Will Arthur Smith seek revenge on the Atlanta Falcons (assuming he even wants revenge)?

Nobody likes to be fired by their employer, but some layoffs are more understandable than others. This is especially true in production-oriented companies like the NFL. Arthur Smith coached the Atlanta Falcons for three years, but led them to a losing streak each time.

Although the split appears to have been somewhat amicable, it is the first time Smith has ever lost a job. It didn’t take long for him to get back on his feet, albeit at a lower level. He is no longer head coach, but now the Steelers’ offensive coordinator. And they happen to open the season against the Falcons, purely by coincidence of course.

Arthur Smith, for his part, downplays all the talk about the Atlanta Falcons and his departure. “I’m not an emotional, petty person. I try to stay disciplined no matter who we play,” he said.

That’s a little easier to say when you come from a wealthy family and losing your job doesn’t threaten your lifestyle. However, Smith is clearly a proud man and dedicated to his work, so losing his job certainly hurt him. He’s also pragmatic and knows the records he’s set, so I’m sure at least part of him understands why he ended up where he is.

Part of him is probably grateful for that. Arthur Smith may still want to be a head coach, but did he want to coach the Falcons? He didn’t inherit the healthiest franchise, coming in at the tail end of the Matt Ryan era. And as a coordinator, he now escapes all the nonsense that comes with being a head coach.

But whether he wants to get back at the Falcons or not, Arthur Smith’s job is to beat them today. Will he be able to do it? Looking at the preseason, you might be overly optimistic about the quality of his offense. On the other hand, the Falcons are also in a major transition phase.

The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, after another disappointing year that ended with a first-round playoff loss. The only change in the annual formula of late is whether they’ll be eliminated early or miss the playoffs altogether. They’ve had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills put them out of their misery in January.

The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team or will they waste a year? How will the team continue the depth diagram?

After weeks of training camp and preseason games, the regular season is here. The Steelers have made numerous changes through signings, trades and firings. More than usual, they seemed to help create holes and were confident they could fill them. Some they were able to fill, others less so. But now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, we just have to ask ourselves a new set of questions.