Before the Falcons’ Week 14 loss to the Buccaneers, Jeremy Fowler reported that the only way Arthur Smith would be dismissed after the 2023 season would be if the Falcons had a “late season collapse.”
Atlanta would wind up squandering a golden opportunity to seize control of the division against Tampa Bay. However, the club’s postseason aspirations remained very much alive.
With a victory versus the 1-12 Panthers, the Falcons might still make the playoffs. That, however, did not occur. Smith’s team was defeated by Carolina, who did not score a touchdown.
Desmond Ridder was benched as a result, and supporters wondered what precisely a “late season collapse” entailed, given that losing to the weakest club in football practically ended their postseason prospects.
The Falcons then followed it up with the season’s most convincing win, a 29-10 thrashing of the Colts. Following that Week 16 triumph, Arthur Blank was said to be considering giving Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot the 2024 campaign.
But, as we’ve seen all season, Smith’s club looked drastically different the next week. The Falcons looked extremely bad on the road in Chicago against the Bears, fueling even more calls for Arthur Smith’s firing.
I always thought it was unlikely that he’d be dismissed because the players like him and the quarterback play has been poor on numerous occasions. Arthur Smtih, on the other hand, may be losing the locker room.
Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the team’s most respected veterans, reposted a message that read, “It’s crazy how little we saw Cordarrelle Patterson this year.” Arthur Smith never used him creatively and labeled him as “Joker” on the depth chart. The joke was on us all.”
Miles Garrett of Fox 5 saw and tweeted a screenshot of the retweet, to which Patterson replied, “Should I be happy?”
Nobody likes it when the Falcons lose, but seeing the locker room repeatedly rally behind Arthur Smith made me believe he’d be back next year. I’m not so sure anymore.
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