Falcons Head Coach Speaks Out Following NFL Fine

The Atlanta Falcons may be a bit underwater right now with a 6-8 record, but they aren’t out of the playoff race yet.

They will have a challenging game this weekend against the Indianapolis Colts, a team that has gotten surprisingly hot lately, and they will close out the regular season with a road contest versus the New Orleans Saints, who have a 7-8 record after Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith failed to disclose earlier this season that rookie running back Bijan Robinson had an illness, and as a result, he was fined by the NFL.

He said per ProFootballTalk that he understands the league’s point of view and that he’s learned his lesson.

Arthur Smith says “lesson learned” after NFL fines him for breaking injury report rules.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 22, 2023

Robinson has been the Falcons’ biggest weapon this season, and through 14 games, he has put up 801 rushing yards, 323 receiving yards, and seven total touchdowns.

While overall the Falcons are a rather weak offensive team, they do rank ninth in rushing yards thanks to Robinson’s productivity.

He has gotten a bit of help in the passing game, especially from second-year wide receiver Drake London, who has 769 yards and two touchdowns.

Atlanta hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2017 season, which was the year after they blew a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, and they haven’t finished with a winning record since that last playoff appearance.

While they’re very much a work in progress, grinding out a wild card playoff spot would go a long way in helping to expedite their rebuilding process.

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Falcons Owner Speaks Out On Arthur Smith’s Job Status