3 Current and former Atlanta Falcons that regressed under Arthur Smith

1. Matt Ryan

Whether you blame Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, the head coach, or Terry Fontenot, Ryan deserved far better. Ryan's final season in Atlanta was arguably the worst of his career if you simply glance at the box score. For those who watched each game, however, you know what Ryan was up against.

In the few games that Calvin Ridley was there the receiver wasn't close to the same player. Ryan was left relying on an undersized receiver group that sorely lacked talent. Olamide and Tajae Sharpe for often the first options for Matt. Russell Gage was hit or miss and rookie Kyle Pitts was still catching up to the speed of the game. Add in the free agent bust that was Mike Davis and an offensive line that did their best to end Ryan's season prematurely and this was a great example of how poorly Smith helps his quarterbacks.

It was Matt Ryan, Cordarrelle Patterson, and rookie Kyle Pitts against the world in the 2021 season. With a bad defense, no weapons, and a terrible line the fact this team won 7 games speaks to the greatness of Matt Ryan. Making it all the more frustrating how the next year played out.