The Falcons faced a savage blow to their playoff aspirations when they lost to the Panthers in week 15 but it seems the front office still have fair in hear coach Arthur Smith.
The 6-8 Falcons lost the game more than the Panthers won it, with quarterback Desmond Ridder making a March losing play with an interception a few yards out of the Panthers N-zone.
Smith has replaced Ridder with Taylor Heinicke for their next clash against Indianapolis.
Team owner Arthur Blank admitted the Falcons are committed to Smith, speaking to Jeff Hullinger of the Georgia Public Broadcasting.
“We are committed to coach Smith,” Blank told Hullinger. “We are going to play these last three games; we are committed to win.
“We will let the season play out and go from there. Obviously, this has not been the kind of year we expected; you would hear that from coach Smith, you would hear it from our fans and our players.
The Falcons will be looking to make amends against the playoff chasing Colts.
“We understand that; we understand the challenges. At the end of the year, we will assess where we are and go from there,” the owner concluded.
Smith has watched over to back-to-back 7-10 losing seasons and will need to win two of their last three to finish on a winning note. They will probably need to win all three to try earning a playoff berth.
Blank, when asked if Smith was mandated to make the playoffs he said, “No, that was never really a requirement.
“The requirement was we have more of a competitive team this year. I think through this part of the season, it’s been mixed, quite honestly, that’s what I think. And that’s what the coach would say. Arthur is a very honest, very … he looks at himself very critically, so he comes from a beautiful family, that has great values, and he reflects those values in his leadership the best he can.
“So, we’ll see how the season plays out and go from there.”
Smith, a former Titans defensive coach, will want to get a winning season if he wants to see out a fourth season.
