Saints' Dennis Allen Apologizes to Arthur Smith, Falcons After Heated Exchange Video

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith didn't take kindly to Jamaal Williams' one-yard touchdown run with 1:10 left in the New Orleans Saints' 48-17 victory Sunday.

Smith was visibly agitated when he walked toward Saints coach Dennis Allen for their postgame handshake.

Allen sympathized with Smith, because he had instructed the Saints players to run down the clock.

Quarterback Jameis Winston explained the situation to reporters:

For his part, Smith told reporters a coach "can do whatever you want" toward the end of a blowout, but he's equally empowered to vent his frustration when he believes an opponent is running up the score.

Plenty of fans will argue Allen had nothing to apologize for, and placing the blame on his own players was a puzzling decision. Saints fans loved seeing Williams score a meaningless touchdown out of the victory formation against New Orleans' biggest rival.

It's one thing to see a superior team refusing to let up against a vastly weaker opponent at the high school or college levels, where the gulf in quality between the top and bottom is vast. In the NFL, you're talking about two teams full of world-class athletes, all of whom are being compensated for their time.

Smith might have only succeeded in drawing more attention to how badly his team was beaten. It wasn't a great look for a coach who's presumably on the hot seat, either.

The Falcons have now finished 7-10 in each of Smith's three seasons at the helm. Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reported team owner Arthur Blank "has not been happy with the performance," and that the situation "is likely heading toward a breakup."

If Smith does soon find himself out of a job, then he left quite the lasting image.