Should Atlanta Falcons Fire Coach Arthur Smith?

Should the Atlanta Falcons move on from head coach Arthur Smith after a lackluster start to the season?

Things have been better than they are currently for the Atlanta Falcons, but is there still time to right the ship under the current regime?

Arthur Smith is in his third season as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and he has gone 18-25 in that span, including a 4-6 start to the 2023 season with another quarterback controversy still pending. Smith is an offensive mind with a background as an OC in the NFL, but his Falcons offense has only mustered 18.9 points per game this season, and, as mentioned above, part of that is due to not having a consistent quarterback running the show.

That begs the question: can the Falcons do better?

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith / USA Today Sports

The answer is probably "yes," but it is probably too early to pull the plug on Smith's tenure, at least for now. Atlanta, despite its poor record, is still in the running for a playoff spot this season, so letting things play out as they are is the safe play. If and when the Falcons are eliminated from playoff contention, it wouldn't hurt to make a move at the head coach position, even if it is in the middle of the season.

Otherwise, you run into some problems.

Coaching changes in the middle of the year are difficult to successfully pull off. If the Falcons want to reach the postseason (and I'm sure they do), then continuity can be key in reaching that goal. It may not happen, but if you want the best chance to keep that hope alive, holding onto Smith for the time being is probably the right move.

But the clock is ticking.

The Falcons have not made the playoffs since 2017, and in an area of the country as football-hungry as Atlanta, that is unacceptable. If Smith doesn't get Atlanta over that hump this season, it's time to move on. Plain and simple.

Until then, it's still his job, but time is running out if some improvements aren't made.