The Falcons were one of only two teams during the 2012 season to accomplish one important task. They joined the Denver Broncos in an exclusive club of teams that finished in the top seven in the league in scoring on offense and defense. Atlanta's 26.2 points per game on offense this season ranked seventh in the league and their 18.7 points allowed on defense was good enough for fifth.
The Broncos finished just ahead of Atlanta's defense, allowing 18.1 points per game, fourth in the league. Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago rounded out the top 1-3. On the offensive side, only the Giants, Green Bay, Washington, New Orleans, Denver and New England finished in front of them, with the Patriots at No. 1 and the Broncos at No. 2.
Each side of the ball for the Falcons also gave their new coordinators one of the best seasons of their careers. Mike Nolan was added on defense and Dirk Koetter joined the team to man the offense during last offseason. For Nolan, the 2012 season was the 15th as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. The 2012 season ended as the second-best finish of a Nolan defense in his career. As the Giants' defensive coordinator in 1993, he directed a defense that allowed an average 12.8 points per game.
After five seasons as the offensive coordinator in Jacksonville, Koetter joined Atlanta's offense, with the expectation that he'd take a really good offense to the next level. Finishing in the top 10 in the league is a sign that he did that and it was the second-best end-of-season ranking he achieved as an offensive coordinator.
In his first season with Jacksonville, his offense finished sixth in the league in points scored with 25.7. Although the finish was lower than in 2007 in the league, Koetter's Falcons' offense's 26.2 points per game this season was the highest of his career.
