His six sacks also tied the second most in a single game in NFL history – only five players in NFL history have recorded six-or-more sacks. This offseason, the Cowboys signed wide receiver Allen Hurns and released wide receiver Dez Bryant.
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This Week 12 matchup will be the third Thanksgiving game the Falcons have played – first since 2007 and the first time these two rivals have met on the American holiday. The Saints longtime offensive lineman Zach Strief retired this offseason after a 12-year career with the Saints. The Saints added more offensive weapons by signing wide receiver Cam Meredith to a two-year $10 million-dollar deal after the Bears decided not to match the offer.
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Last year in their Week 2 matchup, the Falcons gained their first win in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The last time the Falcons played in Green Bay, Julio Jones caught 11 passes for 259 yards. This offseason the Packers released longtime wide receiver Jordy Nelson after 10 seasons with Green Bay. The Packers continued to make headlines this offseason by making a big splash in free agency, signing tight end Jimmy Graham. The Packers also hired Joe Philbin as their offensive coordinator and Mike Pettine as their defensive coordinator.
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The Cardinals have had a busy offseason. Arizona hired Steve Wilks to be their new head coach after Bruce Arians retired. The Cardinals also signed quarterback Sam Bradford to a one-year $20 million-dollar deal, which includes $15 million guaranteed. The Cardinals hold the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft.
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This offseason, the Panthers named Eric Washington as their new defensive coordinator, after Steve Wilks departed to be the Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals. The Panthers lost their 2017 first-team All-Pro offensive lineman, Andrew Norwell during free agency. Carolina also released longtime running back Jonathan Stewart after 10 seasons with the franchise.
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The Buccaneers picked up quarterback Jameis Winston’s $20.92 million fifth-year option. This offseason, Tampa Bay signed defensive lineman Vinny Curry and offensive lineman Ryan Jensen, while acquiring defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and a 2018 fourth-round pick from the New York Giants, in exchange for the Bucs third and fourth round picks. Pierre-Paul played at the University of South Florida in Tampa.