It was just eight years ago that the Atlanta Falcons produced the worst Super Bowl choke job ever. The team infamously led Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 28-3 late in the third quarter before allowing the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. The Patriots scored 31 unanswered points and the Falcons blew their chance to win the team’s first championship.

Needless to say, Falcons fans don’t love to be reminded of Super Bowl 51. They can’t help it if Brady decides to troll the team during NFL broadcasts. But they’d probably appreciate it if Atlanta’s own social media team could refrain from referencing the 28-3 nightmare.

But that, apparently, was asking too much as the Falcons posted a photo to social media sure to send shivers down fans’ spines before realizing their mistake and quickly deleting the post, via reddit.

This seemingly harmless publicity shot of safety Jessie Bates and cornerback Mike Ford was actually posted on the Falcons’ official X account. The issue is that Bates wears number 3 and the newly signed Ford wears number 28. So when they’re standing together, they become an instant 28-3 reminder.

Falcons opt to promote team with glaring reminder of franchise low point

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And Atlanta did this to itself. Someone on the Falcons’ social media team failed to see anything wrong with these two numbers being associated with the franchise. They can’t even pretend they were attempting to reclaim the 28-3 debacle for a new era of Falcons football because as soon as fans called them out on the ill-conceived post, they deleted it.

The unwelcome reminder must be particularly hard for former Atlanta wideout Julio Jones. The Falcons great had just opened up about how he’s still haunted by the team’s loss in Super Bowl 51 on his Legacy Locker Room podcast. And as he acknowledged that the wounds were still fresh from the harrowing defeat, the Falcons social team poured salt in them with their oblivious 28-3 self-own.

Oh, and Atlanta is allowing 2025 first-round pick Jalon Walker to wear Jones’ number 11, which really probably should be retired by the franchise. So Jones might need a hug at this point.