Falcons HC Arthur Smith confirms he will call plays

When the Falcons hired Arthur Smith, rumors began to circulate that the new offensive-minded head coach could hand the game day over to anyone who would be appointed offensive coordinator. This has alarmed some fans, as Smith’s resume is mainly bolstered by what he does on the pitch.

In his introductory press conference on Tuesday, however, the new head coach confirmed what fans are hoping for: he will retain offensive appeal functions on match days.

This is obviously an important detail and in line with what the recruits from OC to HC have been doing in recent years. Guys like Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan retained control of the offense, even as their responsibilities expanded to cover the entire 53-man roster.

Particularly for Arthur Smith, his resume was primarily driven by what he did with the Titans over the past two years as an offensive coordinator. During that time, his fouls were ranked 1st for red zone effectiveness, 2nd for yards per play and 4th for points. The only offenses he has trailed in the past 20 years have been led by Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes.

This should be great news for Falcons fans who want some of that magic to be fed back into a unit that has significantly underperformed its talent level. Guys like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are expected to post numbers like the Titans did and with Smith keeping control, there is a legitimate hope that they will in 2021.