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Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Arthur Smith is the Falcons’ biggest problem

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 11/6/23

The Falcons have a head-coaching problem.

Arthur Smith is Atlanta’s biggest problem, in fact. Until the team improves in that vital area, it will continue to lose games it has no business losing.

That was the case in Week 9 when the Falcons lost to the Vikings at home, 31-28, despite Minnesota starting rookie fifth-rounder Jaren Hall and being forced to turn to quarterback Joshua Dobbs after they traded for him earlier this week.

Afterward, Dobbs described the learning process as taking an AP French exam after studying the entire year for a Spanish test.

Josh Dobbs on KOC helping him today:

"It's like if you were taking AP Spanish all year and you showed up on Wednesday and someone told you you have an AP French exam on Sunday. And you gotta go execute. Someone's gonna talk to you in Spanish and translate it to the French."
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) November 5, 2023

In three years as Falcons head coach, Smith hasn't made it past Spanish 101.

One sequence in the second quarter in particular was a showcase for Smith’s ineptitude. After the Falcons forced a fumble and had a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Smith called two plays designed for tight end Jonnu Smith and another for running back Tyler Allgeier.

Atlanta settled for a field goal on the drive, an unacceptable failure for an offense featuring running back Bijan Robinson, who the team selected eighth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and 2021 fourth-overall pick Kyle Pitts. Another former top-10 pick, Drake London (groin) was inactive for Week 9.

For a head coach with an offensive background, it’s unconscionable that he can’t (or won’t) run plays designed for players the franchise used high draft picks on in key situations. The inability to feature Robinson in the goal-to-go situation, in particular, drew a strong reaction online.

The Falcons just forced a fumble and returned it to the Vikings' 1-yard line.

The subsequent plays:
1st & goal: False start
1st & goal: Pass to Jonnu Smith
2nd & goal: End around to Jonnu Smith
3rd & goal: Handoff to Tyler Allgeier

Bijan Robinson was off the field for ever…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 5, 2023

There's a reason why the Falcons didn't give Bijan Robinson a touch on those three goal-to-go plays but you wouldn't understand it, too complicated, gotta be in the room to understand why the Jonnu Smith jet sweep is the right idea
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) November 5, 2023

It’s very simple. Either Bijan isn’t the best guy in your RB room - in which case it’s a massive waste of draft capital OR… Bijan IS the best guy in your RB room and this is a mind boggling sequence of coaching. There’s no other reasonable explanation. (I’m pro Bijan FYI) https://t.co/b9ZhDol6LZ
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) November 5, 2023

This isn't anything new for Smith. He is constantly misusing or underutilizing talented playmakers to scheme the ball to the likes of backup tight ends Jonnu Smith or MyCole Pruitt. Per RotoWire, entering Week 9, Smith and Pruitt combined for as many red zone targets (eight) as Pitts and Robinson.

Smith benched Week 1 starting quarterback Desmond Ridder ahead of the team's Week 9 loss, but that decision didn't make Atlanta's offense any better. Despite scoring a season-high 28 points, the Falcons didn't get into the end zone until midway through the third quarter and had as many drives end in turnovers as in touchdowns.

His inability to maximize the talent on Atlanta's roster, plus his poor track record with quarterbacks, should have team owner Arthur Blank thinking seriously about the team's direction. Smith wasn't able to do anything with Marcus Mariota or Ridder. Heinicke didn't look much better.

While none of those were elite prospects, neither was Dobbs, who just diced Atlanta's defense while learning a new language on the fly.

Smith has been the common denominator in the team's struggles. If he continues to be part of the problem, Blank must remove him from the equation.

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