As Arthur Smith often points out after Falcons games, especially after a loss, it’s the coaching staff’s job to correct the mistakes that threaten the team’s ability to win. He usually likes to add a little addendum to the end of those statements: “And we will.”
Week 15 was the clearest sign yet that this team and coaching staff have failed to fulfill that promise, and Sunday’s 9-7 loss will likely represent the final nail in the Falcons’ playoff hopes. They had the easiest schedule in the league, a very manageable division and a defense that has surpassed its preseason expectations by a mile.