Latest news:Falcons beat reporter seems convinced Arthur Smith is out
|Falcons beat writer seems convinced Arthur Smith is out in Atlanta
The standing of Arthur Smith, the head coach of the Falcons, would vary
depending on five different people you questioned.
Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot are probably safe, according to
Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network before the team’s game in Chicago on Sunday.
Heading into Year 4, Smith could be in good standing if Atlanta concludes with
strong performances in its last two games. The 81-year-old owner of the
Falcons might think otherwise if it’s a freefall.
Similar to Smith, general manager Terry Fontenot seems to be in a stable place
right now after leading the significant roster and cap revamp.
It was Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post who, after yet another
horrible performance, hinted that Arthur Blank might fire Arthur Smith this summer.
Anything less than a dismissal would be unexpected. Owner Arthur Blank is not a huge fan of Coach Arthur Smith’s work,
and many people who were in the vicinity of Blank during the most recent league meetings believed that a coaching
search would soon begin. The quarterback rotation hasn’t helped, nor
has Smith’s string of agonizing defeats since then.
Anything La Canfora reported, I would consider suspect. Despite his notoriety in
the community for fabricating reports, he does have sources. Two general
managers think Arthur Smith’s demise is already predetermined.
The first GM declared, “I don’t care what anybody writes—Arthur Smith isn’t safe.” “He will stay there for another week.”
They can’t sell tickets, dude, stated the other general manager. They are unable
to score even with all these first-round picks on the offensive end. He must alter
his behavior. Arthur Smith is no longer able to be sold.”
Soon after, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expressed his opinion that Smith was safe—at least, that’s what the players in
the league think—and added that Blank doesn’t “want” to move, but that may
change depending on how the season develops.
Though losing four of the last five games to end the season would not be ideal, and
the fan base seems on edge, I’ve spoken with several people across the league
who believe Arthur Smith is safe, or at least Atlanta doesn’t want to make a
move. Smith has never had the quarterback in Atlanta, so it could be
wise to give him another year to find the proper one.
Mike Garafolo then stated that Arthur Smith is operating on the thinnest of foundations.
It revolves around the league, back and forth. There’s a lot of conjecture
surrounding the Falcons, but that’s all it appears to be. Other than La Canfora
receiving quotations from GMs, they are opinions.
In all honesty, only Arthur Blank knows, and I venture to say that neither a victory nor a defeat on Sunday will alter
his perspective. The owner of the Falcons, if I had to guess, will allow
Smith another season to establish himself.
Blank has never been one to jump the gun; in fact, it’s been the opposite since
he bought the franchise. He’s hung on too long. Moreover, nobody can deny the
poor quarterback play that Arthur Smith has dealt with.
Granted, he hand picked Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke, but how could anyone confuse
them with a competent quarterback? I believe the position is the single biggest
factor in Atlanta’s shortcomings this year.
No, Smith isn’t free of blame. He should hire a pass game coordinator and delegate some personnel decisions to
Terry Fontenot if he hasn’t already. With that being said, there are only a few
offensive head coaches that could make Ridder look like a franchise quarterback.
I’d understand Blank’s decision either way because Smith has fallen short of
expectations, especially with the offense. Underutilizing three top 10 draft picks and an inconsistent scoring output is
unacceptable for a guy who was hired for his offensive acumen.
Those are just my feelings, though. You know what they say about opinions, and
one Falcons beat writer seems convinced Arthur Smith will be ousted this offseason.
The Falcons appear to need to qualify for the postseason and go on a tear right
now. Smith might be saved by nothing less than a trip to the NFC Championship
game, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Although D Led is the closest person to the scene, he is not reporting anything. D Led’s reasoning is that a trip to the
conference championship game is nearly unattainable and a postseason berth
appears implausible, which would result in Arthur Smith losing his job.