Falcons Coach Arthur Smith 'Annoyed' With Team's Focus Leading into Bengals Game
The Atlanta Falcons exited Week 6 feeling great about themselves.
After an 0-2 start, the Falcons won three of the next four games, the latest of which an assertive 28-14 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
With momentum and energy firmly behind them, Atlanta hit the road for a matchup with the reigning AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals. The game presented a follow-up opportunity to send another loud message and get the team over .500 for the first time since the 2017 season.
And, by all accounts, the Falcons laid an egg. The score was 21-0 in Cincinnati's favor just over a quarter in, and the end result - a 35-17 victory for the home team - didn't do justice to just how dominant the Bengals were. Cincinnati pitched a second-half shutout and more than doubled Atlanta's totals in yards and first downs.
Perhaps most disappointing is that the Falcons' struggles didn't just magically appear on Sunday, according to coach Arthur Smith. Rather, the roots of Atlanta's showing started much earlier in the week, which Smith said hadn't been a big issue previously.
"Not hindsight, revisionist history, but I was a little annoyed last week," began Smith. "I didn't think our focus was great early on. You can ask anybody in that locker room - this isn't me just saying this on Monday just because we lost. You try to rein it back in, and then you're playing a really good team on the road ... I think for the most part, (the focus has) been pretty good, but obviously wasn't good enough last week."
Beyond the disappointment of Sunday's final score is the realization that Smith's biggest concern regarding Atlanta's culture came true. Amidst the praise thrown the Falcons' way following the recent run of success, Smith took a moment ahead of the Cincinnati game to point out there were still things he had to see.
"I think you'll find out more how we respond this week," Smith stated. "How you handle success (is) just as important as how you handle failure."
The Falcons' response was less-than-ideal focus which ultimately led to a significant early deficit that proved too much to overcome. Atlanta holds the second-youngest team in the NFL, and instances like this are inevitable over the course of the season.
However, the task for Smith and his staff now becomes ensuring this was merely a blimp on the radar and not a personality trait that his team embodies.
The Falcons will look to get back on the right track this Sunday at 1 p.m. in Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Carolina Panthers (2-5). Favored for the first time this season, Atlanta has an opportunity to respond in a big way - and then handle the resulting success in a better fashion with key lessons learned.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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