The 1967 Atlanta Falcons Were a Dysfunctional Mess

[@bostonsports8080]

The Falcons wish this was their greatest moment of shame.

[@hotdog9423]

Oof

[@chrisrobinson8339]

😂

[@fortynights1513]

Depending on your opinion of 1974 and 1987’s teams, this might not be their worst team even.

[@dangeiger9796]

It doesn’t make the top 3

[@DogWarrior1010]

The elusive 28-3 dun dun dun!

[@petergray2712]

True fact: Charley Winner, who was named Cardinals head coach in 1966, is still alive as of 2024 at age 99. In spite of his name, he was mediocre as a head coach and did more as an assistant for Weeb Ewbank (Baltimore Colts) in the late 1950s and George Allen (Washington Redskins) in the early 1970s. Winner served in the Air Force during WW2, flying 17 missions on a B-17 before being shot down in late 1944 and spending six months in a German POW camp.

[@jamessimms415]

God Bless him. That in itself, is enough to give him a pass

[@gluserty]

Wow, that's amazing about Winner; it was ages ago (1998) when I read about him in the book on the Jets, "Gang Green (real good read). I guess Winner did alright with the Cardinals, but being Weeb Ewbank's son-in-law and an ailing Jets team (the 1970's were certainly the worst decade for the franchise) didn't help his cause. I'd say as a coach Winner was just another guy, but not a complete joke either. Again though, congrats on the long life, which is probably the most important thing.

[@davidfiddleman2312]

Well… you managed to make Norm Van Brocklin look like a good coach by comparison…

[@budwyzer77]

1966 Rookie of the Year MLB Tommy Nobis recorded 294 combined tackles in the Falcons' inaugural season. That's 21 tackles per game and still stands as an unofficial NFL record. You can only amass that total if you're a total badass and your team's defensive line *sucks* so unbelievably badly the other team can run at will.

[@youngdouglas6624]

The 1967 Atlanta Falcons Were a Dysfunctional Mess,,,,and not much has changed since.

[@EpicTyphlosionTV]

"Dysfunctional mess" can describe the early Falcons in general

[@wardsquidcirca1999]

The *Falcons in general

[@marcusmcgraw3519]

I don’t think the franchise has ever shed the dysfunctional label. They don’t deserve to have a title after 28-3

[@matthewdaley746]

Excise word early, unquestionably.

[@matthewdaley746]

​​​@@wardsquidcirca1999Atlanta Sports Teams, unquestionably.

[@matthewdaley746]

​@marcusmcgraw3519 Tampa Bay, probably won't win another SB after they kept Tom Brady for one season too long, hope they enjoyed the good times, the bad times are returning, that's that.

[@robd2721]

In Instant Replay, Packer Jerry Kramer mentions taking his wife to dinner with a Falcon coach, who was an old teammate, his wife, and Hecker, the night before the game--which would ordinarily be unthinkable. He added but because it was the Falcons, it was like, "so what?" !

[@marcusmcgraw3519]

This season is a good way to sum up the history of the Falcons

[@matthewdaley746]

2021 was the most important year for, Georgia Sports, it bought the area, at least, twenty years, which is good, because, while, the Bulldogs are likely going to be back, the Braves probably had their last moment in the sun.

[@vpolite1]

Hecker was also a coach under Bill Walsh at Stanford and with the 49ers. He has 4 SuperBowl rings.

[@chadwickwhite6107]

The Atlanta Falcons have ALWAYS been a DYSFUNCTIONAL MESS. They have NEVER KNOWN what is going ON!!!!

[@stephenholloway6893]

Incompetent is more like it.

[@timtebowsleftarm5368]

Let it go, JG9. Let it go. 🥶

[@mikemitchem4846]

Just another example of the lack luster Falcon franchise. Hey they once drafted John Wayne because the name sounded cool. Should have known they were doomed when the first Falcon mascot, in the first game, flew off and never returned.

[@CTubeMan]

This unofficial Official Jaguar Gator 9 historian will remind everyone you made a video about the bizarre start of the career of Randy Burke, another wide receiver who wore #84.

[@shackdaddy7106]

Norb Hecker was an assistant coach on the Green Bay Packers for Vince Lombardi. That’s why he got hired. And as undoubtedly, great as a coach as Vince Lombardi was. None of his assistants when given the chance to be head coach were any good. Same with Bill Belichick. That certainly is not the case with Andy Reid. Doug Pederson , John Harbaugh just name a few.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

Putrid Giants D indeed as that was the 501 point season-the first time an NFL defense exceeded the 500 mark in points given up.

[@petergray2712]

It happened during a fourteen game season as well. That's an average of over 35 ppg.

[@denniscatanese4846]

"...he had a lot to Vern." No, I'm not accepting that. Gotta do better.....lol.😂

[@David.M._1979]

After this week's draft I can say nothing's changed

[@tompiper1480]

This coach had no idea what he was doing. He made a dumb mistake

[@Revolver1701]

That’s my Falcons. We’re not like that now, though. We just signed Kirk Cousins Baby …

[@CTubeMan]

You Like That!

[@vince065us.2]

How were they in comparison to the Saints that year?

[@christopherbattle5161]

The 1967 Saints went 3-11-0. One of their 3 wins was over Atlanta, 27-24, on 26 November 1967.

[@cs1992]

Just think...on the other side of the world 400000+ soldiers toiling in the Asian jungle while the rest of America enjoys yet another NFL season.

[@randytracy1742]

The falcons in 1967 were bad all right-even their coach was stupid enough to cut this guy even though he did well in 1966! What a waste of manpower! 😅😅😅😊

[@brianchandler1966]

Not as bad as the 1977 Buccaneers

[@stephenholloway6893]

At least the Falcons won a game in 1966 3 in total, unlike Tampa 10 years later when they went winless. Yes in 67 The Falcons only won once but at least it was a win. Plus as of now The Falcons unlike Tampa didn't have a winless season which Tampa in 1976 went winless.

[@survivor5044]

Now I understand why LB Tommy Nobis was the only great player the Falcons ever had at that time.😂🏈

[@fallandbounce]

There's the possibility of a behind the scenes drug issue. It wasn't a talked about thing back then, and a coach wouldn't have brought that into the open. His career also came and went quickly, despite his talent.

[@Fireyninjadog]

Worst in points scored, points allowed, yards gained, and yards allowed. 20 years later, the falcons did all those things again in 1987. This team was abysmal. Randy Johnson was a wreck, and nobody other than Tommy nobis was good. Oh yeah, norb Hecker is your coach

[@classicrockbeagle]

Don't sleep on Tommy McDonald. The Falcons kept a Hall of Famer in him. At 33 years old.

[@bryantsteury8910]

The 2023 falcons mimic this apparently

[@eddiekulp1241]

Norb Hecker was an assistant under Lombardi , means they thought he was a good coach . Like Fears , Bengsten . They all bombed bad too

[@matthewdaley746]

Boy, why does that sound so familiar, I truly can't put my finger on it, but, there's definitely a time when that's happened recently.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

If you watch the Secret Base history of the Falcons, Rankin Smith wanted Lombardi to head to Atlanta to be their first coach. When he declined, Hecker got the job instead.

[@matthewdaley746]

​​​@@andrewpadaetz5549Result predictably disastrous, nasty.

[@robd2721]

Bill Austin as well.

[@matthewdaley746]

​​​@@robd2721Group was woefully inadequate.

[@AdamJ617]

Where was ISW?

[@beast1160]

It was just stupid!!!

[@ghhtdesfh]

Forget the sorry Falcons.

[@fortynights1513]

1967 Falcons were awful. And the Falcons also had 1974 and 1987’s teams who were nearly as bad.

[@dale6613]

You can't age several years in one season? You are obviously not a Cleveland Browns fan,sir.

[@matthewdaley746]

I aged several years during SB 52, I would have been physically ill if the Patriots had, b***s****ed, their way to another Championship, not, to mention, that with the recent retirements of, Jason Kelce, and, Fletcher Cox, the Eagles probably never win again, simple as that.