TEAM SUPER BOWL HISTORY
Have the Atlanta Falcons Ever Won a Super Bowl?
No. The Atlanta Falcons have never won a Super Bowl. Atlanta is 0–2, with losses to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
The record joins two games that felt nothing alike. Dan Reeves took the 1998 Falcons into a matchup Denver controlled for most of the night. Eighteen years later, Matt Ryan and Atlanta built a 28–3 lead before the first overtime finish in Super Bowl history turned the franchise’s best chance into its hardest loss.
Records reviewed through Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.
- Super Bowl Titles
- 0
- Super Bowl Appearances
- 2
- Super Bowl Record
- 0–2
- Last Appearance
- 2017 / Super Bowl LI
Two Trips, One Game That Changed Everything
Atlanta’s first NFC championship came behind Jamal Anderson, Chris Chandler and a defense that had just beaten Minnesota in one of the biggest postseason upsets of the era. The Falcons reached Miami with a real identity, but John Elway and Denver played from in front and never let Atlanta turn the game into another fourth-quarter fight.
Super Bowl LI was the opposite. Ryan, Julio Jones and an attacking defense put Atlanta in command. The Falcons did enough to build a championship lead, then watched New England extend drives, wear down the defense and erase every point of it. That second appearance is why Atlanta’s Super Bowl history cannot be explained by the same sentence twice.
COMPLETE APPEARANCE RECORD
Every Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl Appearance
| Year | Super Bowl | Opponent | Result | Final score | MVP | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Super Bowl XXXIII | Denver Broncos | Loss | Denver Broncos 34, Falcons 19 | John Elway | Pro Player Stadium |
| 2017 | Super Bowl LI | New England Patriots | Loss | New England Patriots 34, Falcons 28 | Tom Brady | NRG Stadium |
Atlanta Had the Title Within Reach in Super Bowl LI
Atlanta’s closest loss was the 34–28 overtime defeat against New England. The Falcons led 28–3 in the third quarter and still had the ball near field-goal range after Julio Jones made a remarkable sideline catch late in the fourth. A sack and a holding penalty pushed them back, leaving Tom Brady another possession to tie the game.
The collapse was not one bad snap or one decision. New England ran 93 offensive plays, Dont’a Hightower forced a fourth-quarter fumble and Atlanta could not produce the final scoring drive that would have stopped the comeback. James White’s overtime touchdown ended the first Super Bowl ever to reach an extra period.
GAME-BY-GAME HISTORY
Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl Results, Explained
1999 · Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII
Denver Broncos 34, Falcons 19
- Location
- Pro Player Stadium · Miami, Florida
- MVP
- John Elway
Turning point: Elway’s 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith stretched Denver’s lead to 17–3 in the second quarter.
Atlanta moved the ball but did not finish enough drives, and Denver made the Falcons pay for every missed opening. Elway’s deep strike to Rod Smith created the first real separation. Tim Dwight’s kickoff-return touchdown gave Atlanta late life, but the Broncos had already built too much control for the comeback to change the game.
2017 · New England Patriots
Super Bowl LI
New England Patriots 34, Falcons 28
- Location
- NRG Stadium · Houston, Texas
- MVP
- Tom Brady
Turning point: Dont’a Hightower’s strip-sack of Matt Ryan gave New England a short field and turned a three-score game into a live comeback.
Robert Alford’s interception return and two sharp touchdown drives helped Atlanta take a 21–3 halftime lead, and Tevin Coleman made it 28–3 in the third quarter. The Falcons did not score again. Hightower’s strip-sack, the lost field-goal opportunity after Julio Jones’ catch and Brady’s patient late drives pushed the game to overtime, where New England ended it on the opening possession.
Why the Two Atlanta Losses Feel Nothing Alike
Super Bowl XXXIII was a clear defeat against a defending champion. Super Bowl LI was a game Atlanta controlled long enough to make a championship feel close enough to touch. The same 0–2 record covers both, but the football story changes completely from one row to the next.
The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl with different coaches, quarterbacks and styles. What remains missing is the finish. No Atlanta team came closer than the one that led New England by 25 points and still needed one more answer in the fourth quarter.