While the Falcons are reeling from their third consecutive loss, an old friend is finding success again as Arthur Smith and the Steelers have taken firm control of the AFC North with their 44-38 win over the Bengals.
While Atlanta fired Smith for underwhelming results, Raheem Morris has the Falcons in the exact same position as his predecessor in Week 13 — 6-6. Smith’s Falcons were .500 at this point in the season, and Morris has more talent than Smith.
The grass isn’t always greener. The Falcons could’ve had Russell Wilson at a much cheaper rate than Kirk Cousins, and all Wilson did for the Steelers was complete 29 of 38 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Now, Smith is garnering head coaching opportunities less than a calendar year after the Falcons fired him.
Not only is Smith’s alma mater, North Carolina, interested in his services, which Smith isn’t interested in, but the NFL is also expected to be interested in him being a head coach again.
“I think Arthur Smith will be a candidate for a head-coaching job,” one exec said. “I think we are going to see the second-time head coach come back in vogue. Washington is going to be a test case for that with Dan Quinn getting a second chance. There are quite a few guys who fell out of favor — Matt Nagy being one, Arthur Smith being another — who maybe were tied to the wrong quarterback in their previous stops and will say, ‘Look at what I’ve done as an offensive coordinator in my new place.’”
While the Falcons are licking their wounds and trying to salvage this season, Arthur Smith is enjoying life with Atlanta in the rearview.
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Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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