The Atlanta Falcons inadvertently self-owned themselves, forcing their social media team to act quickly and erase the mistake.
Like the other 31 NFL teams, the Atlanta Falcons have shared some behind-the-scenes photos of their players at OTAs on social media. It’s just another casual way to get their fans amped up for the upcoming regular season.
But the Falcons’ decision to post a photo of star safety Jessie Bates III (No. 3) beside cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (No. 28) completely backfired. As football fans know, 28-3 references the Falcons’ humiliating Super Bowl 51 collapse against the New England Patriots.
Adding another layer of humor to the post? The Falcons moved quickly to delete it. But don’t worry, there are plenty screenshots of the post available:
There are specific numbers, terms and nicknames that will forever haunt a particular NFL franchise. For the Atlanta Falcons, it’ll always be “28-3.” For the Buffalo Bills, it’s “Wide Right”. For the Cleveland Browns, it’s “The Fumble.” Even the historically successful Patriots’ organization and fanbase won’t get over “18-1.”
Eight years later, the Falcons’ inability to hold a 25-point lead in the second half remains baffling. They couldn’t score another point nor stop Tom Brady and a Patriots offense that was out of sync for the first two and a half quarters.
Making the pain even worse, all these years later? The Falcons have one playoff victory since the collapse, and that was back in the 2017 season.
Atlanta Falcons Open 2025 Season vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Falcons looked poised to end their playoff drought in 2024 after jumping out to a 6-3 start, only to drop six of their final nine games. With Michael Penix Jr. replacing Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback, it’s a fresh era of Atlanta Falcons football.
Atlanta will try to start the season on a high note when it hosts Baker Mayfield and the NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7.
