The Falcons’ final three games will center on Arthur Smith, and Arthur Blank recently added fuel to the fire with his non-committal remarks about Smith’s job status in 2024. All indications point to Smith coaching for a job. His future with the organization will most likely be determined by how the team responds.
Most Falcons fans, understandably, are looking forward to the day Arthur Smith is fired. Fans should never be satisfied with mediocrity, and Smith has delivered nothing more than that since taking over as head coach, despite significant offseason roster investments. Many insiders and others close to the organization, however, are skeptical that these will be Smith’s final three games as head coach in Atlanta. Like NFL insider Albert Breer, who was recently interviewed on the Rich Eisen Show about the Falcons’ head coach.
“First of all, I think Arthur [Smith] is like a really, really bright coach, and I think he’s going to find success as a head coach somewhere in the NFL, whether it’s Atlanta or somewhere else, and I think Arthur Blank knows that,” he said. “The issue is how they messed up the quarterback position, to call it what it is.” Outside of the quarterback, I think that’s a pretty good team.”
Arthur Smith has made numerous mistakes since taking over as head coach, but there is a learning curve, just as there is for rookies entering the league. He clearly connects with the players, who have stuck by their head coach despite the results. His run game concepts are also brilliant, but it’s difficult to forget how badly Smith and the rest of the organization messed up the quarterback position.
Putting a third-round pick into the most important position in sports is absurd. Nobody should be surprised if Smith is filling out job applications at the end of the season, because he made this bed, and now he has to lie in it. It’s also more complicated than just the decision to begin Desmond Ridder.
In Smith’s first season, the Falcons kept an aging Matt Ryan instead of ripping the band-aid off. They then pursued Deshaun Watson, only to be outbid by the Cleveland Browns, forcing them to pivot to Marcus Mariota. Then, rather than seeing what they truly had in Ridder last season, they chose to start Mariota, who was terrible, for 13 games, leaving Ridder’s potential somewhat unknown.
This time last year, the Falcons could have easily realized what they had in Ridder. Instead, they gave him the first job with no competition. To say the Falcons have failed at quarterback since Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot took over is an understatement. For three years in a row, the thought process has been short-sighted and inept, and there’s no reason to believe they’ll get it right this offseason if given another chance.
Like Breer, I believe Arthur Smith has the potential to be a great head coach in this league, but it’s also abundantly clear that his views on the quarterback position should not be taken into account. If he is to stay in Atlanta, someone else must take the wheel when it comes to selecting the Falcons’ next quarterback.
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