Coach Smith Will Be Respectfully Fired After The Final Game (Loss) Of This Miserable Season

[birdz4i 9,735]

So you think Smith would have been safe if this team didn't win a playoff game last year? This season should solidify that position more than the situation last season.

The fact is none of us know what's going to happen and claiming as if you do shows plain stupidity. Plus, it's kinda hard to blame your losing on lack of talent when YOU HELPED BRING THAT TALENT IN.

while this is a true statement. the facts are smith has never had a losing season. he brought this team 5 straight winning seasons which has never happened before. not reeves not jones not glanville or bennett. he helped turn this team from a laughing stock that could not manage 2 straight winning seasons in a row to a team that is the second winningest in the nfl over his tenure. not middle of the road but 2nd winningest. not to mention the 1st winningest team over that time frame has won the exact same amount of superbowls in that time frame as we have, 0. if half our offensive talent hadn t missed significant time this year not to mention some of our best players on defense, granted that is not saying a whole lot we might not be where we are now. but blank remembers where we have come from, and for those sayin "well he fired reeves after one losing season", reeves also put up 3 straight losing seasons in a row after going to the superbowl before he managed to put up a mediocre season. it was clear the game had started passing him bye.

[Quarterback 4,244]

The difference here is the pressures of coaching was killing Reeves. He missed most of the season due to heart attacks and the interim coach actually took us to the SB not Reeves. We rallied around him as a team but it wasn't his coaching that did it for us.

Not quite...

Reeves was diagnosed with a heart condition after week 14, missed weeks 15 & 16 (that's two games), and was back on the sideline in week 17 and throughout the playoffs. Rich Brooks, the DC at the time, coached the two games in weeks 15 & 16.

[Andras 1,294]

Keep blaming lack of talent. The Falcons aren't the only team allowed to get injuries.

[32wood84white 502]

I think that there is a good chance that Smitty could be gone. Not because of this bad season but it's what's happening within this bad season.

The play calling on Sunday was down right awful at times. I understand the coaches came up with a gameplan and wanted to stick to it as long as they could but the decisions they made on certain downs screamed of complacency even though we had nothing to lose and our only hope of returning to the playoffs was winning out.

Obviously winning out wasn't going to happen but you come in to what yiu know for sure is your season in your dome and play like that? It forces Arthur to look at things in a different light.

Also as we know Arthur hired Jim Mora Jr. Did he pan out? No but the defense then had an attitude about it, this team had an attitude about it when Smitty first got here. Now Smitty still had that attitude but getting fined and I'm sure something was made of him slamming his head set down as well as what happened in Charlotte has toned him down some.

I believe all that factors In to Smitty possibly being let go. I think it's 50-50 right now. Great coach for this team, but it seems we are losing the little things in a bad bad season, and those like things were the ones that made us competitive in every game.

[falconidae 21,325]

Both Smith and TD get another year. 56 wins in 5 years gets you another year. Having 9 of 11 starters on offense different from the playoff team gets you another year [2 weeks ago, Ryan & Blalock were the only 2 players playing the same spot as in the playoffs against SF]. Having all 3 LBs, both corners and both DEs be different from the playoff team buys you another year. Blank learning his lesson about knee jerk reactions by firing Reeves buys them another year.

[TrapAHolic 185]

TD already said that Smitty isn't going anywhere so why is this still being discussed?

[32wood84white 502]

TD already said that Smitty isn't going anywhere so why is this still being discussed?

Give it time, things keep going this way and even Arthur will look in the mirror and working on himself as an owner. He finds something he wants to change and that could very easily lead to a new direction.

[Karst41 5,761]

If Arthur fires Smitty after one bad season, then it is Arthur who needs to be dismissed

as Owner, but Arthur also came to realize that firing Dan Reeves was a knee jerk reaction

and he is a guy who does not make the same mistake twice.

Now with that said.

If the Falcons are a miserable team midway through the 2014 season, you could see Smitty

get the Axe.

The End,,,,,,,,buhbye!

[WOR 24,249]

Ask yourself what the real issues of this team are. Then ask yourself what is the cause of said issues.

Playoff woes

Blowing leads

Playing down to opponents

Playing the other teams style

Lack of depth

13-3 is great. To a point. Even then. We were 5 plays away from being 8-8 last year. Don't act like were a juggernaut. There is a reason the media never respected us and teams never feared us.

[Andras 1,294]

TD already said that Smitty isn't going anywhere so why is this still being discussed?

20% of coaches that get that vote of confidence end up being fired soon after. Blank makes the top decisions, not TD.

[Supes™ 8,623]

Here's the message Blank would send to all potential candidates to replace Smitty if he fired him at season's end:

"I had the 2nd most wins coach over the past 6 seasons, but we had one bad year and I fired his butt. If I hire you and you have a bad year, I'll fire your butt too!"

Who would wanna come here and coach the Falcons under that premise?

[Andras 1,294]

Blank wants a Superbowl, not a nice guy award or just regular season wins. There's nothing disrespectful about that. Every coach knows how the business works. Don't be a fancy lad.

[WOR 24,249]

Here's the message Blank would send to all potential candidates to replace Smitty if he fired him at season's end:

"I had the 2nd most wins coach over the past 6 seasons, but we had one bad year and I fired his butt. If I hire you and you have a bad year, I'll fire your butt too!"

Who would wanna come here and coach the Falcons under that premise?

You focus far too much or regular season wins. Nobody cares or remembers regular season.

This is his message

"Our coach won games, but could not produce in the playoffs. I am committed to this team and city and I WILl bring them a title. I did not feel Smith had that ability anymore. I hired you so I obviously have confidence in you to get us over the hump."

Smith has 1 playoff win in 6 seasons. Thats a good time line for a coach. I'd say 5% of coaches get that kind of time.

[Road Warrior 638]

Both Smith and TD get another year. 56 wins in 5 years gets you another year. Having 9 of 11 starters on offense different from the playoff team gets you another year [2 weeks ago, Ryan & Blalock were the only 2 players playing the same spot as in the playoffs against SF]. Having all 3 LBs, both corners and both DEs be different from the playoff team buys you another year. Blank learning his lesson about knee jerk reactions by firing Reeves buys them another year.

Bingo... not to mention that Blank has said repeatedly he wants long term stability in leadership positions ala New England, Pitt, etc...

[WOR 24,249]

Bingo... not to mention that Blank has said repeatedly he wants long term stability in leadership positions ala New England, Pitt, etc...

Wheres the stability and leadership in losing 67-20 in 2 games?

[Andras 1,294]

I'd like to see some stability and leadership to address the same old problems that's been plaguing this team for years. We keep hearing about how "you can't do that and win games" but have yet to see any of it fixed.

[Duff_Man 12,058]

Wheres the stability and leadership in losing 67-20 in 2 games?

TWO games? Who cares?

[Road Warrior 638]

Wheres the stability and leadership in losing 67-20 in 2 games?

Seriously?? I'm just as frustrated at this team as anyone.. when Smith decided to go for it before halftime against the Jets I stood up and screamed at his dumbass then walked out of the stadium and didn't return. That being said, his body of work over the last 5 years has earned him a mulligan, so to speak. If anything, TD is in more on the hot seat than smith at this point. If they don't make a deep playoff run next year then I'd say they're all gone.. but this year they'll get a pass.

[vabchbirdlover 1,526]

If there were no sacrificial cows, TD would be gone and Smith would get 2014 to get it fixed.

QFT

[Andras 1,294]

Seriously?? I'm just as frustrated at this team as anyone.. when Smith decided to go for it before halftime against the Jets I stood up and screamed at his dumbass then walked out of the stadium and didn't return. That being said, his body of work over the last 5 years has earned him a mulligan, so to speak. If anything, TD is in more on the hot seat than smith at this point. If they don't make a deep playoff run next year then I'd say they're all gone.. but this year they'll get a pass.

He used his mulligan last season when his team folded a second large lead in the playoffs and lost.

[Supes™ 8,623]

Wheres the stability and leadership in losing 67-20 in 2 games?

No one is happy about that and it's clear this team has multiple issues, but it won't lead to Smith's dismissal,...not yet. He'll be given a mulligan for 2013, and given next season to right the ship. I'd say that another losing season in 2014 could lead to his being fired.

If I knew you, we could make a bet, but I only bet soda pops. I like Diet Coke. What's yours?

[slamee101 7,143]

I don't really know what's going to happen. I think saying there's no way Smith is going to be fired is just a ridiculous as saying he absolutely will though. Not sure what Blank is saying but BELIEVE that it is being considered right now. All this "best coach we ever had" stuff doesn't mean that much to Arthur right now. Do you think he looks back fondly on 2010 and 2011? My guess is overall he looks back on those seasons with disappointment.

All I'm saying is, as fair or unfair as it may be to let go of Smith with what TD has/has not done, the question of whether or not he's capable of getting this franchise a SuperBowl far outweighs if he's the winningest coach in franchise history. We'd never even had back to back winning sesaons prior to him. He'll get credit for doing that but that's kind of a minimum expectation for a franchise looking to win SBs.

I came into the season saying Smitty was pretty much safe regardless of what kind of season we had. He had to have a disaster of a season for it to be considered. However, we're now mired in a disaster of a season and it's not all about the injuries when you watch the effort the team is giving.

[Duff_Man 12,058]

He used his mulligan last season when his team folded a second large lead in the playoffs and lost.

You mean after he got the team to it's highest point under his watch? Firing Smith will not happen and the idea that he should be fired is idiotic knee-jerk fan garbage.

[Matty ICE 830]

Smith will be here next year, without a doubt.

Now, if next year ends up like this one then Mr. Blank may pull the trigger... almost has to. He's gonna have a brand new stadium and no one in it

[Andras 1,294]

You mean after he got the team to it's highest point under his watch? Firing Smith will not happen and the idea that he should be fired is idiotic knee-jerk fan garbage.

No, I mean after he folded a big lead in the first playoff game and nearly lost that one. Since he won that one to FINALLY get over the 'no playoff wins' hump, he was given a pass.

Had he lost the Seattle game, his *** would have been grass.

No one cares that much about second place, Mike Smith's best is 3rd. To quote Ben Stein: "Wow."

Edited November 12, 2013 by MDFMK