The NFL Thread 2015: Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50

[theRepublic]

noname2200 said:

theRepublic said:

I don't really follow the Falcons that closely, but I feel like Mike Smith got a bad rap.  He was too conservative as a coach, but so are most NFL head coaches.  They had been pretty good in the fourth quarter with him as coach before, especially 2012.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/comeback.cgi?player=RyanMa00
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/comebacks_career.htm

From 2008 to 2012, Mike Smith had them at a 56 - 24 regular season record.  That is damn good.  Two losing seasons in a row plus that awful 1 - 4 playoff record made him an easy scapegoat.

 

Yeah. While I'm not sure Smith could ever have gotten them over the top, I do think the hate was unwarranted. He took the Falcons further than they've gone in recent memory, and I'm not certain anyone but a savant could have squeezed more talent from that roster than he managed to do.

I think their year was the one they lost that close game to the 49ers.  Then the window closed on that roster, and they had to rebuild.  Tough break.