The Falcons are alone in first place in the NFC South after an improbable win over the Carolina Panthers where they were able to grab victory from the jaws of defeat not once, but twice.
John and Hugh took a look as the job Arthur Smith has done so far this season and how they grade out his NFL Coach of the Year resume at the midway point of the season.
"When you talk about what you're dealing with, I don't think that's a far stretch for me to say that," says Hugh Douglas. "You're talking about a squad that was projected to get two wins this year."
The Falcons, already up to four victories on the season, not only lead the NFC South, but have a schedule that could easily see them reach nine or 10 wins this season, maybe more.
Some of the other top contenders include coaches whose teams were also expected to struggle but are actually seeing some success so far this season.
New York Giants HC Brian Daboll was riding high until this past weekend's loss to the Seahawks, but the G-Men still find themselves at 6-2 in an NFC East that could end up being the best division in football.
Seattle Seahawks HC Pete Carroll has a team that is leading the NFC West after supposed Super Bowl contenders in the 49ers and Rams, all while replacing Russell Wilson with Geno Smith.
New York Jets HC Robert Saleh has the Jets at 5-3 right now and while they seem like a team destined to fall off, you can't ignore the steps forward that franchise has taken so far this season.
Minnesota Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell and Philadelphia Eagles HC Nick Sirianni didn't come in to the season with the low expectations that the teams listed above did, but they find themselves with 6-1 and 8-0 records and if they continue to win games you can't ignore those types of records.
