Saturday, October 13, 2012

In "Smitty" We Trust

Coming off a year where a team saw its starting quarterback indicted on federal dog-fighting charges and its then head coach, Bobby Petrino, tuck tail and run back to the college ranks leaving letters on player stools with three games remaining in the season. The Atlanta Falcons could only wonder, What Next?

Finishing the 2007 season with a 4-12 record, Falcons Owner, Arthur Blank turned to the legendary Bill Parcells and offered him the chance to run the entire football operations of the ball club. With the deal reportedly in the closing stages, The Tuna backs out and decides to take his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Dolphins in the same role. 25 days later, a publicly embarrassed Blank hired New England's Director of College Scouting, Thomas Dimitroff as the new General Manager and for the first time since April 25th, 2007 things were finally going the Falcons way. 


On January 23, 2008, just ten days after his arrival in Atlanta, Thomas Dimitroff made his first and most important decision in his new role and hired then Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith as the teams 15th head coach in the franchises 42 year history. Instant reactions from the fan base, "Who?", and "How did they find this guy?" Smith was virtually unknown, not even a bleep on the NFL radar in the minds of some fans, and now he is the guy we expect to take us from under the barrel to the cream of the crop of football teams? No offense 2008 Mike Smith but Yeah Right. 

Lets fast forward four years eight months and 20 days, Who is Mike Smith? Only the 2008 Coach of the Year after posting an 11-5 record in his first season as a head coach with a rookie quarterback and one of the winningest coaches in the NFL since 2008. Under Smith, The 2012 Atlanta Falcons seem poised to make a deep run in the post season as the team is off to its first ever 5-0 start in team history.  

With two more victories, Smitty will pass Dan Reeves as the Falcons all time leader in coaching victories with 50. While it is an impressive feat and significant accomplishment for the once unknown coach Daytona Beach, Florida, I feel Smith doesn't hold it near the top of his list of priorities. Simply put Mike Smith wants to win a Superbowl and that is the attitude he is instilled in his players and the surrounding community. However off to a hot start, Coach Smith will not be caught looking ahead, 

“We have not played well in the second season,” Smith told PFT by phone after Sunday’s 24-17 win over the Redskins, in reference to the team’s 0-3 postseason mark since 2008.  “We’ve got to continue to play well now.  We’ll worry about the season season when it comes.”

Many feel the keys of being a Superbowl team is one that stays grounded during success, level headed during times of adversity and as the Falcons saw in the past two seasons, a team that is hot at the right time. After two crushingly embarrassing playoff showings, the team has no choice but to stay as grounded as possible.  When facing adversity this season, the players have banned together, whether it be on the field down in the fourth quarter or off the field supporting teammates who have found themselves in legal situations. This team is not easily shaken which is a long way away from where Mike Smith found them in 2008.

Lastly, is will the Falcons get hot and burn their way through the playoffs like Green Bay and New York have done? Who can say for sure but we can be certain that Smitty will do everything in his power to ensure that this hot start continues as long as it can. In Mike Smith the Falcons have found a leader, someone who can get the best out of the players and has restored hope in a fan base that was floating belly up before his arrival. After 42 years the Falcons finally got it right and are serious contenders to bring home a Championship. The march continues Sunday as the 5-0 Falcons take on the 1-3 Oakland Raiders.  

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