'You Want to Be Judged': Atlanta Falcons' Arthur Smith Speaks Out After Trending on Twitter

Following the Atlanta Falcons' embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers, the hot-seat talk surrounding coach Arthur Smith is increasing.

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith is seemingly on a warming seat following their frankly embarrassing 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, which followed a report stating that he wasn't at risk of being fired so long as they didn't suffer from a late-season collapse. 

In the aftermath of the loss to the previously one-win Panthers team, the noise reached an all-time high during his tenure in the form of the #FireArthurSmith hashtag trending on Twitter. However, even with an increasingly frustrated fanbase making their voices heard through the grapevines of social media, it is still business as usual for Smith.

“That’s what you sign up for. I don’t mean to make that sound like bravado, but like I said, you want these jobs," Smith said about the increasing noise regarding his job security. "You deal with the consequences. That’s what you want. You want to be judged and don’t lose sight of that. You’re in the most competitive league. That’s the reality when it’s not going the way – you don’t get the results right now. So, that goes with the job.”

The Atlanta Falcons' latest loss to the Carolina Panthers has seemingly increased public pressure on coach Arthur Smith / Clutchpoints

To Smith's credit, being put under a constant microscope and having every decision analyzed and criticized is what comes with the job. However, as the most recent trend on Twitter shows, those noises get louder with each passing loss and sense of underachievement. 

Coming off a two-year rebuild, it was expected that the Falcons would, at the very least, be in contention for the NFC South division title. Many took it a step further and predicted Atlanta to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and win the NFC South.

However, the Falcons aren't currently on track to do either of those two things, as they sit at 6-8 following the Panthers' loss, which dropped them out of a three-way tie for first place in the division. While the Falcons' playoff chances did not totally sink with the loss, they did take a huge hit as both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints now have ground on them.

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But results aren't the only frustration that Smith is having to overcome. He is also being criticized for failing to effectively use any of the three first-round weapons he has accumulated since being hired: tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London, and running back Bijan Robinson. 

That trio of playmakers combined with an offensive line that, when healthy, has proven to be at the very least serviceable should be enough to put together at least an entertaining and productive offense. Yet, the results have been the contrary, as Smith's ability as a play-caller has become a constant target of criticism, while the team has suffered from incompetent quarterback play. 

All of this has come together to create the storm of uncertainty stewing over Smith and his future with the Falcons as they close out the final three games of the regular season.