As reports began to surface of Arthur Smith’s status being safe going into 2024, one of the most dreadful performances of the season couldn’t have come at a worse time for the embattled head coach. Although the one-sided defeat to Chicago was more due to personnel shortcomings than coaching blunders, the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff and front office made those decisions in those key positional areas. They also failed to make credible adjustments after being considerably outplayed in the first half.
Losing that definitively against a team you expect to beat must be alarming for Arthur Blank, as time is quickly approaching for his big decision to be made on a head coaching change.