Mike Smith Plays It "Safe" Again

No guts. No glory.

Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but in three of the Falcons' last four losses, Mike Smith, second year head coach, has punted on critical fourth downs.

In those three losses, the Atlanta Falcons defense has given up a staggering average of 428 yards to the opposing offense. This begs the question, what game was Smith watching?

In Atlanta's last loss, second year quarterback, Matt Ryan, balked at leaving the field on a 4th-and-2. His desire to win and realization that his ineffectual defense was not up to the task spawned a momentary confrontation with his beloved head coach.

No sooner had the commentator finished praising Smith for telling Ryan who was boss than the Cowboys' Patrick Crayton returned the disputed punt for 73 yards, scoring the touchdown that put the game out of reach.

Of course, you are supposed to punt on 4th-and-2 deep in your own territory. Everyone knows that. It is one of the "rules."

It is also playing it safe.

Doing this when you are down by two possessions in the fourth quarter with a porous defense is not winning football.

It doesn't matter how many points you lose by; it only matters that you lost. The worst that happens is that you lose by another score. The best that happens is that you keep the ball on the side of the only part of your team that is working.

Granted, he could not have anticipated a punt returned for a touchdown.

He could have anticipated, even if that had not happened, that his defense would have not gotten a stop and Dallas would either score again and/or run precious time off the clock.

Because that is what always happens.

Last year's head-coach-of-the-year has been instrumental in the turn-around of the Atlanta Falcons. This no-nonsense players' coach led the Falcons to an 11-5 record last year and a trip to the playoffs. He will, no doubt, be the first Falcons head coach ever that brought back-to-back winning seasons to the franchise.

But just like his head coach probably told him when he was a player: You have to leave it all on the field.