Longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is the favorite to replace the newly-fired Arthur Smith as the coach of the Atlanta Falcons following their disappointing 7-10 2023 campaign.
The Falcons’ biggest issues seemed to be the mismanagement of key offensive pieces, namely Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London, and a failure to find a long-term quarterback. Their defense was pretty solid for the majority of the season but they still finished just 18th in points allowed.
The NFC South is one of the easiest divisions to win in the NFL, which makes this job even more attractive. Here’s who the oddsmakers think are best positioned to end up in Atlanta next season.
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Record: 7-10 (third - NFC South)
Offense: 18.9 PPG (26th)
Defense: 21.9 PPG (18th)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Name | Last Team | Last Position | Odds |
---|---|---|---|
Bill Belichick | New England Patriots | Head coach (2000-2024) | +100 |
Eric Bieniemy | Washington Commanders | Offensive coordinator (2023-) | +300 |
Ben Johnson | Detroit Lions | Offensive coordinator (2022-) | +700 |
Kellen Moore | Los Angeles Rams | Offensive coordinator (2023-) | +800 |
Jim Harbaugh | University of Michigan | Head coach (2015-) | +1000 |
Bobby Slowik | Houston Texans | Offensive coordinator (2023-) | +1000 |
Mike Vrabel | Tennessee Titans | Head coach (2018-23) | +1000 |
Dave Canales | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Offensive coordinator (2023-) | +1200 |
Mike MacDonald | Baltimore Ravens | Defensive coordinator (2022-) | +1800 |
Brian Callahan | Cincinnati Bengals | Offensive coordinator (2019-) | +1800 |
Todd Monken | Baltimore Ravens | Offensive coordinator (2023-) | +2000 |
Jim Schwartz | Cleveland Browns | Defensive coordinator (2023-) | +2000 |
Odds from BetOnline.
Belichick feels like an instant fix for any team that either can’t execute the basics of the game or needs more discipline. If hired by the Falcons, his first task would be figuring out how to get the ball into the hands of the key offensive members while sorting out small details with what proved to be a talented defense. He wouldn’t face great competition and could lead a rebuild while also making the playoffs with any bit of luck.
Bieniemy had a mixed bag of results in his first and only year as the Commanders’ coordinator. He helped Sam Howell flash potential but really struggled to adapt to defenses later in the season and also could not strike any sort of balance with the running game. He worked wonders the last time he had a bunch of talented offensive pieces with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he’ll need a franchise QB to have a shot at replicating that success in Atlanta.
Johnson earned a reputation as one of the best young offensive minds after enjoying a couple of years of success leading the Lions’ O. He’s a young coach who has never been in charge of a team but seems to have lots of potential, and the results of his teams cannot be argued with. He’d also be arguably the best fit to work with this offense.
Arthur Smith seemed more focused on sticking it to reporters, fantasy football players, and his critics than he did on making intelligent decisions during games. He misused his talented offense and also failed to find a quarterback, with both Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke proving to be terrible investments.
The Falcons’ defense allowed 19.2 points per game over the first 16 weeks (would rank eighth) until it was torched in the final two games of the year. They have impact players all over the field but they couldn’t close out several close games and left wins on the table.
Whoever signs on to be the Falcons’ next coach needs to prioritize landing a quarterback either in the draft, free agency, or via trade. With the right QB on the roster, this could become one of the most exciting teams in the NFL.
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