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As we eagerly await the start of the 2021 season, we’re one step closer today. We’ve known who the Atlanta Falcons’ 2021 opponents are for a while now, but now we officially know when games will take place as the NFL has released the schedules for all 32 teams.
As leaked earlier, the Falcons will kick off the new season against the Eagles at home. They’ll also get their London game and bye week out of the way early, which means the heart of the schedule comes late in the year, including a brutal January road trip to Buffalo. It’s not the hardest schedule on paper, but Atlanta won’t lack for challenging matchups.
Still, if you’re the optimistic sort about this year, this coaching staff, and these players, you won’t find anything lethal here. Atlanta has three prime matchups early on against the Eagles, Giants and Jets, and aside from that tough Week 13-15 swing where they draw the Bucs, Panthers, and 49ers with just one home game, there are no truly brutal stretches ahead of them this year. Weeks 5-11 aren’t easy, either, especially with so much travel. Still, Atlanta can go as far as their improvement (or lack thereof) will allow this year, because barring any huge surprises, this simply is an easier slate than they had last year, with a coaching staff we all expect to be at least a mild upgrade on 2020.
They’ll also only have one primetime game in their first season under the new regime, a Thursday Night Football tilt against the Patriots. Aside from a 4:05 west coast game against the 49ers, an early 4:05 start in Week 3 against the Bucs, and the 9:30 a.m. start in London, every single Falcons game in 2021 will land at 1 p.m. EST.
The full schedule is below.
On a journey to find dubs.
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 12, 2021
Our 2021 schedule is here - https://t.co/UGNpFdNYvM pic.twitter.com/pgZGGyD5wk
2021 Falcons preseason schedule
Week 1: vs. Tennessee Titans, Friday, August 13
Week 2: @ Miami Dolphins, Saturday, August 21
Week 3: vs. Cleveland Browns, Sunday, August 29
2021 Falcons regular season schedule
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. Sunday, September 12
Week 2: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m., Sunday, September 19
Week 3: @ New York Giants, 1 p.m., Sunday, September 26
Week 4: vs. Washington Football Team, 1 p.m., Sunday, October 3
Week 5: vs. New York Jets, 9:30 a.m. in London on Sunday, October 10
Week 6: BYE WEEK
Week 7: @ Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., Sunday, October 24
Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., Sunday, October 31
Week 9: @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., Sunday, November 7
Week 10: @ Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m., Sunday, November 14
Week 11: vs. New England Patriots, 8:20 p.m., Thursday, November 18
Week 12: @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., Sunday, November 28
Week 13: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., Sunday, December 5
Week 14: @ Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m., Sunday, December 12
Week 15: @ San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m., Sunday, December 19
Week 16: vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., Sunday, December 26
Week 17: @ Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m., Sunday, January 3
Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., Sunday, January 9