4 Things Atlanta Falcons HC Arthur Smith must improve in 2023

3. Make the defense earn trust

Week one against the Saints is the perfect example of knowing when your defense cannot get a stop and you’re in 4th down territory. More than once over the last two seasons the Falcons have had momentum on offense and struggling on defense with a first down being the difference in the game.

More often than not Smith opted to trust his defense and unless the opposing quarterback made a mistake or Grady Jarrett made a huge play it didn’t end well for the Falcons. We have watched this defense over the last five years and know they are incapable of protecting a late lead.

Jarrett had two clutch sacks this past season that was the outlier helping the Atlanta defense get clutch stops and end games. However, in an offensive league, this is not the norm and Smith must be willing to bet on his offense until the defense proves they are capable of getting a clutch stop.

Looking at the teams left in the playoffs it is obvious they all are offensive-driven teams that are unafraid to go for a key 4th down. Smith needs to head into 2023 with a level of aggression on offense he has failed to show in his first two seasons.