Atlanta Falcons Remaining Schedule Will 'Feel Like Six Lifetimes', Says Arthur Smith
The Atlanta Falcons season has been an absolute rollercoaster.
At 5-6, the Falcons are on top of the NFC South standings, but it hasn't been smooth sailing. Despite this, coach Arthur Smith has seemingly remained calm through the highs and lows.
“Things have got to play out,” Smith said. “We’ve got six games to go, and it'll feel like six lifetimes. It's the National Football League, and it ebbs and flows. You’re caught by a couple of plays in the last two games, and we knew coming off the bye week and everything we talked about, some of the things logistically we wanted to do as a staff, we certainly did that. The ways we wanted to play, getting some guys in space, I thought, helped us. Then, rolling through personnel defensively, keeping guys fresh - I think you saw a little bit of that. So, we’ve got plenty of stuff to work on, as always, but overall, a good team win.”
Atlanta entered its last matchup with a lot of outside noise surrounding whether or not the Falcons should fire Smith, considering that the team had lost three games in a row and control of the NFC South.
Despite a mentally taxing season, Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was all smiles following what he called, "A good team win" over the New Orleans Saints.
Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
However, as Smith noted, things in the NFL can change quickly. After beating the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta reclaimed its spot atop the division and, at least for the time being, quieted the fans calling for Smith to lose his job.
For now, Smith’s tenure as the Falcons' head coach lives to see another week, but surviving Thanksgiving and Black Friday doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Black Monday is the dreaded event for NFL head coaches when teams often cut ties with what are deemed to be inadequately performing coaches or GMs. If Smith wants to guarantee he survives the upcoming Black Monday, he’ll need to continue building on the success his team found against New Orleans and maintain Atlanta’s No. 1 spot in the NFC South standings.
