The Atlanta Falcons face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, with the franchise record and division lead on the line. Pulling for a team to lose because of a necessary change or draft positioning is simply not in this writer’s nature.
There will never be a game versus the Saints when a loss means anything. However, with history on the line this week, this is especially true.
However, if we keep in mind what a defeat would entail for the franchise, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the long run. A win should be the obvious desired result for Atlanta as they compete for a playoff place and their season.
Turning this club around and sneaking into the playoffs impacts how this squad is perceived and what needs to change going ahead. But is that genuinely in the best interests of the franchise and its fans?New Orleans is arguably in a similar situation, with a head coach who clearly has to be dismissed and a franchise that refuses to accept the evident necessity for a rebuild.
Whatever the Falcons’ outcome on Sunday, there will be great takeaways, even if it means another heartbreaking loss and the end of their season.
1. It would be the beginning of Arthur Smith’s demise.
Yes, we know what Arthur Blank has said, and some believe Smith will return for the 2024 season. Things change when you lose to the Saints, thus ruining Atlanta’s season, then drop three straight winnable games.
Arthur Smith appeared to be an answer in his first two seasons as head coach. Winning seven games with a rebuilding club was no easy task, and Smith accomplished it despite having few weapons and terrible quarterback play. With a better coaching staff, a better roster, and an easier schedule in year three, the results haven’t been the same.
Whether it’s because of Smith’s ego or an inability to get the ball to his stars, this offense has been a complete disaster. Arthur is unable to include his stars at the most vital times because he is unable to get the most important position on the field properly.
Smith has done more than enough to demonstrate that he is not the right man to lead Atlanta back to the playoffs. A loss to the Saints should be enough to convince Blank of this and urge the owner to start over with a squad full of promising young players.
2. Changes will be made at quarterback.
If the Falcons lose against the Saints, Desmond Ridder will almost certainly be the starter for the remainder of the season. However, if Ridder loses this game, the Falcons will have yet more cause to make a change at the position. Obviously, being benched for Taylor Heinicke isn’t ideal, and Ridder will need to be on fire in the final seven games to reclaim the job.
That begins with defeating this team and demonstrating his ability to be a franchise quarterback. For Atlanta, it may be preferable if the club loses this game and the position is given more importance. Desmond hasn’t lived up to expectations, and while some of that is due to Arthur Smith’s scheme, both the quarterback and Atlanta need to make some changes.
Kirk Cousins is the obvious target this offseason if the Falcons keep Arthur Smith. If the organization hires a new head coach and quarterback, we may expect the Falcons to choose a quarterback in the first round and move on from Heinicke, with Ridder serving as a cheap backup option. Whatever happens in this game, it will have a big impact on how Ridder is perceived and what the team does at the position moving forward.
3. Atlanta can focus on what the next chapter might look like.
Perhaps Panthers or Bears supporters will disagree, but being consistently average is more aggravating than merely being a horrible football club in certain ways. Atlanta is always in games and always seems to be a play or two away from the decisive win.
For three years, the Falcons have been just a play away and have come up short. At the very least, if Atlanta tanks, there remains the possibility of acquiring a franchise quarterback or a game-changing head coach. In a wide-open NFC South, the Falcons, while losing each week, are still a game or two away from the playoffs.
Losing to the Saints would put an end to it, allowing Blank and the Atlanta crowd to consider what adjustments might be required. The obvious approach is to hire a new head coach, but what about Smith’s staff? Atlanta has a lot of difficult decisions to make this offseason, and a loss to their archrival gives the team a jump start on what will be a key offseason.