Arthur Smith is facing his biggest challenge as the Falcons Head Coach. The team is in the midst of their worst stretch of the season after losing in back-to-back weeks to quarterbacks making their first starts for their respective teams. They will now travel to Arizona to take on a similarly struggling Cardinals squad with a chance to get back to .500 before a much-needed bye week.
Coach Smith has taken criticism both locally and nationally, most recently being under the microscope for his lack of usage for first-round draft picks Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson. Further scrutiny has come for their lack of usage in the red zone where they are seemingly used more as blockers or decoys than the focal point of the offense. It remains to be seen if Coach Smith will allow the noise to get to him or if he will stay true to his game plan and continue to do what he feels is best for the team in any given situation.
A viral social media post from Cordarelle Patterson has further ignited the flames, the post intending to remind fans and media alike that he is still a viable option as a weapon for the offense. A win against the Cardinals won’t entirely extinguish the flames, but it would be a good first step.