Maybe Mike Smith would have saved his job with a win on Sunday, although there's no guarantee that would have been enough. But he didn’t even come close.
After the Atlanta Falcons were embarrassed 34-3 by the Carolina Panthers, in a game that decided the NFC South championship, it was clear that Smith’s time with the Falcons was over. Owner Arthur Blank made it official on Monday, firing Smith after seven seasons. The team announced the move.
Smith departs with a 66-46 record and four playoff appearances. But he had just one playoff win and the Falcons took a tumble the past two years. Atlanta was 4-12 in 2013, and just 6-10 this season. The Falcons were alive for a playoff spot in the last week of the season because the NFC South was horrible, and clearly that wouldn’t be a good enough reason to keep Smith around.
The Falcons might have made the playoffs had Smith not played a big hand in blowing a couple winnable games. Shaky clock management decisions by Smith allowed the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns to pull off last-season victories over the Falcons. Smith’s job security has been a topic in Atlanta for most of this season.
The Falcons reportedly had already hired a search firm to identify head-coaching candidates before the final game of the season was played, so it wasn’t exactly a big surprise when Smith was let go. The Falcons are building a new stadium, and Blank would like to get some positive momentum going before they move into their new palace. The job could be enticing because the Falcons already have an established quarterback in Matt Ryan.
But it won’t be Smith leading that charge to the new dome, although he had some good years in Atlanta. The final two seasons, and a really ugly loss in the final game, were enough to cost Smith his job.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/after-blowout-loss--atlanta-falcons-fire-coach-mike-smith-143033158.html
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