Report Reveals Arthur Smith's Pitch For Another Year With Falcons
With their new coach in Raheem Morris now in the fold, the Atlanta Falcons are officially moving forward and putting the Arthur Smith era behind them.
Like most would, though, Smith didn't go out without pleading his case to stick around. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Smith believed that he should get another year in Atlanta to show his offense's full potential with a better quarterback at the helm.
"Part of former head coach Arthur Smith’s pitch for a fourth season in Atlanta was his belief that acquiring a new quarterback would unlock an offense with the potential to be one of the league’s best, according to a team source," Kendall wrote. "Now that job falls to [new offensive coordinator Zac] Robinson and Morris."
Sep 17, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith reacts on the sideline against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Smith is correct that the Falcons had subpar quarterback play this season, as neither Desmond Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke really inspired confidence. The stats back that up as Atlanta finished 22nd in passing offense.
However, Smith bears a good portion of the blame for the Falcons' quarterback situation being as bad as it was. He chose to stick with Ridder as the starter despite there being other options out there, and predictably, the second-year quarterback's play cost the Falcons several times throughout the season. Not just that, but Smith's poor judgement in this situation wound up costing him his job as well.
Maybe Smith is right that his offense would really quick with a better quarterback. After all, his offenses with the Tennessee Titans did well even though Ryan Tannehill wasn't exactly an elite signal-caller.
Given the Falcons' complete collapse at the end of the season, though, it was clear that they needed a new voice.
