Mike Smith Will Coach the Falcons in 2014

NFL.com's Michael Silver is reporting that Mike Smith has been personally assured of his job security for the 2014 season by Falcons' owner Arthur Blank.

Because of Smith's record in Atlanta--inarguably the most successful period in franchise history--and the catastrophic injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, many believed as the Falcons began to struggle that Smith had earned a pass for a poor record this season. That sentiment began to shift as the Falcons seemed to dramatically regress over the past four weeks of the NFL season.

Even if the Falcons would win their remaining slate of games, they would finish with a .500 record. Regardless of what happens from this point forward, 2013 will mark the first season in Mike Smith's Falcons tenure that the team has not finished with a winning record. Bear in mind that, prior to 2009, the Falcons had not posted consecutive winning seasons in franchise history.

Prior to the 2013 season, Mike Smith held a regular season win percentage of .700. The only coach in the NFL that has led a team to more wins over that five year period is Bill Belichick, with a .750 win percentage in that timeframe. Smith, along with general manager Thomas Dimitroff, has appeared to establish a culture of winning over the course of the past five seasons.

The team isn't winning now, though, and it's clear that changes will need to be made to put the Falcons in a position to be competitive again. Regardless, Mike Smith's job is reportedly secure for 2014. Per Silver, Dimitroff's job is also safe for 2014.