The 4-6 Atlanta Falcons are facing one of the most critical stretches in recent memory, as head coach Arthur Smith might be coaching for his job over the next seven games.
Conflicting reports in recent days have debated the heat on Smith’s seat. The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz, who has been close to the team for quite some time, reported that Smith’s job is safer than expected, while The Washington Post‘s Jason La Canfora speculated that Smith could indeed be on the outs if Atlanta’s season continues its downward spiral.
Smith still has seven games and a wide-open NFC South in front of him, and he’s still got time to prove to owner Arthur Blank and general manager Terry Fontenot that he’s the guy to lead this franchise into 2024.
However, Smith is most likely going to have to orchestrate a quick turnaround or devise a pretty compelling post-2023 plan to stay at the helm of the Falcons past this January.
What do those possible scenarios look like, exactly? Let’s take a look.