NFL Rumors: Arthur Smith, Falcons 'Likely Heading Toward a Breakup' After Saints Loss

The Arthur Smith era in Atlanta may be over.

Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reported that Sunday's 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints may have been the last straw for Arthur Smith's tenure as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

"Owner Arthur Blank has not been happy with the performance," Schultz wrote. "After last week's performance and the way today ended, sources believe this is likely heading toward a breakup."

The loss dropped the Falcons record to 7-10 on the season, however, it was almost enough to qualify for the playoffs. The weak NFC South saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the division with a 9-8 record and the Buccaneers victory over the Carolina Panthers solidified that.

However, the Falcons would have been the division winner with a victory and a Buccaneers loss, and while that wasn't the case, the blowout loss wrecked any chances of a miracle happening.

More importantly, Atlanta lost four of its final five games, three of which came against the Panthers, Saints and Buccaneers. A strong stretch would have solidified a division title and made the season a successful one.

Instead, Atlanta will be out of the postseason for the sixth consecutive season and Smith's inability to help the team reach new heights in his three seasons is a huge blemish. He has guided the team to a 7-10 record in each of his three seasons, with the most recent two coming amidst weak seasons from the others in the NFC South.