How many division titles have the Atlanta Falcons won?

Winning your division not only guarantees you a spot in the NFL postseason but it also gives you ultimate bragging rights over your divisional rivals, something the Falcons have not had in quite some time now.

It is a given that Falcons fans hate Saints fans and vice versa. The times Atlanta has won the division it has opened up the door for way more trash-talking from Falcons fans, but how many times have they during their history?

The Falcons do not have the greatest history when it comes to division titles

The Atlanta Falcons’ inaugural seasons came in 1966 and for a long while they struggled to win games. In their first 14 seasons as a franchise, they only managed to win more than seven games twice and they finished third or lower in their division ten times.

1980 was the first season they were able to win their division and they were in the NFC West. They beat out the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the New Orleans Saints.

They would then again take home the NFC West crown in 1982 in a shortened season due to a player strike. Each team that year only played nine regular-season games

While they won their first two division titles in the span of three years, it would be a long time before they captured their third, which came in 1998. By this time the divisions had been switched up a little as they beat out the 49ers, Saints, Panthers, and St. Louis Rams in the NFC West.

The next title came in 2004, and this time they were in the division we know now—the NFC South. This obviously means they beat out the Saints, Panthers, and Buccaneers.

The Falcons have since placed atop the NFC South three times, those years being 2010, 2012, and 2016.

Atlanta is tied with Tampa Bay for the least amount of NFC South division titles with four, followed by the Panthers with five, and the Saints with seven. If there is a silver lining it is that the Falcons have the most wild card playoff berths with three, for whatever that is worth.

So in total, the Atlanta Falcons have won seven division titles in their history, three in the NFC West and four in the NFC South.

Here is a quick look at the years they won the division crown, in which division, and what their record was:

• 1980 | NFC West | 12-4
• 1982 | NFC West | 5-4
• 1998 | NFC West | 14-2
• 2004 | NFC South | 11-5
• 2010 | NFC South | 13-3
• 2012 | NFC South | 13-3
• 2016 | NFC South | 11-5

The Falcons have now gone five straight seasons without winning their division, and it would take a miracle for it to not extend to six straight. That being said, you can see how this team is going to take shape over the next few years, and who knows maybe they will dominate the NFC South for many years in the near future.