FLOWERY BRANCH--Offered a chance to give his feelings on coach Mike Smith's decision to go for it on fourth down late in the loss at the Giants on Sunday, Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan punted.
“That question is, it really needs to be the head coach to answer it,” Nolan said during his media availability Tuesday. “All I would do is divide. I don’t want to. . . there's s no good answer for me on that one, all right?”
Smith decided to try for a first down with the Falcons trailing 27-20 with 4:48 to play, holding three timeouts, and facing a fourth-and-1 at their 29-yard line. Matt Ryan was sacked by Giants defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins, and the Giants put the game away on Josh Brown’s 26-yard field goal with 2:11 to play.
After the game, Smith said one reason he decided to go for it was because “we had not stopped them.” He added that fourth-and-1 plays are converted at a high percentage in the NFL and that he didn’t regret the decision.
Smith said he would tell defensive players who were upset about the decision that he would have more faith in them if they’d shown the ability to stop the Giants in the second half.
“That would be one of the answers,” Smith said. “I would have other answers as well. You have to go on what has taken place not only in that game, but what has taken place in the first five games of the season. This football team is the 2014 Atlanta Falcons.”
