The 2014 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League and the seventh under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons were defeated by the Carolina Panthers in week 17, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second straight year. As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record. The 2014 Atlanta Falcons were featured on the HBO documentary series Hard Knocks. As of 2022, the only member of the 2014 squad still a Falcon is Jake Matthews.