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.