Bounce backs a part of the Atlanta Falcons game plan

October 13, 11:37 AMAtlanta Falcons ExaminerDaniel Cox

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Head Coach Mike Smith, AP Photo/Ben Margot

Mike Smith has more than a few philosophies about playing winning football.

Yes, he's got his processes. He's more open with his plan of success than his game plan, but he'll always tell you the global things he believes are necessary to have a winning edge.

Not losing back-to-back football games is a major focus for the Atlanta Falcons head coach. And the proof is in the record.

In Smith's 21 games with Atlanta he's 14-7 (including last season's playoff loss), but the more telling record within that is his team's record following losses.

The bounce-back factor is significant in the NFL. It's a game of streaks, momentum, and evolution. What worked last week is not guaranteed to work this week.

But one guarantee is that if you avoid back-to-back losses, you can be in the mix at any point in the season. For Smith's it's simple arithmetic. 

"I tell our guys if you don't lose back-to-back games come December, you're going to be right in the thick of things," Smith said Monday at his press conference. "I think it's very important. It's a mental state that you have to be aware of. You want to stop the streak at one when you don't get the outcome you desire."

So far he's perfected the performance equation. Last season he went 5-0. Counting the win in the first game of this season against the Miami Dolphins, following 2008's season-ending playoff loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Falcons are 7-0 following an L.

But there's a lot that goes into it. This season Atlanta was fortunate to have a bye following their first loss, a difficult 26-10 defeat on the road against New England. It was a bitter way to head into a bye, but the team used it to get back to the basics and focus on the fundamentals.

The result: a 45-10 whipping of the San Francisco 49ers, a team many coined one of the more physical and tougher teams in the league, a trait exemplified by their head coach, Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary.

"I was extremely proud of the way our players and coaches went about their business during the bye week," said Smith. "...We spent a lot of time evaluating where we're at as a football team and we went out and executed the things that we needed to make adjustments with."

Coach Smith likes to break the season into quarters, the idea being that bite-size milestones are easier to manage. Last season after the first quarter of the season (the season's first four games), the Falcons were a competent 2-2. This season they're 3-1.

And their most recent showing is their best to date. It almost appears that Sunday's win was less of a bounce back than a loose-end tying, warm up for the remainder of the season. It's a long stretch from here on; the early bye week means 12 straight games, not counting any playoff matchups.

But if they stick to Smith's won-loss formula they'll be right where they want to be.

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