After losing just three games last year, Atlanta has already lost four through five games this season. But Falcons coach Mike Smith says his team is not discouraged.
“We simply came up short,” Smith said after Monday’s loss to the Jets, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are disappointed but we are not discouraged. Now we have to use this bye week to evaluate everything we do, keep on fighting.”
The most frustrating thing for this year’s Falcons is that all four of their losses have been close games against teams with winning records. They haven’t played as badly as their 1-4 record would suggest, but they haven’t been able to come up with the necessary plays at the right times.
“I feel like we are not making the plays that we need to make,” Smith said. “We are not coaching the way we need to coach. We’re all in this together. There is enough things to look at we all can improve on. It is a group effort.”
It’s good that the Falcons are not discouraged, but they may already be out of realistic contention in the NFC South. After winning the division last year, the Falcons are now four games behind the 5-0 Saints.