People are frustrated.

          I get it.

          People are confused.

          I get it.

          People are a little miffed.

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          I get it.

          Most of the emotions regarding the 2023 Falcons, I get. I get, I get, I get. Normal folks, I’m with ya. A year with some potential simply stagnated.

          Remember, I’m the one who said this was a 12-5-ish team (some of us are accountable with blunderous predictions) and kept expecting better all year.

          Then there’s the other group, taking frustrated and confused and miffed above and beyond the ability to grasp some reality, taking it – and the head coach – a little too personally.

          There are so many folks these days – who say “these days” a lot – who wake up whining, triggered, and close-minded, are anti research or information or logic, and won’t change their view – didn’t want to say “mind” – no matter what, because, well, there’s just not much there.

          Once they invent a narrative in their head, that’s it, no matter how early or knee-jerking the narrative is formed. Considering other possibilities, exhibiting understanding, nope, not bad traits.

          No doubt Arthur Smith has bungled some things this year, a year of modest expectations. None of the bellyachers were expecting much from Atlanta, and yet now they sure seem like they expected big wins and a playoff run.

          Me? I spent much of the season trying to sell that to some skeptical Falcons fans and former-until-they-suck-less Falcons peeps. And I kept waiting for them to play – and coach – like they were capable, consistently. There’d be teases, mostly only lasting a quarter or two – in some games.

          But this absurd piling on indicates that people also don’t observe what’s going on in the world outside their foggy atmosphere.

          Philadelphia losing to Arizona is substantially worse and more embarrassing than Atlanta losing to Arizona. Period. End of point.

          Dallas losing to Arizona and a backup quarterback is substantially worse and more embarrassing. Denver losing by 50 to Miami is substantially worse and more embarrassing than Atlanta losing by – and this is their maximum point differential – 20 to Chicago on the road in the snow.

          The LA Chargers losing 63-21 to Las Vegas is substantially worse and more embarrassing. The LV Raiders’ 3-0 loss to Minnesota is substantially worse and more embarrassing (how do you get shut out in the NFL?).

          Do you know how many teams lost by 25 points or more to non-great teams? How many teams got hammered by equal/“equal” teams? Six Flags should be an NFL sponsor, so many teams are roller coaster rides.

          Yet people watching Atlanta would rather wallow in misery – as fans tend to do most everywhere – than consider some exasperated “Well, it could be worse” and “at least we didn’t do that.”

Postgame update (Sunday, 6 p.m.)
          I wanted to see better from Arthur Smith.
          Didn’t. Doesn’t mean he’s not capable of better.
          Wanted to see better from Desmond Ridder.
          Didn’t, certainly not long enough and not when it counted. Again. He may do better elsewhere.
          Wanted to see better from the defense.
          Pass coverage often looked – again – like somebody poured Hurricanes from Pat O’s in the DB cooler.
          Said earlier Sunday about playing hard but not playing smart, and the Falcons did it again.
          I haven’t changed too much, but it is time to examine the staff and maybe Terry Fontenot.
          End-of-season meetings with players should include a mirror, because they need a look in one. Especially on defense.
          What still hasn’t changed is that the Falcons aren’t all that far away, Sunday’s debacle notwithstanding. Again – again again again – teams have crappy games. That, in reality, was Atlanta’s crappiest half of the year. Remember, it was 17 all at half, and Ridder was pretty smooth.
Damn halftime.
          It didn’t last, and not because of strategy or game plans, but because of simple execution. Smith didn’t call for Ridder to be Ridder, or the defensive backs to lose receivers.
          Why people don’t want to hold players more accountable remains, well, annoying. The Falcons were not – sorry to bust ya bubble – coached to play that way.
          Atlanta got better in the offseason with its trades and signings, it really did. It didn’t necessarily show  during the season, which is yes, frustrating and annoying and a little confusing.
          The Falcons have 24 impending free agents, and many – Campbell, Patterson, Okudah, Dupree, Hollins, Miller, among others – are very much worth trying to keep. Stability is a good thing.
Nevertheless, the writing is now much more clearly on the wall. I’ll be surprised if Smith makes it to Wednesday, and I’m still not sure – nobody on the outside should be sure of much, because there’s so many unknowns – that it’s quite the right move.
And nobody will know for a year or three.
          But if he stays, he’ll need to make some moves, no doubt, including changing his own job description.

          1. It's the NFL. More parity than ever. Good teams coming back to the field. San Fran and Baltimore are the only remotely trustable teams right now, and the QB play among the playoff teams is not at all consistently inspiring.

          It’s almost absurd. Miami wins by 50, loses by 37 and 26. Dallas lost by 32 to San Francisco, which beat Jacksonville by 31. Las Vegas beat the Chargers by 42, lost to Buffalo by 28. And Houston lost to the Jets by 24.

          Who gave the Colts their second-worst loss of the season? Atlanta.

          Entering Sunday, four teams are 7-9 (with point differentials of -8, -11, -12, and -21), another six are 8-8 (ranging from -43 and - 33, yes, to plus 44), and two are 9-7. That’s 37.5 percent in about the same boat: not far away.

          2. Fire all the head coaches who were big favorites – unlike Atlanta - and lost? 3-12 Arizona just beat 11-4 Philadelphia. In Philadelphia. Jets beat Philly earlier in the year. Fire 'em? Still 11-5. It happens. All the time. Surprises and upsets and stagnation. And teams that were sexy two months ago aren’t going anywhere next week.

          Yes, other teams are in the playoffs, and Atlanta needs help to get in. But goodness, don’t think the gap is that big. At all. It’s not. Except for those deep into short-sighted narratives.

          3. Yes, they should be better. Noooooooo doubt. The call here preseason was 12-5ish. I hate being that wrong, hate it. Players need blame. Ain't a coach yet missed a tackle, block, hole, assignment, pass, etc. And coaches don't coach players to do any of that.

          4. This was the first offseason in years Atlanta had money to play with, and the chance to bring in players. Mismanagement - pre Smith - has Atlanta in another transition year. Why clean house when you have a chance to improve with experience because you can afford it? Player development takes a little time.

          5. It – sh - happens. All over. Florida State's not firing anybody - all the situations aside - for losing by the biggest bowl margin ever. Denver lost by 70, still alive.

Players gotta make plays.

          6. Firing Smith just gives three more years of whining for people whining about transition and no stability, but seem to be against stability, or working through some adversity.

          If people ran their lives or workplace the way they want teams to be run, well, it’d just be a big ol’ mess.

          7. Adjustments are necessary for the playcaller, defensive coordinator, QBs, yes, just like with 70 percent of the NFL, including organizations that are historically better than the Falcons.

          Smith didn’t adjust well to the personnel and weapons, was stupid to name Ridder the starter after getting Taylor Heinicke, and then after benching him. There’s a whiff of agenda there.

          That he changed course helped save him keeping the team.

          8. Yes, Smith is on a leash next year. More progress, notable progress, is mandatory. But he deserves another to have a chance at an improved roster - everybody tries to improve their roster – and a whole second year with the ability to sign some players. And they - he's not the GM or prez - need to get offensive linemen. But you can only do with what you got, and those players need to get better on their own. A couple notable cuts might wake some up.

          9. Losses are to Detroit by 14, Washington by 8, Jacksonville by 16, Tennessee by 5, Minnesota by 3, Arizona by 2, Tampa Bay by 4, Carolina by 2, Chicago by 20. Better teams have lost to worse teams by more than 20.

          Not all losses are the same. And note the win over Houston.

          10. Atlanta firing Smith now is Falconing. Knee-jerking. Short-sighted. Devoid of reality. Not firing him isn't accepting 8-9 and no playoffs, not at all. It's having a remote clue of why they're 8-9 and not in the playoffs, and there's more to it than the simple narrative.

          There's more - in reality, sorry - to be optimistic about than people will admit, because many like complaining, they really do. Even some with whistles and coaching shorts.

          Progress? It’s there, not as much as it should be.

          Remember that 2023 is the first year since before Smith was hired that Atlanta had money to play with. The roster, while not showing it as much as expected, is clearly better. But a fairly rebuilt roster takes time.

          A young QB with more weapons than he could handle is an issue. A head coach with more weapons than he knew what to do with (properly) is an issue. Some discipline on defense with many new faces and without the stalwart defensive lineman is an issue.

          Of transition.     

          “We’re always in damn transition.”

          To a point, yeah. So why in the world do yahoos want more?

          The 2021 7-10 came after 4-12 and a coaching change and the end of a QB era, more roster transition, as much as no money allowed for. Atlanta won the close games, got hammered in the losses. Note to people: winning close games is a good thing, a good sign. No, blowouts are not. So it’s a wash.

          The 2022 7-10 was an improvement because Atlanta was in every game. Atlanta was in the playoff math until the last week. When you go a season and your biggest loss is by 18 at a Super Bowl contender and you have some injuries, and a new quarterback followed by another new quarterback, with a rookie RB, that’s progress, a positive.

          The current 7-9 record is not a step forward. Nope. It’s not. I expected Smith to be smarter, expected better from Ridder, and didn’t think the bolstered-up defense would backslide like it did down the stretch.

          But of clear mind and brain, I saw how close they were, usually despite themselves and some of the coaching, on both sides.

          Did they find funky ways and times to lose? Yes. Are they alone? Not even close. Yes, they digressed in some ways, not a shock considering the number of new players and starters, and some notable injuries.

          It took awhile for the young quarterback to have all the weapons healthy. That matters. The backfield wasn’t healthy for the first few weeks. Matters.

          The playcaller was too-often baffling. No, Atlanta should never have had less than 30 carries in any game. Any game. Why that happened is an issue, but one that improved late, and is unlikely to be an issue next year.

          A little offensive line improvement, the playcaller giving that job up, and the defense finding some consistency, that’s really it. That’s how close they are.

          And they’re still playing hard with this head coach. Not necessarily smarter, but still playing hard.

          Oh, they’re confounding, no doubt, but some of it isn’t a surprise.

          Stability is a good thing, be it in business or on a team or, well, mentally with a lot of folks. I say keep Smith, but he’s on a clear, clear leash, and I’d have no trouble yanking that leash completely next year – even mid-season - if they don’t show solid and clear progress.

          This year hasn’t been a step back  - do people remember the history of this organization? And the record? And all that? – and it hasn’t been a step forward.

          The venom, though, is mind-boggling. People don’t want the Falcons to win and the Bucs to to lose, which would make Atlanta the division champ.

           What kind of collection of ‘observers’ watches this team? Dang, losers whining about losing, but wanting losing. Lobotomies R Us should sponsor the Falcons.

Goodness, this is a group so baffled that it thinks Arthur Smith was hired because his dad started Federal Express and is buddies with Arthur Blank.

          Truly, among the dumbest and laziest takes in sports history. Ya know, Blank has money, doesn’t need to buttkiss a buddy. He didn’t make enough money to do all this because he’s constantly brain-dead (not to say he hasn’t erred, because people in (mis)management err before the first cup of coffee), and hiring a pal’s kid just for that reason is brain-dead.

          I would, however, absolutely love to have a sitdown with Mr. Blank and offer a few thoughts and ask several questions. The current employment of Mr. McKay is high on the list (nothing personal, Rich).

          Would love the same with Smith.

          Next year, no excuses. Better football, more consistency, a better record, some ‘holy crap, did you see that?’ wins. Other teams work to get better, too, but the Falcons are in better shape – barring another transition situation – than their division rivals.

          Make another knee-jerk change – barring a collapse of effort, against the Saints – just to make a change, and that’s erased.

          Here’s hoping Atlanta makes the playoffs, just to add to folks’ misery.