How Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot Created 'Different' Falcons Culture
The Atlanta Falcons are in the second year of the new regime led by coach Arthur Smith and general Terry Fontenot.
In year one, Smith guided the Falcons to a respectable 7-10 record, out-performing most national expectations. However, the team had a point differential of -146, and lost eight games by double digits, including four by 20 or more points.
Working hand-in-hand, Atlanta's new duo had an active offseason, starting with the quarterback position. After nearly acquiring now-Cleveland Brown Deshaun Watson, the Falcons traded Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts and signed Marcus Mariota later that day.
The eventful quarterback carousel reflected that Smith and Fontenot were ready for change and were fully committed to starting fresh - beginning at the top.
Now six games in, the Falcons are 3-3 and winners of three of their last four. Better yet, Atlanta's point differential is +10, a sign of the tight and competitive nature of each of its games.
The energy surrounding the Falcons' organization is as high as it's been in years, from the fans, players and everyone in between. Most importantly, it's translating onto the field, with Atlanta sitting tied for first in the NFC South and receiving a considerable amount of positive publicity, with several pundits dubbing the team one of the most fun to watch in the entire NFL.
After entering the year with low outside expectations, the Falcons are flying under radars no more - in large part due to the culture that's been built by Smith and Fontenot, starting with the installation of competitors filled with self-belief.
Among them is second-year cornerback Darren Hall, poised to make his second career start this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals in place of the injured Casey Hayward. Hall has just two years to compare, but the former fourth-round pick has seen significant strides in the culture and feeling inside the locker room - starting with confidence.
"It's different," Hall said of the culture. "It's different from last year for sure. We're very confident in ourselves right now. We're feeling good. We're going to keep the ball rolling."
The 22-year-old Hall is inexperienced - he's played just 20 NFL games and is still figuring out precisely how professional locker rooms are supposed to be.
The same cannot be said for Mariota, now on his third team in his eighth season. The 28-year-old has been through the ringer, going from Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall draft pick to benched backup, viewed by many as a "bust."
Mariota's benching closed a tumultuous era with the Tennessee Titans, one in which his confidence and national image took significant hits. But now, he's back in the spotlight, and with Atlanta's locker room environment, back to enjoying the game for what it is.
"It's a lot of fun," Mariota said. "It's fun coming to work. I've been in teams where it's not so fun - you're just coming in and doing what you feel like you got to do. But we got a lot of great relationships in here. Guys are playing for each other, and I think that means a lot more once you get on the field."
Mariota spent five years in Tennessee, two more in Las Vegas and is in his first with the Falcons. In the blink of an eye, he went from Oregon's electric quarterback to the calm and composed veteran guiding Atlanta back to national relevance.
Fresh off winning NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the San Francisco 49ers, Mariota gave credits to his teammates while expanding on why he finds this team to be so fun.
"I'm an older guy, so to be around some of these guys, they're always playing ping pong, always shooting hoops - it's always competitive," said Mariota. "I think that's what makes it fun - day in and day out, it's competitive, and guys are always trying to get the better of one another."
Competition, in its simplest form, is fostered when people want to win. Smith and Fontenot inherited a team that won four games the year before they arrived, and now, just six games into the pair's second season, are already at three wins.
With roughly 80 percent of Atlanta's roster being brought in by the new regime, it's evident that an added focus has been placed on competitiveness and character. If nowhere else, this has been reflected in the win/loss column thus far - but Smith still isn't sold.
Atlanta's 40-year-old coach believes the culture is still being built, though that's not to say that he doesn't enjoy the team he's around each day.
"We've got a lot of guys that put in the work (and) enjoy being around each other," began Smith. "But it's something you've got to work on every day - I think you'll find out more how we respond this week, how you handle success (is) just as important as how you handle failure."
Never a fan of comparisons, Smith - as opposed to Hall - doesn't necessarily believe that the Falcons' culture itself is different from last year; rather, it's merely had more time to develop.
"It's something you've got to work on every day," Smith reiterated. "It doesn't mean we think we're any better than anybody else, it's just what we do here and what we believe in. Everybody's got different philosophies, (but) you've got to make it your own. We're not trying to copy anybody - we're trying to build this thing the way we believe in."
It's abundantly clear that the Falcons "believe in" competitiveness above all else, starting off the field. The group that Smith and Fontenot have put together is the second youngest in the NFL - but it's highly competitive and flat-out refuses to cave in.
Whether it be coming back from down 25 points in the third quarter or rallying to win three out of four games following an 0-2 start, the Falcons have proven time and again that they're focused on one thing: winning.
Atlanta's contest on Sunday against Cincinnati, the reigning AFC Champions, offers another opportunity to prove it's not the same team it's been the last several years.
While Smith acknowledged the Bengals present a "huge challenge," it doesn't stack up to the one that he and Fontenot accepted when taking the job to oversee football operations in Atlanta.
If the first season and a half of their tenure tells one thing, it's that the Falcons will arrive in Cincinnati with a chip on their shoulder and mind set on leaving with a victory.
After all, that's just the "different" mindset that's been instilled in a short time and embodies exactly what Smith, Fontenot and the rest of the regime "believe in."
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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