Arthur Smith and the Atlanta Falcons are coming off a disastrous 9-7 loss to the previously one-win Carolina Panthers in Week 15.
Atlanta entered the game at 6-7 and tied for first place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. Both division rivals won with the Falcons falling to the worst team in the NFL.
According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, there are “sentiments of dismay” surrounding Smith as the Falcons prepare for their Week 16 outing against the Indianapolis Colts.
With consecutive losses to division opponents and looking at another losing season, Falcons owner Arthur Blank also failed to commit to Smith beyond the next three games.
“We will let the season play out and go from there. Obviously, this has not been the kind of year we expected,” Blank said of Smith, via Jeff Hullinger of Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Blank continued to note that the playoffs were not a requirement heading into the season for Smith to keep his job. However, he wanted the team to be more competitive. “I think through this part of the season, it’s been mixed, quite honestly,” Blank said.
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Blank is among the most loyal owners in the NFL. For many, he held on to Dan Quinn too long before firing the Super Bowl head coach and replacing him with Smith ahead of the 2021 season. The fact that he didn’t give Smith a vote of confidence is telling.
It’s also not too surprising. Smith posted consecutive 7-10 seasons to open his career as the Falcons’ head coach. The team could very well be headed in that very same direction once the 2023 campaign comes to an end.
The largest issue here has been Smith’s inability to get anything out of the quarterback position. Whether that’s any fault of his own remains to be seen. His career in Atlanta started with a watered-down version of Matt Ryan in 2021.
A third-round pick in 2022, Desmond Ridder split time with Marcus Mariota as a rookie. Heading into Week 16, Ridder has been benched for a second time in favor of veteran journeyman Taylor Heinicke.
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It has pretty much been the definition of quarterback purgatory in Atlanta under Smith. Given that he earned his stripes as an offensive mind with the Tennessee Titans, that doesn’t paint Smith in the best of lights.
The blame could be placed on general manager Terry Fontenot, too. He has not done Arthur Smith any favors in this regard, potentially leading to Blank completely cleaning house.
After hosting Indianapolis this week, the Falcons visit the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints to close up shop before decisions will be made.