The first domino has fallen extremely early on NFL’s Black Monday, with the Atlanta Falcons firing head coach Arthur Smith after a disappointing 7-10 season.
Black Monday is the ominous term that has been coined for the first Monday after the conclusion of the regular season where a handful of head coaches are generally relieved of their duties.
Smith’s fate was announced just after the calendar ticked over to Monday in the US, with the 41-year old fired at 12:01am.
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It followed a post-game meltdown after the Falcons’ loss to the Saints, with Smith furious over their rivals running up the score with a late touchdown on a fake kneeldown.
Smith’s teams were consistently mediocre during his time in Atlanta, compiling a 7-10 record in all three seasons at the helm (21-30 overall).
Hired for his offensive playcalling prowess, there was the occasional bright spot during Smith’s tenure, but those moments were fleeting.
It’s fair to say that the quarterback play hasn’t been great in those three seasons either as the Falcons have undergone a rebuild.
However, in the end, the Atlanta brass weren’t content with the Falcons’ offensive output this season despite three top end draft picks in tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and stud rookie running back Bijan Robinson at Smith’s disposal.
Smith was often ridiculed by members in the media and his own fans for his seemingly bizarre usage of Pitts over the past three seasons and Robinson in the early and middle stages of this season.
Pitts, a freak athlete with game-changing ability who was drafted fourth overall in 2021, hasn’t featured in the offensive game plan nearly as much as he should have been, with Smith electing to involve a heavy dose of inferior role players.
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Falcons owner Arthur Blank released a statement soon after Smith’s firing,
“Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good,” Blank said.
“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.”
As it generally goes, Smith won’t be Black Monday’s only victim.
While it’s expected, the likely parting of ways between legendary coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots will be a move that reverberates around the NFL.
Belichick is considered one of the greatest coaches in the sport’s history, with over 300 wins and six Super Bowls during his 23-year career as coach of the Patriots.
However, the three seasons since the departure of future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady have been mostly underwhelming, with a 4-13 campaign this season a new low.
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“It was a disappointing year for all of us — players, coaches, staff, the entire organisation,” Belichick said after his team’s Week 18 loss to the New York Jets on Monday (AEDT).
“Not anything that any of us are in any way content with, but it is what it is.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has made no secret with his disappointment in the team’s performance as he yearns to get the franchise back to the glory days of the early 2000s.
Belichick no doubt has runs on the board, but five years without a playoff win is a tough pill for Kraft and the proud franchise to swallow.
Boston sports reporter Tom Curran said back in mid-December that Kraft and the Patriots decided Belichick’s fate after a poor showing against the Colts in Germany.
“When they came out of Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made,” Curran said on “Arbella Early Edition.”
“They were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year, there would be a parting of the ways for a variety of reasons.”
Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders are all but certain to call time on Ron Rivera’s four-year tenure. They too finished with a 4-13 record, ending up with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
In terms of top candidates on the market, all eyes are on Michigan coach and former San Francisco mentor Jim Harbaugh, who has led his Wolverines to the college football championship game and is extremely keen to return to the NFL – especially if he wins a national title against Washington on Tuesday (AEDT).
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