Falcons fire HC Arthur Smith just hours after his ‘brainfade’ altercation with Dennis Allen

The Atlanta Falcons parted ways with Arthur Smith after losing the final game against the New Orleans Saints

Falcons fire HC Arthur Smith just hours after his ‘brainfade’ altercation with Dennis Allen

Arthur Smith (via Imago)

The NFL 2023-24 regular season witnessed a few coaching terminations following their teams’ poor performances. It started with Josh McDaniel, the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Later, Brandon Staley got the sack for a poor season with the Los Angeles Chargers. The latest to join the bandwagon is Arthur Smith. The head coach of the Atlanta Falcons was sacked after the final game.

The Falcons had a disappointing season. They finished with a 7-10 record, similar to their last two. Smith delivered three consecutive losing seasons, and as a result, the ownership decided to look for a fresh start. The team will start searching for a new HC soon.

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This is what the Falcons owner Arthur Blank said about the decision to sack Smith:

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We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position.
Arthur Blank on sacking Arthur Smith

According to a report by Kevin Patra, Arthur Smith had a 21-30 record as a head coach of the Falcons. He won seven games in each of his three seasons and ended up with just 21 wins. The Falcons looked like they needed a new direction after not making the playoffs in the last couple of seasons.

Arthur Smith triggered controversy in his last game

Smith’s journey as a head coach of the Falcons did not end well, as he created controversy by falling out with the New Orleans Saints head coach. The Saints handed a blowout defeat to the Falcons, and the brawl began at the very last moment of the game.

Arthur Smith Dennis Allen Saints Falcons
Dennis Allen (L- AP) and Arthur Smith cussing out the Saints head coach (R- NFL on CBS/ X)

With one minute to go, the Saints led a drive. They already had a hefty lead, and it was thought that they would take a knee and run the clock out. Instead, the Saints completed the touchdown drive and Jamaal Williams ended up having a TD. Now, the garbage time TD agitated the HC, who came straight to the face of the Saints’ head coach and started arguing.

This is what Smith said:

Why the f**k would you do that, man? Why the f**k did you do that? It's f**king bulls**t.
Arthur Smith to Dennis Allen

One could understand the frustration of Smith and feel the Saints could have run the clock out. Smith considered the TD drive disgusting. However, no brawls or altercations took place.

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