'Compete Like Hell': Falcons HC Arthur Smith Establishing Culture in Atlanta
The first year of Arthur Smith's tenure as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons will look very different than his second.
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After leading his team to a 7-10 record behind veteran Matt Ryan under center, he'll now have a different task with veteran journeyman Marcus Mariota or rookie Desmond Ridder as the new quarterback.
Despite leading a rebuild, Smith is hoping that the precedent he set in Year 1 will translate into Year 2.
"So yeah, sure, you can call it whatever you want, you really need to retool or rebuild every year in certain spots," Smith said. "Now, is there some major transition? Yeah, you can make that argument. I think it's obvious. But this team's gonna come out, they're gonna compete like hell, they're gonna fight, we've got good young pieces, and we're gonna play well together in all three phases as a team. I'm excited about it. This is gonna be a fun team to coach."
Smith is getting some familiarity with some players, including Mariota, who was with him during his time with the Tennessee Titans. Mariota is just one of a couple players who have made the move from Tennessee to Atlanta. Earlier this offseason, the Falcons signed tight end Anthony Firkser and linebacker Rashaan Evans, who both played with the Titans last season.
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Rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder also has similarities to that of Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill was expected to be Mariota's backup with the Titans in 2019, but when the team made the switch to the former Miami Dolphins quarterback, he became the starter.
Smith is slowly but surely getting his people and his culture established, now he's got to prove that his people and culture can win football games in Atlanta.
