Atlanta Falcons coach’s top goal is still to win the NFC South

By Cory Buck | Oct 7, 2014

Oct 5, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith during the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

The Atlanta Falcons sit at 2-3 in what was supposed to be a division clogged by top teams with top records. Instead it’s the Carolina Panthers on top at 3-2 with the Falcons and Saints tied beneath them, but only a game behind. It’s why Falcons coach Mike Smith isn’t ready to panic despite more struggles from the Falcons on both sides of the ball. If you ask him, the goal is the same as ever. Win the division. Get to the playoffs.

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“We’ve played five football games; we’ve been inconsistent,” Smith said, per ESPN. “We’re 2-3. Do we like where we’re at? No. But there’s a lot of football left to be played. And our No. 1 goal is to win the NFC South because that’s the cleanest way into the second season. And there’s a lot of football to be played.”

It’s hard to discount the Falcons because of their potent offense, but 2014 has looked a whole lot like 2013 in some respect for the Dirty Birds. The team has struggled at pass protection and team defense, especially outside of Atlanta. While the Falcons have won two games at home, they’ve lost all three of their road games thus far in 2014, including losses to the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants that saw the Atlanta defense give up a combined 70+ points.

Despite those struggles, the Falcons are only one game back in the division with more than two-thirds of the season yet to be played. So even if the Falcons have looked like the worst team in football (they haven’t) then there’s still a chance to make some noise in the NFC.

“This is a very competitive division. You can look at the records of the teams right now and see it’s going to be another competitive year. I really believe that.”

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