Falcons Fourth Quarter Finishes a Testament to Coach Smith's Program

When Arthur Smith accepted the job as Atlanta Falcons head coach in Jan. 2021, he knew about the franchise's reputation for close losses.

Of course, everybody was aware of the collapse in Super Bowl LI, but Atlanta's issues ran much deeper, with the previous regime ultimately succumbing due to its inability to close out games.

Smith's first year showed that he could turn the tide, as the Falcons went 7-2 in one-score games. The problem is that Atlanta's other seven games were all losses by at least two possessions, an indictment of that roster's lack of talent.

Nonetheless, winning close contests with a team largely patched together was encouraging - but Smith couldn't carry the momentum over into his second campaign at the helm.

The Falcons mustered just a 5-8 record in games decided by eight points or less last season while coming just one match shy of tying the league record for most one-score games played.

So, two years, two different results.

But this year, given a much-improved roster, Smith's Falcons have shown up late in games, out-scoring opponents 27-0 en route to the franchise's first 2-0 start since 2017.

“I think it says a lot," Smith said. "There’s a lot of things we pride ourselves on and the way we want to operate. It just speaks to the conditioning and the way our guys want to operate, and the way we want to finish games, adjust and be that team in the fourth quarter.”

In Week 1, Atlanta entered the fourth quarter tied at 10 with the Carolina Panthers before reeling off 14 unanswered and securing its first Week 1 victory in six years.

The challenge was more difficult the following week, as the Green Bay Packers held a 24-12 lead during the final frame, but the Falcons soared back, taking a 25-24 win following Younghoe Koo's go-ahead field goal inside the final minute.

This prompts the question - why are the Falcons suddenly so dominant late?

Sure, it's a small sample size ... but Atlanta starred in the fourth quarter of the season opener and doubled down the week after, impressing throughout all three phases.

The answer is simple - just ask around the building.

“Couple of things – our conditioning and how we practice," defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said. "Strength and conditioning program, mindset of our players, the ethos of the program – finish, toughness."

Added offensive coordinator Dave Ragone: “I give a lot of credit to the way coach Smith sets up practice. The way that he talks to the players and for us as assistants to carry along the message. It’s the way we train, it’s not just lip service."

This feeling stretches beyond the coordinators and into assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray, who singled out Smith and strength and conditioning coach Thomas Stallworth as the key pieces to the puzzle.

Many know Smith, but few are familiar with Stallworth, who joined the Falcons in Feb. 2021 after three years with the New York Giants. He previously held the same title at the collegiate level via Western Kentucky and Fresno State.

The Falcons entered free agency with the second-most cap space of any team. As such, they added considerable depth to a roster in great need of it, which has allowed smoother rotations with less drop off, particularly on the defensive front.

There's certainly more talent at both the top and bottom of the roster, which only helps the equation - but the way that Stallworth has brought the team together in the weight room has ultimately made a decisive difference.

"Those guys do a really, really good job in the strength and conditioning part," Gray said. "They really do strain in there. Every time, it’s like, ‘Hey, what are you doing here? We’re going to the weight room,’ and everybody’s bought into it. So, when you’re stronger in the fourth quarter, that’s only going to make you better.”

Nielsen believes that being better conditioned allows players to think instead of reacting, which enables them to be ahead of the opposition.

The 27-0 fourth quarter margin confirms this belief, but so does Atlanta's body language; Nielsen noted that he didn't see a single player tired on the sideline, and after the Packers game, several players brought up the high level of energy that existed.

Several factors play into this, including the Falcons' offense maintaining possession for 11 minutes and 41 seconds during the fourth quarter and a loud, supportive home crowd inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Really, each of these came together to give Atlanta its biggest comeback win since Week 2 of the 2015 season ... and it all goes back to the way the Falcons stressed finishing throughout the offseason.

“It’s been a big emphasis every single week, winning the fourth," Nielsen said. "I thought our guys’ conditioning, where they were mentally at the time - they stuck together, they hunted together.

"They were in the right mindset and the right place mentally to go out there in the fourth quarter, make the stops when we needed to, played team defense and help us come away with that team victory.”

The foundation of this finishing culture was set early in Smith's arrival with a number of veteran additions who'd been around winning environments and passed down positive work habits to the younger faces.