Broncos Fire Coach Nathaniel Hackett; Falcons Bullet Dodged?
The day was Jan. 7, 2021, and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was set to interview another candidate for the team's vacant head coach position.
Up next on the docket: then-Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Frequently praised by Packers coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Hackett was viewed as a young, intriguing offensive mind - something that Blank was particularly keen on during the hiring process.
But eight days later, Blank went another direction, hiring Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to lead his team for the foreseeable future, sending Hackett back to Green Bay for another season.
Hackett, 42, only had to wait one more cycle to get his chance, as the Denver Broncos hired him on Jan. 27, 2022 ... and have now opted to go a different direction just 11 months later.
The Broncos lost 51-14 to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day, with the defeat marked by multiple sideline incidents and an overall uncompetitive performance from the start, as Hackett noted after the game that his team "(wasn't) ready." The loss dropped Denver to 4-11 after entering the season with playoff aspirations.
Atlanta, meanwhile, went 7-10 in Smith's first season and currently sits at 5-10 with two games left to play. The Falcons were eliminated from postseason contention following Saturday's 17-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
But the expectations from each side were significantly different. NFL Network picked the Falcons to go 2-15, a stark contrast from how many viewed the Broncos, and Smith has taken Atlanta's rushing offense from No. 31 league-wide to No. 3 in just one year.
Smith, along with general manager Terry Fontenot, was also tasked with the challenge of keeping the Falcons competitive while battling through significant salary cap issues from the previous regime; Atlanta's played this season with the largest dead cap hit in NFL history.
And yet, eight of the Falcons' 10 losses have been by one possession, and they led the NFC South at the season's halfway point - albeit with a 4-4 record.
The season has since spiraled, with Atlanta dropping six of its last seven games, but Smith's vision of building a tough, physical team is beginning to shine through, and he'll almost certainly get a third season to prove what he can do with more talent.
The same cannot be said for Hackett, who's left searching for a job elsewhere before season's end after a nightmare first stint as head coach.
Now, Denver will embark on its second coaching search in as many years ... while Atlanta is prepared to enter year three of the Smith era, optimistic of what's to come in his first year not stricken by the salary cap.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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