ESPN REPORT: The head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is fired because of…
Atlanta Owner of the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank, stated in August that he would be dissatisfied if his club did not improve and was not more competitive in 2023. There was just too much of the same content that Blank saw all season long.
Thus, with a postseason berth at stake following a 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Blank made the decision to make a change and fired coach Arthur Smith after three seasons on Sunday night.
For the usually patient Blank, who gave three seasons to Jim Mora Jr., seven to Mike Smith, and more than five to Dan Quinn, it was a somewhat abrupt change of events. The distinction is that in their first or second seasons as head coaches, all three of those coaches qualified for the playoffs.
Due to salary cap restrictions, Arthur Smith’s circumstances upon taking over differed from those of his three predecessors, although he also never concluded a season with a winning record or qualified for the postseason. Atlanta is now starting to look for a coach.
Why was Smith fired?
During Smith’s leadership, the Falcons lacked consistency. Under Smith, Atlanta never won more than two straight games, and his final two seasons saw at least a three-game losing run.
Smith was asked how to maintain the excitement after the Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints in December, ending a three-game losing streak. In the process, he essentially summed up his term.
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“Yes, consistency,” Smith responded. The largest weekly challenge is that. We need to do it in order for us to go forward. Play consistently and with the same intensity and focus that you did in the previous week.”
And quarterback play has a big role in all of this. In his three seasons, Smith started four quarterbacks: Matt Ryan in 2021, Desmond Ridder and Marcus Mariota in 2022, and Ridder and Taylor Heinicke this year. Maybe Smith’s downfall came from the choice to start Ridder and Ridder’s tendency to make crucial errors and turnovers.
After spending two offseasons fixing it up, Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot were hired in an excellent cap scenario. For the first time, Smith and Fontenot had a squad primarily composed of guys they wanted this season. Neither the record nor the quarterback position indicated improvement.
Smith occasionally made dubious decisions and called plays. In Week 15, he adopted an overly cautious game plan against the Carolina Panthers, a team that had only won one game. It was a choice that endangered Atlanta’s chances of making the playoffs and contributed to their 9-7 loss to the Panthers.
Despite having one of the easier schedules in the NFL, Atlanta was unable to capitalize on it. The Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, and Tennessee Titans—all of whom ended in the bottom 10—were the teams the Falcons lost to.
Offensive coordinator Dave Ragone stated, “When you go about there, there’s been times in games where we’ve looked obviously good.” “And there’s been times where we’ve had issues.”
Ragone highlighted two areas of inconsistency on offense: the Falcons’ third-down conversion rate (40%) and turnover rate (28), both of which were tied for 24th, and their third-down efficiency (28 turnovers) were 13th.
What’s going on in the changing room?
Falcons players frequently supported Smith when concerns about his job surfaced toward the end of the season, giving the impression that they actually enjoyed playing for him. Everyone agreed that they valued the way he treated them as teammates and the way he handled responsibility.
Right tackle Jake Matthews stated on December 17 that “I believe in what he stands for and what we’re trying to do here.” “And I’m absolutely bought in.”
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They continued to support their coach despite the season-ending blowout loss against the Saints. A number of players stated that they hoped the coaching staff will return in 2024 and that the problems weren’t with them.
Players responded favorably to Smith’s frequent and public preaching of the idea of shared accountability. Up to the last few days, the locker room remained intact. After the last practice day, Smith even participated in a quick basketball hoop shootaround with the teammates in the locker room.
According to right guard Chris Lindstrom, “Coach Smith is the best coach I’ve ever had,” he told ESPN on Sunday. “I absolutely f—ing love him, and I think this group and this team does as well.”
Although cash is a major factor in luring free agents, Atlanta’s belief in Smith’s development contributed to their success in acquiring highly sought-after players this summer, including defensive end Calais Campbell and safety Jessie Bates III.
Why then did it fail?
The quarterback is first in line.
At the end of the 2022 season, Ridder played four games before taking the starting position in 2023. He displayed glimpses of promise tainted by clumsy mistakes and premature interceptions, which finally resulted in a switch-up between Ridder and Heinicke, who had starting experience in Washington.
Even though Smith’s hire of defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and an offseason personnel overhaul mainly addressed the defensive issues that plagued the team in Smith’s first two seasons, the quarterback position was not the only problem. There were other offensive factors as well.
For each brilliant play that Smith conceived, for instance, there was a choice of whether to run in a third-and-long or to pass the ball to someone other than one of his stars in pivotal moments.
Ultimately, Smith’s unfulfilled tenure stems from his quarterbacking problems.
