While Smith’s firing isn’t at all surprising, the timing says it’s been on the Falcons’ and owner Arthur Blank’s mind for a while. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, losing four of the last five games to close the season led the team in a “different direction.”
In a statement, Blank said the tough decision to fire a head coach is “never easy.”
“We have profound respect for coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years,” said Blank via Adam Schefter of ESPN. “He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.”
On Sunday, Smith and the Falcons dropped an embarrassing 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the finale, which couldn’t have helped Smith’s cause. Nevertheless, after three straight 7-10 finishes, the franchise wasn’t inclined to offer him a fourth year.
The Falcons brought Smith aboard after he helped mold the Tennessee Titans offense into the fourth-ranked unit (29.6 PPG) in 2020. However, the success failed to follow him to Atlanta, where the offense never ranked higher than 15th in points per game, finishing 26th (18.9) this season.
After an up-and-down first year in QB Matt Ryan’s last with the franchise, Smith could not create a consistent and potent offense with Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinicke and 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder.
While it’s fair to say Smith didn’t have the best crop of pass throwers to work with, four came and went without much of a change to the scheme or plan of attack.
Furthermore, weapons like running back Bijan Robinson, wideout Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts weren’t as large a part of the offense as many believed they should be, which is another knock on the now-former head coach.
Overall, the Falcons went 21-29 with zero playoff appearances through three seasons under Smith. Whether or not the quick trigger on his firing means the team will investigate the potential big fish head coaching candidates rumored to be available, like Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh or New England Patriots future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick, remains to be seen.
However, one thing is clear: 2024 will begin a new era for the dirty birds.
