Fantasy football fans can rejoice because the Atlanta Falcons have fired head coach Arthur Smith. Smith earned the ire of the fantasy community for his weird usage patterns with the team's highly drafted skill position players.
The Falcons finished the 2023 season with a 7-10 record, the third year in a row that the team finished with that exact record.
What went wrong during Arthur Smith's tenure with the Atlanta Falcons? Let's take a look at why the Falcons moved on from Smith after four seasons.
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Why Did The Atlanta Falcons Fire Arthur Smith?
After a third consecutive 7-10 season, the Atlanta Falcons chose to fire head coach Arthur Smith. The team just failed to really show any improvement over his time with the team, going 21-30 in 51 games at the helm of the Falcons.
Smith came to Atlanta after two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. Despite that offensive background, the Falcons never finished better than 17th in yards or 26th in points scored during Smith's tenure.
Fantasy managers are likely happy about this move, as Smith's usage of key players was off. Rookie running back Bijan Robinson saw uneven carries throughout the season while Kyle Pitts averaged just 39.2 receiving yards per game.
Potential Falcons Head Coach Candidates
Who'll replace Arthur Smith in Atlanta? So far, the team has not announced what candidates they've requested to interview.
Considering the team's investments on offense in recent drafts, an offensive head coach would make sense. Someone like Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy, Lions OC Ben Johnson, or Texans OC Bobby Slowik would make sense as options.
It's an appealing job because the Falcons feel like a team that's a quarterback away from contending. They just have to figure out that quarterback position before the 2024 NFL season kicks off.
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