Atlanta Falcons NFL Schedule: How to Follow Every Game in Atlanta

If you live in Atlanta or you’re visiting the city during football season, keeping up with the Atlanta Falcons NFL schedule helps you plan game days, traffic, tickets, and watch parties around town. This guide explains how the schedule works, when and where the Falcons play, and how Atlanta fans usually follow the season.

How the Atlanta Falcons NFL Schedule Is Structured

Each NFL regular season, the Falcons play:

• 17 regular-season games
• 18-week schedule (with one bye week)
• A mix of home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and away games across the country

Typical Schedule Layout

• September–early January: Regular season
• January: Potential playoff games, if the Falcons qualify
• August: Preseason games (mostly for evaluation and warm-up)

The Falcons usually play:

• Most games on Sundays
• Occasional Monday night, Thursday night, or Sunday night matchups
• A possible international game in some seasons (which can affect start times in Atlanta)

Home Games in Atlanta: What You Need to Know

The Falcons play home games at:

Mercedes-Benz Stadium
1 AMB Drive NW
Atlanta, GA 30313

This stadium is in Downtown Atlanta, next to the Vine City and Castleberry Hill neighborhoods and near State Farm Arena and the Georgia World Congress Center.

Typical Home Game Kickoff Times

While times vary by season and TV schedule, fans in Atlanta can usually expect:

• Sunday day games: Around 1:00 p.m. ET
• Late-afternoon games: Around 4:05 or 4:25 p.m. ET
• Night games (Thursday, Sunday, or Monday): Around 8:15–8:30 p.m. ET

Prime-time and nationally televised games are usually more likely when the Falcons are in high-profile matchups.

Getting to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Game Day

Fans in Atlanta usually choose from:

• MARTA rail
  • GWCC/CNN Center Station (Blue/Green Line) – short walk to the stadium
  • Vine City Station (Blue/Green Line) – close walk on the west side
• Driving and parking
  • Numerous parking decks and surface lots around the stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center campus
  • Game days often bring heavy congestion on I‑75/85, I‑20, and the Downtown Connector
• Rideshare and taxis
  • Designated rideshare pickup and drop-off zones are typically marked on game days

If you’re planning around the Falcons schedule, build in extra time for traffic, MARTA crowds, and security screening at the stadium.

Away Games: Following the Falcons from Atlanta

When the Falcons are on the road, Atlanta fans usually watch via:

• Local TV: Depending on the broadcast schedule for the week
• Sports bars and restaurants: Especially in Midtown, Buckhead, Downtown, and around the Battery
• Home setups: Cable, satellite, or streaming services that carry NFL broadcasts

Kickoff times for away games are still given in Eastern Time, so for Atlanta residents, the time zone is consistent even when the team travels to the West Coast.

Common start times for away games (Atlanta time):

• 1:00 p.m. ET (most games)
• 4:05 or 4:25 p.m. ET (especially if played in the Mountain or Pacific time zones)
• 8:15–8:30 p.m. ET (national prime-time games)

Preseason vs. Regular Season vs. Playoffs

The Falcons schedule is grouped into three main parts, each affecting how Atlanta fans plan.

Preseason (August)

• Usually 3 preseason games
• Mix of home and away
• Often held on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday nights
• Useful for:
  • Getting familiar with parking and MARTA routines
  • Experiencing the stadium with a slightly more relaxed atmosphere

Regular Season (September–early January)

• 17 games over 18 weeks
• Count toward standings and playoff eligibility
• Typically more demand for tickets, especially for division rivals or key matchups

Postseason (Playoffs, if applicable)

• January and potentially February
• Games are scheduled week-to-week based on playoff results
• If the Falcons host a playoff game in Atlanta:
  • Expect intense traffic around Downtown and the stadium
  • Hotels in and around Downtown, Midtown, and the Airport area may be in higher demand

Understanding Division and Conference Matchups

The Falcons are part of the:

• NFC South Division

Each year, the schedule includes:

• Home and away games against NFC South rivals
  (these are often some of the most anticipated matchups for Atlanta fans)
• Rotating games against another NFC division and an AFC division
• A few conference games based on the previous season’s standings

For Atlanta, this means:

• Certain opponents come to Mercedes-Benz Stadium regularly
• Others cycle through only every few years, making those home games more unique for local fans

Key Atlanta Considerations on Game Days

The Falcons schedule doesn’t just matter to ticket holders—it affects the whole city.

Traffic and Road Closures

On days with a home Falcons game, nearby Atlantans often notice:

• Heavier congestion on:
  • I‑75/85 (Downtown Connector)
  • I‑20 near Downtown
  • Northside Drive NW
  • Roads around Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center
• Delays near major parking decks and MARTA stations close to the stadium

If you live or work near Downtown, checking the Falcons home schedule can help you avoid surprise backups.

MARTA Crowds

On game days:

• Trains to GWCC/CNN Center and Vine City are usually fuller, especially:
  • 1–2 hours before kickoff
  • Right after the game ends
• Fans often choose MARTA to:
  • Skip parking costs
  • Avoid heavy post-game vehicle traffic

If you use MARTA regularly and aren’t attending the game, you may want to plan slightly earlier or later trips on those lines.

Typical Season Pattern for Atlanta Fans

Even though opponents change each year, the rhythm of the Falcons NFL schedule tends to feel similar for locals.

Early Season (September–October)

• Warm to hot weather in Atlanta, especially for afternoon home games
• Many 1:00 p.m. Sunday home games
• Popular time for:
  • Tailgating around the stadium
  • Outdoor pregame events

Midseason (November)

• Cooler weather, especially for night games
• Daylight saving changes can affect how late night games feel for local fans
• Mix of day and evening games

Late Season (December–early January)

• Playoff implications often make these games more intense
• Possible holiday-week games around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s (depending on the year)
• More fans planning family trips to games or watch parties around town

Where in Atlanta People Usually Watch Falcons Games

Even if you’re not going to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the schedule shapes Sundays across the city.

Common options include:

• At home:
  • Regular cable/satellite or streaming services carrying NFL broadcasts
• Sports bars and restaurants:
  • Midtown, Buckhead, Downtown, West Midtown, and near the Battery are popular zones
• Neighborhood spots:
  • Smaller bars and restaurants may show every Falcons game, especially on Sundays

Checking kickoff times ahead of time helps you reserve tables, plan transportation, or coordinate group meetups.

Sample Falcons Schedule Overview (Format, Not Specific Dates)

The exact opponents and dates shift every year, but the layout for Atlanta residents often looks like this:

Use this as a template to understand how the schedule typically spreads out over the fall in Atlanta.

Planning Around the Falcons NFL Schedule in Atlanta

If you’re trying to manage your time, transportation, or entertainment plans around Falcons games in Atlanta, it helps to:

• 🏈 Check the full season schedule early
  • Note which weeks have home games versus away games
• 🚗 Mark high-impact home game days
  • Especially Sunday afternoons and any night games in Downtown
• 🚆 Plan MARTA use
  • Expect crowds around GWCC/CNN Center and Vine City on game days
• 📅 Coordinate events and errands
  • If you live near Downtown, consider adjusting big errands or gatherings away from heavy home-game windows

Whether you’re a lifelong Atlantan, a new resident, or visiting the city during football season, understanding how the Atlanta Falcons NFL schedule works makes it much easier to enjoy game days and navigate the city smoothly.