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Atlanta Falcons fire head coach Arthur Smith after three seasons
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons have chosen to part ways with head coach Arthur Smith after three seasons. Following the team’s 48-17 loss on Sunday, the Falcons fired Smith. The Falcons finished the year with a 7-10 record for the third consecutive season.

Atlanta started Smith’s third season off with wins against the Panthers and Packers, but dropped the next two against the Lions and Jaguars. The team found little consistency and flip-flopped between quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. After losing three consecutive games against the Titans, Vikings and Cardinals in the middle of the season, they ended the year with three wins and four losses.

The Falcons drafted former Texas star Bijan Robinson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He ran for 948 yards with just four rushing touchdowns this season. He also added 51 catches, 384 receiving yards and three more touchdowns. He scored one of his touchdowns in Week 18, posting a seven catch game with 103 yards.

Arthur Smith confronts Dennis Allen after late-game TD

The New Orleans Saints blew out the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday afternoon. They also decided to tack on a late touchdown in the closing seconds and apparently that made Arthur Smith absolutely furious. He went ballistic on Saints head coach Dennis Allen in the postgame handshake.

After the game, Smith spoke with the media, “It got out of hand. You can do whatever you want. I just gave them my opinion about it.”

Saints head coach Dennis Allen also apologized in his press conference. “I’m gonna start by apologizing to Arthur Smith and the Falcons.”

He also said they should have taken a knee, but guys wanted to get Jamaal Williams a TD and that it was “unacceptable.” “That’s not who we are, not what we’re about,” Allen said.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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