Foto flashback: 1998 Falcons season

Atlanta Falcons

Foto flashback: 1998 Falcons season

1998's Super Bowl run remains the Falcons best season in team history.

It's been 14 years since the Falcons reached the Super Bowl. Coach Dan Reeves, in his second season with Atlanta, guided the team to its most successful season to date. Here is how that season progressed:

Atlanta opened the season in Charlotte, holding off a late rally by Carolina to score its first win. Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler threw for 268 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception.

The Falcons rallied from a 9-0 halftime deficit to get their second win of the season over the Philadelphia Eagles at the Georgia Dome. Chris Chandler had 196 yards passing and a touchdown.

Atlanta came off its bye rusty and suffered its first loss of the season to division rival San Francisco. The Falcons had four turnovers and had a difficult time stopping 49ers quarterback Steve Young, who threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns.

Rookie wide receiver Tim Dwight ran the opening kick off 93 yards for a touchdown and the Falcons never looked back, handing Carolina its fourth straight loss. Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler had 189 yards passing, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the win. (This would be quarterback Kerry Collins' last game as a Panther. The Falcons would meet him again in the season as a member of the Saints.)

Running back Jamal Anderson's popular touchdown celebration, dubbed the "Dirty Bird," gave the team and its fans some flare.

Jamal Anderson rushed for 110 yards as the Falcons earned their fifth win of the season on a cool night in East Rutherford, N.J.

Atlanta capitalized on four New Orleans turnovers to get their fifth win of the season. Jamal Anderson had 25 carries for 132 yards and 1 touchdown in the 31-23 win over the Saints at the Georgia Dome.

The Falcons returned to the Meadowlands for a second time in the season, this time to face the Jets. With starting quarterback Chris Chandler sidelined with an injury suffered the previous week at New Orleans, the Falcons offense struggled. Jamal Anderson was held to just 46 yards rushing as Atlanta suffered its second loss of the season in New York.

Jamal Anderson ran for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns as Atlanta marched over division rival St. Louis 37-15 at the Georgia Dome. Chris Chandler was 12-for-26 with 236 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, which was run back for a touchdown.

Falcons running back Jamal Anderson ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons ended a streak of 22 losses at cold-weather sites with a dominating 41-10 win at Foxboro, Mass., over the New England Patriots.

The Falcons gave the Georgia Dome crowd lots to cheer about. Atlanta won 11 straight games at home dating back to 1997 - eight of them coming in 1998 - and most points in a season (442).

Atlanta held a lead all afternoon and the Falcons defense scored a huge win. Atlanta allowed 383 total yards to the San Francisco offense, led by quarterback Steve Young.

Wide receiver Todd Kinchen hauled in his only touchdown of the season as the Falcons rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Chicago 20-13 at the Georgia Dome.

Falcons running back Jamal Anderson piled up 188 yards and a touchdown as Atlanta played without starting quarterback Chris Chandler at St. Louis.

Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler threw for 297 yards, 2 touchdowns and rushed for another as Atlanta inched closer to a playoff spot with a win over Peyton Manning in his rookie season with Indianapolis at the Georgia Dome.

The Falcons' defense pounded the Saints as Atlanta overcame two turnovers that resulted in Saints scores while the offense amassed a season-high 504 total yards in New Orleans.

On Dec. 18, 1998, Dan Reeves, along his wife Pam, address questions after he is released from Piedmont Hospital after quadruple bypass heart surgery. Reeves, who had less serious heart problems in 1990 and '91, checked into Piedmont Hospital a day after feeling ill during a 27-17 decision over the New Orleans Saints which gave the Falcons their franchise-tying 12th victory against only two losses.

Without coach Dan Reeves on the sidelines the Falcons intercepted a pass with 1:39 left to seal its first NFC West Division crown since 1980 on a nail-bitter game at the Silverdome in Detroit. Falcons' Jamal Anderson ran and caught a touchdown putting up 146 yards on the ground.

Atlanta finished its regular season 14-2 with a drubbing of the Miami Dolphins at the Georgia Dome. Ronnie Bradford (23) returned an 11 yard interception for a touchdown to give the Falcons a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. It was the Falcons first, and only season to win 14 or more games.

Atlanta hosted division rival San Francisco for the first round of the playoffs with very similar results. Jamal Anderson rushed for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns on 29 carries. San Francisco had more yards (334) on offense, but turned the ball over three times.

The first conference title game to feature two "dome" teams was marked as much for the back-and-forth play in regulation - as seen by Falcons' Jessie Tuggle exchanging words with Minnesota's Chris Carter - as its dramatic ending. With 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Falcons trailed the Vikings 27-17. The Falcons narrowed the score with a Morten Andersen field goal and caught a huge break when Minnesota's kicker Gary Anderson missed a 38-yard attempt - his only miss of the season. With 2:07 left in the game, the Falcons drove down the field and tied the game on a Terance Mathis 16-yard touchdown grab with 49 seconds left, setting up overtime ...

... After the first 3 possessions of overtime ended in punts, Chris Chandler led the Falcons 70 yards to set up a 38-yard field goal attempt. Morten Andersen's kick, with 3:08 remaining, upset the top-seeded Vikings and put Atlanta in the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

Falcons safety Eugene Robinson made a daring play in the NFC Championship game to save a certain Vikings winning touchdown. On the day before the Super Bowl in Miami, he was arrested for soliciting an undercover female officer. In the game, he gave up an 80-yard touchdown to Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith that gave the Broncos a 17-3 second quarter lead, from which the Falcons never recovered.

The defending Super Bowl champion Broncos entered the game with an AFC-best 14-2 regular season record. The Falcons were making their first Super Bowl appearance after also posting a 14-2 regular season record. Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler had 219 yards passing, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. Atlanta struggled after allowing 17 unanswered points by the second quarter, losing 34-19. It was a disappointing end to one of the best seasons in Falcons history.

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It's been 14 years since the Falcons reached the Super Bowl. Coach Dan Reeves, in his second season with Atlanta, guided the team to its most successful season to date. Here is how that season progressed:

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