'Unique Situation': Falcons Ex Coach Arthur Smith Reflects on Atlanta Tenure
It's been nearly a month since the Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith after three entirely different seasons ended with the same result - a 7-10 record and no playoff berth.
Smith's tenure ended unceremoniously, as Atlanta lost four of its last five games and Smith's final postgame midfield handshake turned into an expletive-laced rant towards New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen.
Now, the 42-year-old Smith, who was replaced by former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, is back in front of the camera - this time donning the black and gold as the Pittsburgh Steelers' newest offensive coordinator.
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith pictured in his first interview as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator.
Pittsburgh Steelers
In an exclusive interview with the Steelers' official website, Smith touched briefly on his time in Atlanta - and began by expressing gratitude.
"Obviously thankful to be a part of Pittsburgh, but as all the different stops on my coaching journey, very grateful for the opportunity I had in Atlanta," Smith said.
When Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot were hired in Jan. 2021, the Falcons were coming off a 4-12 season, their worst in seven years.
Handed an aging roster with heavy salary cap restraints, Smith and Fontenot had to rebuild.
They largely exceeded expectations the first two seasons with 7-10 marks, and after spending $190 million in free agency, anticipated a considerable step forward in Year 3.
Instead, Atlanta crumbled down the stretch, going from NFC South leaders at the start of December back to a spot its grown so familiar with - watching the playoffs from afar.
The underwhelming campaign and bubbling negativity surrounding the organization ultimately led to Smith's departure.
Despite his early - perhaps unfulfilled - exit, Smith will hold his experiences in Atlanta with him as he enters the next phase of his career.
"It was a unique situation, essentially rebuilding a team" Smith said. "There were some good lessons learned. It was a tough lesson, but it'll help me here, especially with some of the young players here that we have, and how you fit the offense and try to play to those guys' strengths."
The Falcons drafted offensive weapons - tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson - in the first round of each of Smith's three drafts.
Pitts set a franchise record for catches by a rookie with 68, only to be topped by London's 72. Pitts also posted the second-most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in league history with 1,026.
Robinson broke the franchise's rookie yards from scrimmage record, logging 1,463 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns.
Smith and Fontenot also found success with fifth-round running back Tyler Allgeier, who broke Atlanta's rookie rushing record with 1,035 yards in 2022.
"We had a lot of young guys we invested in, and we had three straight years where a rookie went over 1,000 yards - guys that were productive," Smith said. "Dealing with that and how they fit into this and what we're building here in Pittsburgh.
"All those experiences add up, but I'm really excited to be here."
Atlanta's offense struggled to find consistent production this season, finishing the year No. 26 in scoring with 18.9 points per game and No. 17 in total offense at 334.3 yards per game.
The Falcons failed to eclipse 30 points in a game this year and reached the mark only four times in Smith's 51 games on the sideline calling plays.
Smith established himself as a run-heavy coach when he was the Tennessee Titans' offensive coordinator from 2019-2020. He did similar things in Atlanta, fielding top-10 rushing offenses in each of the past two years.
And by all accounts, Smith intends on bringing a similar mantra to Pittsburgh.
"Certainly our offenses, we've clearly adapted to the strengths of our players, but there's a certain identity we want to have," Smith said. "Any offense I've been a part of, it's going to be a physical brand. You want to win the line of scrimmage."
The Steelers boast a wealth of playmakers, including running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth.
But Pittsburgh has questions at quarterback, where Kenny Pickett is poised to start despite a difficult 2023 season in which he was surpassed by backup Mason Rudolph for the final several games.
Smith couldn't get the quarterback spot right after trading Matt Ryan in March of 2022 - and now, he's back in a similar predicament, needing to figure out the sport's most discussed position.
Nevertheless, Smith, who reportedly drew interest from seven teams with offensive coordinator vacancies, is excited about being a Steeler - be it because of head coach Mike Tomlin or the chance to put Atlanta's hard lessons into Pittsburgh's rewards.
"It's such a unique opportunity to be able to work for an organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers," Smith said. "With the history, the culture here and the opportunity to work with Mike Tomlin - to me, it's a perfect fit."
