Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith Getting Fired if Team Misses Playoffs?

Does Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith need a playoff birth in order to avoid getting fired and keep his job next season?

The Atlanta Falcons have struggled this season, and the person receiving the bulk of the blame is head coach Arthur Smith, so is his firing at the end of the season inevitable?

Smith was a desired head coaching candidate following his successful stint with the Tennessee Titans as the team's offensive coordinator when the offense was thriving, thanks to his playcalling and the dominance of running back Derrick Henry. 

However, since joining the Falcons last season, Smith has struggled. While some may blame the team's lack of a star quarterback, Atlanta entered this season with one of the most talented rosters in the NFC South but fell to third place in the division as it entered its bye week.

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith / ClutchPoints

Much of the blame has fallen on Smith's shoulders because he has failed to maximize some of his star players, such as rookie running back and third-year tight end Kyle Pitts.

Considering that the Falcons have lost the past three games by a score, minor tweaks could have made a major difference and kept the team atop the NFC South like it was after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, but Smith has failed to make those game-winning play calls.

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At this moment, Atlanta has zero opponents remaining on its schedule that are above 500 this season. Currently sitting one game behind the New Orleans Saints (5-5), if Smith can't manage to win the division, there's a good chance his run as the Falcons head coach will come to an end after just three seasons.

If you can't beat the mediocre teams, you are a bad team.

It's imperative that Smith returns from the bye week with some winning play calls to win back the division, Atlanta fans, and remind Falcons ownership that he's the man he appeared to be in Tennessee.