Is it better to continue with Arthur Smith? Over the coming weeks, Terry Fontenot and the front office of the Atlanta Falcons, led by owner Arthur Blank, will need to consider this topic.
Whether or not Smith is given a fourth season as head coach of the Falcons will undoubtedly be greatly influenced by the result of Atlanta’s crucial Week 18 game against the New Orleans Saints. Surprisingly, despite leading the team to a 21-29 record over the course of three seasons, they are still in contention for the NFC South division title and a playoff berth.
Some could argue that Smith has fared better than anticipated in Atlanta, particularly in light of the caliber of their quarterback room since he moved to the area. Not exactly a winning combination—36-year-old Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, and Desmond Ridder.
Has Smith had enough resources at his disposal? That is debatable and probably will be discussed extensively when deciding whether or not to continue on.It’s widely believed that Blank admires and loves Smith as a head coach, but in the NFL, performance is what matters most.
The Falcons have apparently already begun to dip a toe in the coaching candidate pool this offseason, as they are still undecided about their head coaching search.
The idea is that this way, when Atlanta’s season ends, at least, they’ll be ready to move, should they decide to part ways with Smith. The good news is that the Falcons have no shortage of quality options; the challenge now lies in evaluating which of them can outperform Smith.
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