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Falcons' ex-coach Arthur Smith fired following eruption at Saints' Dennis Allen after late TD
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- Falcons' ex-coach Arthur Smith fired following eruption at Saints' Dennis Allen after late TD
The final public image of Arthur Smith as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons turned out to be a fitting one.
Smith was clearly displeased with New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen as the two convened at midfield for their postgame handshake following the Saints' 48-17 demolition Sunday. Cameras captured Smith using multiple choice words during the confrontation. Allen did not back down, as Smith jawed at him on his way back to the locker room.
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Allen apologized for a Jamaal Williams ' 1-yard touchdown with 1:10 left and the game already decided, the likely source of Smith's frustration. The TD came on what was essentially a fake kneel-down, with Allen saying after the game the players were instructed to kneel the ball.
"That's not who we are, not what we're about," Allen told reporters.
Saints center Erik McCoy said the touchdown wasn't with the intent to embarrass Atlanta. Instead, New Orleans players wanted to reward Williams for taking on a blocking-centric role this season. McCoy added that all 11 Saints in the huddle came to the decision.
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"Like, 'This guy deserves it,'" McCoy said. "And if it wasn't a collective, then we wouldn't have done it."
In his postgame news conference, Smith said that Allen did not need to apologize for running up the score in the second half. New Orleans kept its postseason hopes alive with the victory but needs help in the Sunday late-afternoon window.
"Dennis is a great coach," Smith said .
The game was knotted at 17 at halftime, and the Saints reeled off 31 unanswered points the rest of the game.
"Nobody wants to end the season like that," Smith said. "Credit to them. They made the plays. Certainly, second half got out of hand, they can do whatever they want. But it doesn't take away from the fact they beat us in the second half.
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"They can do whatever they want. There are no rules against it. Like I said, we didn't stop them in the second half. … They kicked our you-know-what in the second half."
Falcons fire Arthur Smith
Smith was one of the NFL coaches whose seats was hottest now that the offseason arrived. The Falcons entered the final day of the regular season with a chance of winning the NFC South, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ' victory over the Carolina Panthers made that impossible anyway. Atlanta went 7-10 and missed the playoffs in each of Smith's three seasons at the helm.
"We just finished the game … as I've said, I love doing what I do," Smith said when asked about his future.
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He later added: "It's been such a privilege to work with these guys. They've worked extremely hard all season. We clearly came up short. But I appreciate the hell out of them. I love coaching this team."
The Falcons announced the news of Smith's dismissal just after midnight Monday.
"Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. "We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations. After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Falcons' Arthur Smith fired after outburst at Saints HC Dennis Allen
