It may seem like eons ago now, but the Atlanta Falcons have at least seen the top of the NFL mountain twice before in franchise history. In 2016, they dominated the playoff field right up until the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl - and should have gone all the way if not for an all-time collapse.
That team may have been the best in franchise history, but according to CBS Sports, the greatest win in team history belongs to the 1998 squad that stunned the 15-1 Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game.
"...Trailing 27-20, the Falcons caught a break when Vikings kicker Gary Anderson, who did not miss a field goal during the regular season, missed a 38-yard attempt with 2:07 left. Atlanta capitalized on Anderson's miss, as Chris Chandler hit
Terance Mathis for the game-tying touchdown with 57 seconds left in regulation. The teams exchanged punts in overtime before two Chandler completions to tight end O.J. Santiago and two runs by Jamal Anderson set up Morton Andersen's game-winning, 38-yard kick."
It's hard to argue that there's been a more-satisfying win for the Falcons in their history - but we'd still argue that the 2016 squad led by MVP quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive wunderkind Kyle Shanahan was the best team they've ever fielded.
Tom Brady's comeback may seem inevitable now, but it took a lot of bad luck for the Falcons to lead to the dreaded 28-3 memes that are still making the rounds, today.
Injuries up front to two of their key offensive linemen were the biggest blows - but even so Atlanta probably would have come out on top if Shanahan had just called 2-3 more run plays in the second half - even if they'd gone backwards. The Patriots simply wouldn't have had the time to complete their comeback as the clock ran out on them.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Analyst names greatest win in Falcons franchise history
