It didn’t take long to make what seemed like an obvious decision.
Within hours of the team returning from its season-ending loss to the Saints, the Falcons announced that they were firing (“dismissing” was their word of choice) coach Arthur Smith after three seasons. The e-mail from a team spokesman was sent out at 12:01 a.m. Monday, granting Smith the dignity (though barely) of not being fired on the same day as the final regular-season game, a 48-17 defeat at the Caesars Superdome.
Owner Arthur Blank will now begin the process of hiring his seventh full-time head coach. Notable is that general manager Terry Fontenot will have input on the search, meaning that Blank will not clean out the whole shop and further that Fontenot (hired at the same time as Smith) has earned Blank’s trust.
An immediate reaction is that, as painful a decision as it might have been for Blank and especially for the players that Smith has coached, it was a necessary move and one that didn’t need to be belabored. Listening to Falcons players Sunday in the locker room after the 48-17 loss to the Saints in New Orleans, the affection and admiration that they have for Smith was obvious.
“For one, coach Smith is the best coach I’ve ever had,” Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom said. “I absolutely (freaking) love him. I think this group and this team does, as well.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
But the problem was that that the ethos (a favorite word of Smith’s) that he instilled did not yield results. Against an exceedingly weak schedule this season, the Falcons could manage only a 7-10 record, the same that they’d accomplished in Smith’s first two seasons when they were in building mode. Whether it was losing to a team whose quarterback who didn’t know all of his teammates’ names (Minnesota), a team that had lost six games in a row and was playing for an interim coach (Carolina) or the team with the worst defense in the NFL (Washington), the Falcons found a way.
A price had to be paid.
It was easy to dump blame on quarterback Desmond Ridder, but the problems extended beyond him. The team struggled to play at a high level from quarter to quarter, let alone game to game. The Falcons finished Smith’s tenure without a three-game winning streak.
Do you know how many of the other 31 teams in the league won three games at least once in that span?
All but one (the Bears are the only other exception) and 22 of them did it this year alone.
Blank’s statement addressed that dichotomy.
“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,” Blank said. “He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations.”
The Falcons could have improved their results had they retained Smith and traded for or signed a proven quarterback, someone who could have better taken advantage of Smith’s offensive acumen.
But the results of this season, expected to be a breakthrough after five consecutive losing seasons, gave indication that Smith wasn’t the one to take the Falcons to their first Super Bowl title. Of the 27 coaches who have led teams to the past 20 Super Bowls, 26 had accomplished at least one of the following in their first three seasons – win at least 11 games in one season, lead his team to a conference championship game or post back-to-back playoff seasons. Smith had his obstacles, but he didn’t come close to achieving any of the three.
Credit to Blank for making a painful but necessary decision and not taking longer than necessary. He now faces the arguably more difficult job of finding the right replacement with the help of team CEO Rich McKay and Fontenot. Presumably, Blank has been looking within himself to figure out how he can be a better owner. To assert that the problem solely lay with Smith would be disingenuous.
Perhaps the seventh time will be the charm.
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