Things aren’t going well for Arthur Smith and the Falcons. After losing to the lowly Cardinals on Sunday, the Falcons have now dropped three-straight games and six of their last eight. This has naturally led to some questions surrounding the head coach’s job security.
Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post opines that the Falcons will move on from Smith following the 2023 season. The reporter cites a rival general manager who believes Atlanta will look to make a change during the offseason.
“I think they’re making a change,” the GM told La Canfora. “This is Year 3, when you’re supposed to show something. [Owner] Arthur Blank isn’t getting any younger. …
“They can’t throw the ball downfield, they don’t have a starting quarterback, they took the running back way too high. [Smith] is a great guy, but he got hired to be a quarterback guy and they have all these top-10 picks and they can’t do anything with them. Somebody in the NFC South is going to save their job by winning the division, but I don’t think it’s him.”
Smith was expected to revamp the offense when he was hired as Falcons head coach in 2021. The team finished with identical 7-10 records in both 2021 and 2022, but it was the current 2023 campaign that was intended to be Atlanta’s breakout season.
Instead, the offense has continued to struggle. Desmond Ridder was inconsistent under center to begin the season, and replacement Taylor Heinicke didn’t fare much better. Further, the Falcons have invested significant draft capital into offensive players like running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, and wide receiver Drake London. Despite all three of those players being selected in the top-10 of their respective drafts, the trio has combined for only seven touchdowns this season. Smith has his fingerprints on the entire roster, and assuming the Falcons fail to make the playoffs, the head coach will surely find himself on the hot seat.
However, there may be hope for Smith in Atlanta. Jeff Schultz of The Athletic reports that Blank has been supportive of his head coach behind the scenes. While the owner previously indicated that he wanted to see progress from his squad in 2023, Schultz writes that this doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a change on the sideline. In fact, Schultz opines that the only way Smith loses his job is if his squad completely unravels or tunes the coach out.
For what it’s worth, Smith isn’t overly concerned about his job status. The coach told Schultz that he understands the criticism but isn’t paying much attention to the headlines.
“I’m an old lineman — I’m used to getting my ass ripped,” he told The Athletic. “In the old days, it was just you writing a column. Now there’s 7,000 forums for outrage. I get it. But you can’t worry about everything around you, things you can’t control. Like I said earlier, if you’re worried about that stuff, don’t sign up for professional sports.”
About time. He wastes Pitts & London
and now Bijan!
They don’t have a decent QB.
Perhaps the head coach with the arrogance of Belichick but the success of Urban Meyer to go along with the most punchable face in all of football should try actually using the skill players he drafted so high instead of messing around with total nonsense like running TE sweeps at the goal line with Jonnu Smith.
We’ll said.
Well said.
We need a really good offensive coordinator.
Dumpster fire. Drafting Bijon was not a good choice, not that he is a bad player, he is underutilized and with so many other needs….well.
it’s not a bad choice to draft Bijan, it’s bad not to use him and make the offense revolve around him.
They’re bad, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say “dumpster fire” just yet. I think we’re a bit quick to use that term.
The Falcons are starting a third rounder at quarterback right now, which isn’t usually a good thing. Smith also has never been a “quarterback guy” as the source supposedly alleged. He’s been a run game guy through and through. Robinson’s lack of use (which possibly could be preservation related; the guy ran continuously at Texas) is more concerning in that light. You do think that improved quarterback play should help Atlanta, but the real issue is that their philosophy really is to not ask the quarterback to do as much to begin with. That’s what Smith did in Tennessee-a lot of play-action and running. So I personally would be more concerned about the run game not being up to snuff, but it is also the first year with Ridder running the offense, so quarterback play could be a part of it.
And, to be fair, Ridder’s had his moments, and sometimes looks comfortable being a game manager, but he doesn’t (at least not now) offer enough ceiling to push it when necessary. Will Smith get a chance with another QB?
3 first round picks at skill positions and the offensive is cheeks.
Atlanta (and Desmond Ridder) has certainly failed to show progress this year, but I don’t think Smith has anything to worry about at the moment.
Other than an aging and agitated owner who wants to win the big game before he dies. That’s a pretty big concern for a poor coach
Lots of criticism about 3 first round draft picks on a 53 man roster, verwy interesting!
Honestly he hasn’t had much of Choices when it comes to QB. 2021 Pitts 4th overall. Lawrence went 1, Wilson 2 and lance 3: jags were never trading 1 Wilson and lance disasters avoided.
2022 8 th london, pickets was first qb taken in late teens.
2023 young stroud Richardson. Bijan 8th overall. Young has struggled. Richardson hurt.
The only guy they could of attempted to draft and move up for is stroud. Anything else is the same result as now.
Maybe sign cArr this off-season or trade for Watson
But it seems this was arthur smiths fate always
I agree. They certainly could improve, but there weren’t a wealth of choices for Atlanta at that spot, and what was left would have involved a trade up for a questionable asset or a huge exchange of capitol for a guy who may have not had the same success.
That’s not to say that Ridder has been the cause for all of their issues, by the way. I don’t completely understand Robinson’s use strategy, though I have a few guesses. Bottom line , I think that the team could improve still under Smith with new quarterback play, but I do see why Atlanta would want to make a change.
I think if smith used bijan how he should be it would be different. But it has to be infuriating to the owner to see. Last week bijan was allowed to work. It is possible
The owner and Arthur smith are in agreement they don’t want to run bijan into the ground with looking toward next year when they get a QB.
I agree. It’s strange looking at Bihan’s early usage versus now. I’m not saying that they should run him into the ground, but his impact was great when efficiently used.
anyone named arthur smith has probably had a rough life, in an alternate universe he’s likely selling life insurance or working the drive up window at the local tobacco super store
I don’t follow the Falcons closely enough to know if Arthur Smith is capable or not but he’s certainly the victim of bad timing. Georgia Bulldogs have a collegiate championship and the Atlanta Braves are recent MLB champions. That puts pressure on him to succeed as well and perhaps the expectations are a bit unrealistic.
The only “bad timing” comes from Dumb Sports Fans that think one sport equals another. Atlanta’s only a game out of first in the NFC South, already has a win over Tampa Bay, and has yet to play New Orleans.
I can understand a Jets fan being incapable of comparing the performances of various sports teams in a particular market…but most fans do that on a regular basis.
I’ll take a step back for objectivity and say give him another season with Shedeur under Center
Shadeur is not coming out this year he makes to much NIL
You’re probably corrrrrect!
He may under use the guys we think he should use….but this guy needs a quarterback, I don’t know where he’s gonna get one, seems to be half the teams in the NFL still looking, teams are paying huge for mediocrity, time to reinforce the running game and set up passes to safety valves like Pitts
Does Atlanta have the space to go after Kirk “Captain Play Action” Cousins? They definitely have the players for success