A few thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at the Georgia Dome:
What it means: No doubt, this is the end of the Mike Smith era in Atlanta. That was made clear before kickoff, when ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the Falcons and owner Arthur Blank had hired a firm to assist with a coaching search. Smith failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season, and the Falcons were 10-22 in those two years. Although the Falcons made the playoffs four times since he took over in 2008, Smith posted just a 1-4 postseason record. Smith has a 66-46 record in seven seasons. If Blank does the expected and fires Smith, he could do the same with general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who has had some draft failures, particularly along the offensive line.
Stock watch: The offensive line, which had made dramatic strides under offensive line coach Mike Tice, took a significant step back against the Panthers. The front five allowed quarterback Matt Ryan to be harassed all day. In turn, Ryan never got into a rhythm and forced throws. Ryan joined rookie Blake Bortles of Jacksonville and Geno Smith of the New York Jets as the only quarterbacks to throw multiple interceptions returned for touchdowns in a game this season. Yes, Ryan's stock plummeted too, but the offensive line surely didn't help his cause.
Dropped opportunity: The interceptions by Ryan weren't the only glaring mistakes that cost the Falcons. It all went downhill when fullback Patrick DiMarco dropped a sure touchdown pass on second-and-goal from the 3 early in the second quarter. The Falcons had to settle for Matt Bryant's 21-yard field goal when they really needed a touchdown. Receiver Roddy White fumbled in the second quarter, and it was recovered by Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis and returned 33 yards, which set up Cam Newton's 4-yard touchdown run.
Game ball: This goes to the season MVP, and that's an easy pick for the Falcons: Julio Jones. The dynamic receiver gave the Falcons a legitimate chance to make the postseason with an outstanding late-season showing. He was one of the team's two Pro Bowl selections, along with Devin Hester. Jones set a franchise record with 1,593 receiving yards and had a franchise-record 259 receiving yards at Green Bay. Although the Falcons exercised Jones' fifth-year option through 2015, Jones is bound to get the lucrative, long-term deal he's seeking as one of the franchise's cornerstones.
What's next: Who knows which direction the Falcons might go in an anticipated coaching search? Jim Harbaugh won't be available, but Rex Ryan will be. Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will be a hot candidate, and Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton should be.
