The NFL is a cutthroat business and results are expected rather immediately. Arthur Smith was given a pass for his first two seasons in Atlanta as the Falcons ate record-breaking dead cap hits following the departures of Julio Jones and Matt Ryan. However, things were expected to move in a positive direction in year three as the team got out from under all of that dead cap and invested it into the roster.
The Falcons have a team capable of making the postseason, especially in the putrid NFC South, but those dreams now seem to be crushed following a humiliating 9-7 defeat at the hands of the 1-12 Panthers. The positive improvements under Arthur Smith have been few and far between, and it looks like they are once again in line to finish 7-10, the exact same record they produced in Smith’s first two seasons. That’s simply not good enough, and now serious questions are beginning to arise about his future with the team.
Like most fans, I would have no problem letting Arthur Smith go after this disappointing season. He embarrassingly hitched his wagon to Desmond Ridder, failing to bring in legitimate competition for the starting QB job. That was his decision, and he very well could suffer the ultimate consequences at the end of the season. With that being said, I’m going to play a little devil’s advocate here and make the case why Arthur Blank should give Smith one more opportunity to right the ship.
Arthur Smith may not have been the solution this year, but he damn well wasn’t the biggest issue. That title belongs to Desmond Ridder, whose catastrophic turnovers in the red zone on a consistent basis proved too big to overcome. Some of the blame lies on the shoulders of Smith for trusting Ridder as the starter without bringing in worthwhile competition, but it would be nice to see what he could accomplish with an even average quarterback.
Firing Smith also likely won’t put the Falcons any closer to the postseason. If anything, it will be just another hurdle this team will have to overcome. A new coach will want to get his guys in the building. There will be tons of turnover across the board when it comes to coaches and players. Sometimes that can happen quickly and net better results, but it usually takes a couple of years to see the full picture. Do fans, and most importantly Arthur Blank, want to risk starting all over and missing the postseason for a couple of more seasons before knowing if the next coach is the right guy for the job?
That’s the risk the Falcons would be taking by pulling the plug on Smith after just three seasons.
There’s no question that changes need to be made around the building going into 2024. Smith could benefit from having a legitimate offensive coordinator, particularly one to help him with passing concepts. Bringing in a quarterbacks coach could also prove beneficial, and of course, a new quarterback as well. All of those things must take place, but they are easier to do with a familiar face in the building.
Arthur Smith may or may not be the right head coach in Atlanta, but I would argue that’s still up in the air. Waiting another year to see if he is may not be popular with fans, and Blank may be feeling impatient after six consecutive losing seasons, but it could be the safest bet for the organization. If the Falcons move on from Smith, and the next guy they hire isn’t the answer either, it could be years before the Falcons taste postseason football again.
Whatever the Falcons decide comes with a bit of risk; however, there’s a lot more to lose by firing Arthur Smith and hiring the wrong guy than there is by giving Smith one more chance with a better quarterback to right the ship.
—
Photo: Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.