FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons coach Arthur Smith told owner Arthur Blank when he was named the head coach that Blank just sold a bunch of tickets.
Smith will have about 40 family members, including his father, Fred Smith, the CEO of FedEx, at the game when he makes his debut against the Philadelphia Eagles at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Across the sideline will be Eagles first-year coach Nick Sirianni, who also will make his NFL head-coaching debut.
The Falcons (4-12 in 2020) and the Eagles (4-11-1) are seeking to revive teams that were Super Bowl contenders just a few years ago.
“I’ve got a big family, and they’ll be here,” Smith said. “They’re excited. I think about 40 people coming, give or take, and 90 percent of them are my family. But fortunately, they all got tickets, they will be ready to roll.”
Smith and Sirianni are not strangers.
Both spent time in the AFC South coaching for the Titans and the Colts, respectively.
“I’ve gotten to know coach Smith,” Sirianni said. “We were coordinators in the same division. I’ve got nothing but a ton of respect for him.”
Sirianni is looking forward to his pregame chat with Smith.
“We’ll have a talk before the game and talk through some of those challenges and the things we are going through as first-year coaches,” Sirianni said. “I look forward to seeing him. I look forward to talking to him. I just can’t say enough good things about him and what I think of him as a football coach.”
Smith and Sirianni are in a class of seven new head coaches around the NFL. They are joined by Urban Meyer (Jaguars), Robert Saleh (Jets), Brandon Staley (Chargers), Dan Campbell (Lions) and David Culley (Texans) as new head coaches around the league.
“Nick’s been around the NFL; he’s a hell of a coach,” Smith said. “He talks about fundamentals, and it shows up, it’s not just lip service wherever Nick’s coached, especially the wideout position, you see those guys improve.”
The Falcons flipped 50% (11 of 22) of their starters under Smith and new general manager Terry Fontenot.
They will feature a rushing attack, with Mike Davis running behind a line with two new starters in center Matt Hennessy and guard Jalen Mayfield. Wide receiver Julio Jones, the franchise’s all-time leading receiver in catches and yards was traded.
Rookie Kyle Pitts was added through the draft (fourth overall) to help wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage make up for the loss of Jones.
The Falcons’ defense has been revamped. Under Dean Pees, a former coordinator with New England, Baltimore and Tennessee, they will run a base 3-4 attack and attempt to provide multiple looks.
Smith, a former offensive coordinator, will call his own plays.
“I expect it to go very efficient between (quarterback) Matt (Ryan) and I,” Smith said. “You know I think any season, obviously, it helps when you get into multiple games. Just going back on my history with Ryan (Tannehill), certainly, Year 2 is easier than Year 1 because you’ve been through a couple of games, but I expect it to be efficient.”
Pees came out of retirement to work with Smith. He’s coached under Nick Saban (Toledo in 1990, Michigan State from 1995-97), Bill Belichick (Patriots, 2004-09) and John Harbaugh (Ravens, 2012-17).
“The practice organization of coach Smith is unbelievable, so we’ve been able to get a lot stuff in and get all of our work done,” Pees said. “I’ve never seen a young coach like coach Smith, who’s already thought out every structure of practice, of meetings, all of the stuff that he does. We have an unbelievable teaching schedule and practice schedule. … It’s not like you’re with a rookie head coach, and I’ve been with some pretty good ones. It’s like we’ve been doing this for a while. I’m just super-impressed.”
Smith doesn’t expect to be nervous before his first game.
“I try to stay in the present. You obviously plan out what’s coming Sunday, but it’s not like I’m going to get geeked up,” Smith said. “Sunday at 1 p.m., I won’t be geeked up losing my mind either, but it’s just, it’s a focus on the day to make sure we are prepared. … You try not to overreact and make sure the guys understand the plan and make sure you’re ready to go. "
Smith has a pregame routine, but maintains that he’s not superstitious.
“I’ve got a process that I go through in the morning, how I like to get ready to go to call a game, then obviously, there are new responsibilities, make sure the inactives are in, they’re correct,” Smith said. “It’s getting the whole team ready. Certainly, your mind is focused on all of the entire active roster.”
Sirianni is from a coaching family from Jamestown, New York. His brother Mike has been the head coach at Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) since 2003. His father and brother, Fran and Jay, have been the head coach at Southwestern Central High in Jamestown.
“We get together Easter and the Fourth of July, if you’re at the dinner table or the picnic table with us, there is always a conversation about football,” Sirianni said. “Always, and that could be the scheme of a play, because we are all offensive guys, or how you run your football team in general, problems or things that you go through.”
The Falcons and the Eagles have had some fierce battles over the years. The Eagles kept the Falcons from going to the Super Bowl after the 2005 season. The Eagles knocked the Falcons out of the 2017 playoffs on their way to the Super Bowl LII title. The Falcons’ hopes ended on the 1-yard line in a 15-10 loss. The team has not been back to the playoffs since the crushing defeat.
“When the ball is kicked, Nick and I aren’t playing, so I’m not blocking anybody and he’s not running any routes,” Smith said. “It’s about the players and making sure both teams will be prepared. There’s no doubt about it. Especially Philly, you got (to have) a ton of respect for their staff.”
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