NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Following Atlanta’s second-half collapse against the

rival Saints on Sunday, embattled Falcons coach Arthur Smith had

opportunities to make a public case for his retention.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — After Atlanta’s embarrassing loss to the rival Saints in

the second half on Sunday, faltering Falcons coach Arthur Smith had the chance to publicly defend his job.

He was unwilling to talk about it.

The Falcons had a slim shot of winning the miserable NFC South going into their game against the Saints, but they were

outscored 31-0 after the break and lost 48-17 to finish 7-10 for the third time in

head coach Adam Smith’s three-year career.

“I understand the questions and appreciate them, but we just finished the

game,” he said. “Obviously it wasn’t what we needed today. The second half got out of hand. Credit to New Orleans.”

Everything went wrong for Atlanta from the first series of the third quarter.

Quarterback Desmond Ridder threw an interception right to cornerback Alontae

Taylor, who returned it to the Falcons’ 25. Saints receiver Chris Olave then

caught a touchdown pass he tipped twice before grabbing in the end zone despite

tight coverage from cornerback Clark Phillips.

“Obviously the pick didn’t help,” said Ridder, who started for the Falcons after

Taylor Heinicke was a game-day scratch because of an ankle injury.

“I never saw the corner on the out route. I’ve got to be able to check the ball down

there,” Ridder explained. “That’s kind of where you felt the momentum switch.”

The next series, the Falcons decided to go for a deep ball and found themselves

with a third-and-1 at their 34. In an attempt to force a punt after an

incomplete throw, Ridder threw into double coverage.

After safety Richie Grant was outjumped by receiver Rashid Shaheed on a 39-yard

pass, the Saints answered with a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.

“Hindsight’s 20-20,” Smith said. “Clearly that was a big momentum shift. We took

a risk. It didn’t work. They took advantage of it.”

The Falcons drove to a third-and-goal inside the Saints 1 on their next possession, but running back Cordarelle

Patterson was stuffed for a 1-yard loss out of the shotgun and safety Ugo Amadi

undercut Bijan Robinson to break up a fourth-down pass at the goal line.

New Orleans then drove 92 yards before Blake Grupe’s 24-yard field goal with 9:57 left made the score 34-17.

Atlanta, which scored touchdowns on its first two series, managed only a 30-yard

field goal by Younghoo Kim on the last play of the first half during its last 11 possessions.

The Atlanta defense was on the field for 20:09 in the first half and could not slow down the Saints in the second half.

“We didn’t have the ball very long,” Smith said. “The defense was out there for a long time.”

The question now is whether Smith will keep his job after the Falcons started 2-0 but lost 10 of their next 15 games.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank attended Smith’s postgame session with reporters

but did not comment on the coach’s status.

Atlanta’s season could not have been prolonged, not even with a win. When

Tampa Bay defeated Carolina in the fourth quarter, they were eliminated from the playoff race.

“In the end, I would really like to see coach (Smith) return,” stated Ridder, who had 12 touchdown passes and 12

interceptions in his final campaign. “I wish everyone could return, but in the

end, neither the coach nor I have any control over that.”

Tied for the third-longest streak in the NFL, Atlanta has missed the playoffs six times in a row. Only two other clubs

(Carolina and the New York Jets) have lost 10 or more games in a row during

the past three, which Smith is to blame for.

“I’m positive there are a handful of unanswered questions, according to

safety Jessie Bates. “We placed ourselves in this particular situation.”