AP CHARLOTTE, N.C. After the Atlanta Falcons lost to the poorest team in the NFL on Sunday, squandering a lead, Arthur Smith’s job security is in doubt.
Eddy Pineiro’s game-winning field goal with seconds remaining sent the Falcons into an early, if not embarrassing, 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers (2-12), eliminating them from a three-way tie for first place in the NFC South with Tampa Bay and New Orleans.
The Falcons were the only team in the division eight days ago.
However, the Falcons are in a risky situation after suffering costly back-to-back losses to division rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina. With three games left, they are one game behind the Buccaneers and Saints.
To get to 7-7 on Sunday, both Tampa Bay and New Orleans emerged victorious.
The Falcons, who finished 7-10 in Smith’s first two seasons, are 6-8 this year, sparking rumors that owner Arthur Blank would make a move if the team misses the playoffs.
“These are reasonable questions because there are repercussions when you lose,” Smith stated at a press conference held after the game. “All right, NFL 101. Winning games is the job.
“Nothing like the State of the Union,” he said in response to the question of whether he has been briefed about his future. You go in there every day and do your best work at your job. Then we only focus on getting better and attempting to win games.
This season, three NFL head coaches have already lost their jobs: Chargers’ Brandon Staley, Panthers’ Frank Reich, and Raiders’ Josh McDaniels.
Smith declared that he is very confident in himself and that he won’t give up on his team.
“Your objective is to secure a spot in the playoffs by winning games,” stated Smith. “That is still our opportunity.”
Going forward, Smith may decide to switch quarterbacks once more.
When asked directly if Desmond Ridder, who cost the team a game-winning interception with 7 1/2 minutes left, would start against the Indianapolis Colts the next week, he remained evasive.
“Nothing is set in stone,” Smith stated, adding that the group will keep assessing the situation.
Earlier in the season, Smith benched Ridder in favor of Taylor Heinicke, but he later switched back to the third-round pick in 2022.
Regarding his personnel plans, Smith stated, “Make sure we have the right plan and make the right decision that’s in the best interest of this team to get back in the win column.”
Smith cited Ridder and running back Bijan Robinson’s errors in the second half, which resulted in two field goals, as a major factor in the defeat. Following his blunder, Robinson—the team’s first-round draft selection—saw little playing time.
“It’s obvious that turnovers hurt us the most,” Smith stated. The NFL won’t see a shift in that. You might criticize a lot of things, yet they still harm us.
The Falcons play their final two games of the season away, in Chicago and New Orleans, following their Christmas Eve home game against the Colts.
“A lot changes in eight days when you’re coming off two close losses like that in the division,” Smith remarked. However, there are still three left. We must figure something out. There are many things going on. We subjected ourselves to it. We must return there and figure out how to defeat Indianapolis.
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