Arthur Smith appears to be coaching for his job during the next three weeks, and the loss to the 1-12 Panthers has triggered this argument over his job security.
Arthur Blank’s perspective on the problem hasn’t shifted. When asked about his head coach’s future, Blank stated, “We’re going to play these last three games; we’re going to play ’em to win ’em.” And we’ll see how the season goes from there. Obviously, this has not been the year we anticipated.”
Blank’s attitude hasn’t changed despite the Falcons’ overwhelming victory over the Colts. He’ll still postpone making a decision, at least publicly, until after the season.
It appears that Atlanta’s owner is hesitant to fire his head coach. He’s 81, doesn’t want to go through the arduous process of choosing a new head coach, and he actually likes Arthur Smith. Blank’s decision is influenced by these reasons, whether fans like it or not.
The locker room is another crucial aspect of all of this. The NFL is a results-driven organization, and Arthur Smith has clearly fallen short in that regard. But it’s evident how his teammates feel about him.
Falcons players adore playing for Arthur Smith, from benched quarterbacks to the most respected voices in the locker room. Calais Campbell has more clout in Atlanta than almost any other player, so when he says the team is fighting for its head coach, it has to ring true.
“Sometimes you can tell when the energy is bad in the locker room, you can tell change might be coming,” Campbell remarked. “We haven’t got that sensation. People will be sacked if they continue to lose games and fail to attain their goals. But we’re trying hard to demonstrate that we believe in him. I believe he is an excellent leader.”
It will come down to wins and losses, but if Arthur Blank is searching for any reason to keep Arthur Smith in Atlanta next year, the locker room’s unanimous support for the head coach is a strong one.
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