Mike Smith's Stubbornness Doomed the Falcons, but Atlanta Can Recover Quickly

If there was any hope, it's gone.

If there was any doubt, it's removed.

The Mike Smith era in Atlanta? It's over.

Though Smith's seat was white-hot long before Sunday's implosion, there may have been a chance he could save his job. With a win in Week 17's effective play-in game, he could secure an improbable NFC South title. With a winnable playoff game at home against a flagging Arizona Cardinals team, Smith could get the Falcons to the second round of the playoffs.

Nobody could get fired after making the second round of the playoffs, right?

Instead, with everything on the line, the Falcons played their worst game of the season—and they've played some bad games this season.

Quarterback Matt Ryan, who managed to keep his interception rate to a low 2.2 percent in 2014, threw two pick-sixes. Receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White, each capable of having 162-yard games, combined for just that many. Tailbacks Jacquizz Rodgers and Devonta Freeman mustered 57 yards on just 15 total carries. The defense allowed 194 yards rushing; four different Carolina Panthers gained at least 40 yards on the ground. Cam Newton only threw it 16 times, but he completed 10 of them for 114 yards and a score.

So, the Falcons couldn't pass, couldn't run, couldn't stop the pass and couldn't stop the run.

It was a stunning, negative image of the Falcons team Smith had built in the first five years of his tenure. Their power run game, downfield passing attack and hard-nosed defense earned Smith a 56-24 record, four playoff berths, two division titles and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.

Smith's arguably the best head coach in Falcons history. He raised the bar in Atlanta so high, he couldn't get over it.

As Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported, owner Arthur Blank wants to win a Super Bowl while Ryan's in his prime—and Smith hasn't shown the acuity or adaptability to pull that off:

Smith can't entirely be blamed for the Falcons' stunning 2013 collapse. After going 13-3 in 2012 and falling five points short of going to the Super Bowl, a cascade of injuries and disappointing performances sunk the offense.

But Smith, who'd done such a marvelous job of instilling identity and consistency in a team that hasn't had much of either in its history, couldn't right the ship—or even bail any water. The Falcons went from ranking seventh in scoring offense and fifth in scoring defense to 20th and 27th, respectively.

With the nucleus of his perennial playoff team mostly intact, Smith's plan for 2014 seemed to be "1st-and-10, do it again." A few head-scratching free-agent moves failed to address the team's most glaring need—pass rush—and Smith seemed content to rely on uninspiring veterans like running back Steven Jackson and pass-rusher Kroy Biermann, even over younger, more promising talent on the roster.

Third-year pass-rusher Jonathan Massaquoi was recently benched and publicly criticized by the coaching staff after repeatedly speaking out about what Falcons fans everywhere were wondering—why can't he get on the field over unproductive holdovers like Biermann and Osi Umenyiora?

It's one thing for Smith and his coordinators to enforce a seniority-based playing-time hierarchy when everyone is playing well. When the team is on track to fall four or five wins short of expectations, is in desperate need of help at a position and a potential answer is on the roster, well, staying the course is indefensible.

Of course, there were personnel issues that weren't Smith's fault.

Credit: John Bazemore/AP

Rookie left tackle Jake Matthews—thought by many analysts (including this one) to be an incredibly polished, pro-ready prospect—played like a rookie. The free-agent moves on the defensive line bolstered the run defense a little, but did nothing for the pass rush. The continued dominance of second-year standout cornerback Desmond Trufant didn't take the heat off the struggling safeties.

Some thought general manager Tom Dimitroff might be swept out the door with Smith, but per NFL Network's Albert Breer, he's safe.

The question really wasn't if Smith, given another productive offseason, can field a competitive team around the cornerstones he's got. Yes, he could: Ryan, Jones, White, Matthews, Trufant and others form the nucleus of a competitive team no matter who's coaching.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

The question was if Smith has the wherewithal to adapt to adversity, game-plan through flat spots, coax consistent performances out of his aging stalwarts and emerging role players and lead a competitive team to the Super Bowl—before Falcons owner Arthur Blank has to start selling tickets to that fancy new stadium the Falcons are building.

If anyone thought the answer to that question might be yes, Sunday's performance served as a resounding no.

Whoever takes the Falcons over will have a solid veteran quarterback playing some of his best football, one of the game's very best receiver pairs and some intriguing pieces of a flexible, hybrid defense that could quickly fit any mold.

All they have to do is give their best players the best chance to succeed—something Smith did far too little of when it was most desperately needed.