Mike Smith - history

[Gray Mule]

Falcons fire their head coach, Mike Smith.  We learned this early this morning.

 

We, the Falcon fans, feel that he deserved to be fired.  Yet, the GM, who is

responsible for acquiring players, is still here.  One of the reasons that we

no longer have our head coach is the wins for the season.

 

Any coach can't win without the proper players.  Why does this guy still have

a job, a position, with the Falcons? 

 

In my opinion, we need a bran new GM and then he needs to have a big hand

in hiring a new head coach.  My opinion carries no weight.  Maybe, just maybe,

someone with power will think as I do and act on it.  I hope so.

[macdaddy]

The only thing I can figure is that Blank thinks most of Dimitroff's decisions were actually good ones.  You never know how much weight was given to Smith (or Blank's) opinions on personnel and maybe it's some of those that really backfired.   

 

Of course, today Blank didn't say Dimitroff's job was safe necesarily but it's hard to imagine letting him pick a coach and then firing him.   All I know is that Matt Ryan needs a new direction.   This offense wasn't playing to his strengths, which is on coaching, but also we need a real running game for Ryan to be effective.   And that's on the GM.   There are some good backs in this league and we have none of them.   

[EazyRoc]

Actually we have two very good backs in Freeman and Rodgers, but the interior of our line is punked on almost every snap. I know people think pass rusher is our biggest need (hell i do too), you need to be able to complement a good D with a solid run game. We need to upgrade LG, C, and RT.

[macdaddy]

Actually we have two very good backs in Freeman and Rodgers, but the interior of our line is punked on almost every snap. I know people think pass rusher is our biggest need (hell i do too), you need to be able to complement a good D with a solid run game. We need to upgrade LG, C, and RT.

 

I really like Rodgers and think he'd be good if we ran more screens for him.   I don't know if he can be a 20+ carry guy but there again I'm not a football expert by any means. 

 

But I agree with you that offensive line may be our biggest need.  Frankly our defense was decent at times especially considering how many minutes they were having to cover guys.   Smitty did great when we controlled the ball and ate up clock.   Even then we were often hanging on for wins.

[PSSSHHHRRR87]

I believe the pass rush and offensive line was ignoring for too many drafts and too many S-Jax and Osi signings for me to believe that Dimitroff should still be here.

 

I will stay that I've hated Mike Smith's ultra-conservative nature and believe that the players we have better suited for an uptempo, aggressive style.  Smith hooked a semi-trailer to our Ferrari offense and plays the soft zone BS.  I want to see Mike Nolan freed up so he can play more blitz schemes and be more aggressive and creative.  I want a head coach like Chip Kelly or somebody that'll be more aggressive.

 

I hope Koetter is gone too.

[jy23]

Not really Dimi's fault that the coaches won't play their best players. Why was Mass not getting any snaps? Why was Freeman not getting more snaps over Jax? Why in the world were we using Tyson Jackson as a rush end on obvious passing downs? Why would we go out and get all of this 3-4 personnel and continue to play them in 4-3 sets, not putting them in a position to succeed?

Not saying TD doesn't have his faults bc he clearly does but I'm willing to give him another shot with another coach....as long as Pioli stays on as an assistant.

[EazyRoc]

That big nickel 4-2-5 with Biermann, Jackson, Solai, and Babineaux as your front for was one of the dumbest formations I ever saw. We got killed on the edges and could never generate a pass rush with it. That alone should get Smith and Nolan fired.

[EazyRoc]

I really like Rodgers and think he'd be good if we ran more screens for him. I don't know if he can be a 20+ carry guy but there again I'm not a football expert by any means.

But I agree with you that offensive line may be our biggest need. Frankly our defense was decent at times especially considering how many minutes they were having to cover guys. Smitty did great when we controlled the ball and ate up clock. Even then we were often hanging on for wins.

i think Jackson and Rodgers will end up getting cut. We will take a chance on a big back in the draft. We will probably also pick up a FB/RB tweener like Snelling too.

[benhillboy]

I think the guys played as hard as they could for Smitty and genuinely liked him. It's not hard to see where Brian Billick gets the basis for his view that "the talent isn't there" on defense being his brother-in-law and all. I think Dimitroff's misses have weighed heavier than his hits and would've preferred him gone instead. There clearly are holes in a lot of places which is his responsibility.

At the end of the day though, I think all fans need to realize that the injury report for this team was as active as any in the league, training camp to Week 17, and not have knee jerk reactions like an aging owner prepping for his last big conquest of Super Bowl and Soccer.

Smitty had his brainfreezes for damn sure, but getting rid of a 2-Time COY who was 20 games over .500 in his tenure just doesn't seem ideal unless you have someone more proven already in pocket. I believe chance and parity (NFC moreso than AFC) is as important if not more than any cosmetic football decisions you can make so what do I know. If I were Blank, I would kick my feet up and could conceivably say we went 10-6 the following year becuase we stayed the course.

The players are closer to their position coaches and coordinators I would guess. Their biggest supporters can't make me believe guys like Caldwell or Garrett actually do anything, they're jobs are safe and sound today.

Edited December 30, 2014 by benhillboy

[jy23]

If you believe TD and Blank then the personnel goods had just as much if not more to do with Smitty then with TD. At the presser they talked about how much input Smitty had on personnel. TD basically did what Smitty wanted and gave him the roster he desired which in my estimation explains why Blank is giving TD another chance with a different coach.

[jhay610]

I've had my issues with Smith and it was time for him to go -- he was far too ultra-conservative early in games with a lead and his game situation / clock management troubles are well-documented. However, he still will be remembered as one of the great Falcons coaches of all time (not elite company there, but still).

 

He came in after the Petrino/Vick debacle and immediately restored credibility. He stabilized the ship and he had, and still has, the players behind him. He did not deserve what Blank put him through in leaking the story about the search firm ahead of the biggest game of 2014. That was disrespectful and tasteless to do to anyone, let alone someone who has been the embodiment of professional since he took the job.

 

What's more, in the postgame he stood up there and took his lumps, fell on the grenade, took all of the blame and deflected any and all from his players. He never once complained or even insinuated any flaws in the roster. Mike Smith the man is, by all accounts, One Great Guy and he will land on his feet somewhere. He would be an ideal head coach if he had a full-time numbers cruncher making game management decisions for him.

 

With all that said, I do not understand how Dimitroff still has a job. How many players on this roster would start on any playoff team (discounting ST as surely Matt Bryant, Weems and Hester are strong special teamers)? Ryan, Jones and Trufant. Maybe Mathews is a nice piece for the future. That's it. Outside of Tru, the entire defensive side of the ball is a disaster zone.

He has had 7 years to build a competent line of scrimmage on either side of the ball and has failed miserably at doing so. The only above average pass rusher of his era was John Abraham, who was acquired before he was here and then unceremoniously cut with no adequate contingency plan in place.

 

He walked into a roster with a lot of good building blocks in 2008 missing only a LT, RB, QB. He did a good job his 1st year getting Ryan, Baker and Turner, who at the beginning was a revelation.

 

That original roster carried him until 2013, when only Babineaux and Blaylock were left. He did nothing to replace the slow erosion of talent through the years. The team slowly but surely lost the ability to run the ball. The 2012 season was the last gasp as it turns out and statistically minded people have noted how fortunate the Falcons were to get to 13 wins in that season.

I don't know how you can look at this roster and say with a straight face that Mike Smith is any more culpable than Dimitroff. On a local sports radio show Dimitroff dismissed 4th round picks as worthless -- that says a lot about his mindset and approach, as good teams find starters in the 4th round.

 

Staying his execution just sets the franchise back as long as his tenure lasts. The Falcons need to start fresh and need to do that now. There are so many holes to fill on this roster and that can only be corrected by several years of quality drafts; Dimitroff has clearly demonstrated that he is not the man for that job. They are wasting the Matt Ryan / Julio window because that is all this roster is at the moment. I've had my issues with Smith and it was time for him to go -- he was far too ultra-conservative early in games with a lead and his game situation / clock management troubles are well-documented. However, he still will be remembered as one of the great Falcons coaches of all time (not elite company there, but still).

He came in after the Petrino/Vick debacle and immediately restored credibility. He stabilized the ship and he had, and still has, the players behind him. He did not deserve what Blank put him through in leaking the story about the search firm ahead of the biggest game of 2014. That was disrespectful and tasteless to do to anyone, let alone someone who has been the embodiment of professional since he took the job.

 

What's more, in the postgame he stood up there and took his lumps, fell on the grenade, took all of the blame and deflected any and all from his players. He never once complained or even insinuated any flaws in the roster. Mike Smith the man is, by all accounts, One Great Guy and he will land on his feet somewhere. He would be an ideal head coach if he had a full-time numbers cruncher making game management decisions for him.

 

With all that said, I do not understand how Dimitroff still has a job. How many players on this roster would start on any playoff team (discounting ST as surely Matt Bryant, Weems and Hester are strong special teamers)? Ryan, Jones and Trufant. Maybe Mathews is a nice piece for the future. That's it. Outside of Tru, the entire defensive side of the ball is a disaster zone.

He has had 7 years to build a competent line of scrimmage on either side of the ball and has failed miserably at doing so. The only above average pass rusher of his era was John Abraham, who was acquired before he was here and then unceremoniously cut with no adequate contingency plan in place.

 

He walked into a roster with a lot of good building blocks in 2008 missing only a LT, RB, QB. He did a good job his 1st year getting Ryan, Baker and Turner, who at the beginning was a revelation.

 

That original roster carried him until 2013, when only Babineaux and Blaylock were left. He did nothing to replace the slow erosion of talent through the years. The team slowly but surely lost the ability to run the ball. The 2012 season was the last gasp as it turns out and statistically minded people have noted how fortunate the Falcons were to get to 13 wins in that season.

 

I don't know how you can look at this roster and say with a straight face that Mike Smith is any more culpable than Dimitroff. On a local sports radio show Dimitroff dismissed 4th round picks as worthless -- that says a lot about his mindset and approach, as good teams find starters in the 4th round.

 

Staying his execution just sets the franchise back as long as his tenure lasts. The Falcons need to start fresh and need to do that now. There are so many holes to fill on this roster and that can only be corrected by several years of quality drafts; Dimitroff has clearly demonstrated that he is not the man for that job. They are wasting the Matt Ryan / Julio window because that is all this roster is at the moment. 

[jhay610]

So good it was worth saying twice!

[Guest]

Eh, I'm just glad we get to put to bed the ridiculous buzzwords.

 

The "process", "self-scout", grrrr that one makes me cringe.

[jy23]

As I've already stated blank and TD both said those personnel decisions were made by the coach. Tyson Jackson was a starter on a top 10 defense the year before he came to us, Solai was also a starter on a really good defense before coming to us. Babs is a good player and Willy Mo and Lowery would def be starters somewhere else. Point is the guys were not put into a position to succeed....that's on the coach not the GM. Osi was on the radio yesterday talking about how badly misused the players were. Said that the scheme wasn't built around the players, basically trying to fit square pegs into a round hole.

[Guest]

I think it was a combination.  There's a severe lack of talent on that team in addition to coaching deficiencies.

 

Osi was done a few years before he signed here so I hope he wasn't blaming his failures on the coaches.

[jy23]

LINK: http://www.foxsports...-defense-123014

ARTICLE:

Smith, Dimitroff disagreed regarding how Falcons should build defense

ALANTA -- Monday's press conference to formally announce that Mike Smith had been released from his contract wasn't all about the Atlanta Falcons parting ways with the most successful coach in franchise history. Stuck away toward the end of the meeting, team owner Arthur Blank and general manager Thomas Dimitroff discussed the failures of this team over the past few years to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

More important than beating the fact to death that Atlanta finished next to last in the NFL in sacks in 2014, was listening to the reason why the Falcons may have floundered of late.

The Falcons didn't add a true pass-rusher -- either in free agency or the draft -- prior to the 2014 season, even though it was an area of great need. That may be because Smith and Dimitroff couldn't agree on how to build the defense, and Smith eventually won the argument and got his way.

Blank explained his philosophy on pressuring the quarterback in the NFL.

"Clearly we have not had the kind of pass rush for a number of years that I think is important in this league," Blank said. "Even the better quarterbacks in this league, when they're under tremendous pressure they make more mistakes than they do if they're not.

"So, in my opinion pressure is a really big deal. And we have not had pressure. We just have not, for a variety of reasons. You can get into that debate; is it coaching, is it scheming, is it players?"

Now that Smith is no longer with the team, coaching and scheming will no longer be an issue when it comes to an excuse as to why the Falcons had an abysmal pass rush. But the question still remains about the players that have been added -- and some that have not -- to help attack opposing quarterbacks.

For some time the general consensus was that Smith and Nolan were having trouble working with the talent pool in Atlanta. The lack of a pass rush meant there was no one here capable of truly making a difference. The talent pool was supposed to be Dimitroff's game.

According to Blank, that wasn't the case.

"The design -- and Smitty felt strongly, Mike Nolan felt strongly about this, I think Thomas was certainly supportive of it -- Thomas had strong feelings that we needed to get more pressure," Blank said. "Smitty and Mike, and others felt that we needed to build from the inside out, we needed to be able to stop the run and that in and of itself would create opportunities.

"Coach Nolan felt that with his schemes that he would be able to put enough pressure on quarterbacks. Certainly against the Saints that was true, against probably a Hall of Fame quarterback. It didn't carry over, wasn't there consistently throughout the year for sure, and certainly wasn't there again yesterday (against the Panthers)."

From how vehemently Blank said he feels about pressuring opposing quarterbacks, he paints a picture of he and Dimitroff sitting on one side of an argument, with Smith and Nolan on the other. Owner and general manager wanted pass-rushers, head coach and defensive coordinator wanted interior linemen to help stop the run.

Eventually Dimitroff allowed Smith to call the shot.

"This is a very collaborative organization," said Dimitroff. "We work closely with the coaching staff, which is the only way it should be. A general manager should never force feed talent on a staff. Smitty and I worked together closely. Ultimately it was my choice to agree to the free-agency moves, and that's what we did. We feel we have some good players that we can continue to work with."

Dimitroff was speaking of the moves to bring in defensive end Tyson Jackson and defensive tackle Paul Soliai during free agency to help stop the run. He said their seasons were filled with ups and downs, and that "they're not a part of necessarily the pressure we're looking for."

No one should second-guess Atlanta's first pick in the 2014 draft, offensive tackle Jake Matthews. Fixing the offensive line was an area of great need. But the Falcons confused many when in the second round, instead of selecting a pure pass-rusher, they picked defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman.

There were many pass-rushers still on the board.

Immediately after the pick was made, the Falcons told the media they were classifying Hageman as a defensive end and moving him to the five-technique. While that might have sounded like they were going to turn him into a pass-rusher, Dimitroff dispelled that idea. "He (Hageman) was not drafted to come in and pass-rush," Dimitroff said some seven months after the draft. "He was drafted to be a guy that was going to be helping us build from the inside out."

There's that term "inside out." Blank used that to describe how Smith and Nolan wanted to construct this defense. Therefore, it sounds like Hageman was a Smith pick, not one Dimitroff completely wanted.

Instead of using Atlanta's second-round draft pick on such a huge area of need as rushing the passer -- and remember, Blank and Dimitroff both sound like rushing the passer is of the utmost importance -- the Falcons added their third tool of the offseason to help stop the run.

Atlanta still ranked 21st in the league against the run, and still don't have a pass-rusher.

With Smith gone, will Atlanta's draft and offseason strategy change? It's abundantly clear that Blank and Dimitroff want to go in a different direction, and now can go out and hire a head coach that will help them drive the bus in the direction they want to go.

[macdaddy]

That's kind of what i figured.  That Blank blames most of the personnel screw ups on Smith himself and not TD.   I'm not much of a fan of Blank but what decade are Smith and Nolan living in if they are most concerned about stopping the run above getting pressure on the QB.