The Atlanta Falcons have been having discussions about the future of coach Arthur Smith but the decision has been made as Smith was fired on Sunday night heading into Black Monday. Smith was 21-30 over the course of three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons and they failed to make a postseason in any of those seasons.
BREAKING: The #Falcons have fired HC Arthur Smith after three seasons, per @AdamSchefter. He was 21-30 in three years. pic.twitter.com/SQ1yz1kKwR
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 8, 2024
This does not come as too much of a surprise as the Falcons reportedly were discussing the possibility of this happening since the 9-7 loss against the Carolina Panthers a few weeks ago. Despite drafting offense in the first round of each three seasons, the Falcons were unable to get going offensively as they were 26th in the league with 18.9 points per game.
It is going to be interesting to see the direction that the Falcons go after having Arthur Smith for the previous three seasons. This franchise has a lot of talent on both sides of the football and with the eighth pick in the 2024 NFL draft, they can be one of the teams that selects a quarterback to correct the woes since Matt Ryan left.
How far are the Atlanta Falcons from being a playoff team in 2024?
The Atlanta Falcons almost made the playoffs this season as they were technically alive until Week 18. The thing that seemingly cost Arthur Smith his job was the fact they began to slow down and lose it at the end of the year as they wound up losing four of their last five games after leading the NFC South.
The NFC South in itself is one of the weakest divisions we have seen as going .500 throughout the season can put you in the top spot and get you a home playoff game. The New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers are not loaded with talent like some of the other divisions so just getting decent play would benefit them greatly.
This offense has young guys on rookie contracts like tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson still on their respective rookie contracts. The defense likely will get a little decimated as cornerback Jeff Okudah, defensive end Calais Campbell and linebacker Bud Dupree are all free agents.
However, getting the right coach and quarterback duo will make them legitimate threats for the playoffs next season.
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