How much control does Atlanta Falcons D-Coordinator Richard Smith have?
How big of a role does Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator Richard Smith play into team decisions?
When the Atlanta Falcons hired Dan Quinn to be their head coach at the start of last season, everyone and their mother knew that he was going to be in charge of the defense.
But of course he had to hire someone to have the official title of defensive coordinator. And that man was Richard Smith formerly the Denver Broncos’ linebackers coach.
Sure, Smith is the official coordinator, but how much control does he really have over what the defense does?
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Is he calling the plays on Sunday afternoons? I highly doubt it, but does he control which substitutions are made and how many reps each player should get? Probably so. It really isn’t fair to refer to Smith as the defensive coordinator because he isn’t. He’s more of a defensive advisor to Quinn who is the actual man in charge.
Smith is no rookie to the game of football, though. He’s responsible to turning Von Miller into the best linebacker in the NFL. Smith is approaching 40 years as a football coach and it’s safe to say that he’s probably learned a thing or two in his tenure.
But none of that really matters when you have a defensive-minded head coach. Quinn calls the shots. Quinn recruits the players and Smith is just left there to fill in the cracks. But when you’re getting paid defensive coordinator money instead of linebacker coach money, you do as you’re told.
Smith very well could be the most underrated defensive coordinator in the NFL, not because he’s an unheard of coach, but because him and Quinn combined make for a very deadly combination. Having two great defensive minds lead a defense is fantastic so there’s really nothing to complain about.
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But is Smith really have a ton of say? When it comes to him against Quinn, no, he does not.