'Fair Criticism!' Atlanta Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Addresses 'Conservative' Play Calling in Loss to Carolina Panthers

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith shouldered some of the blame for his team's loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

The Atlanta Falcons had another lackluster offensive performance on Sunday as they fell to the previously-one-win Carolina Panthers 9-7 in Charlotte.

Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder went 12 of 20 through the air for 152 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the loss. The rushing attack wasn't any better as Atlanta only put up 52 yards in that department, 11 of which came from running back Bijan Robinson.

Following the game, head coach Arthur Smith was asked if he believed his play calling was too conservative on the day, and while he didn't fully shoulder that load, he did take some of the heat with his answer.

"Certainly that's a fair -- I mean, when you only score seven points, trying to play the wind and a lot going on down there," Smith said. "The wind, the rain, the ball popped, put on the ground twice. We had some issues we were trying to negate and the protection. So that's certainly a fair criticism."

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith :: © Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The weather is one thing, but if the Falcons hope to reach the postseason, that excuse won't hold much water moving forward.

Speaking of which, Atlanta's loss made its chances in the NFC playoff race even more difficult in the weeks ahead. The Falcons are now 6-8 on the season and currently hold the No. 10 place in the postseason pecking order, three spots behind the cutoff point, if the season ended today. 

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They have three weeks to try and rack up wins and hope for as much help as possible in the remainder of the NFC. That three-week path begins on Sunday with a home date against the Indianapolis Colts at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on FOX.