NFC South

Michael Cunningham: Time for Arthur Smith's Falcons to show us something

ATLANTA — NFL exhibition games don't count, which isn't the same thing as not mattering. There are a handful of teams good enough not to sweat them. They don't have much to figure out, and there are few holes to fill. No need to risk injury to their top players or worry much about subpar showings. The Falcons aren't one of those teams. They've been a losing outfit for three years running. They were 4-12 in 2020. Their all-time great wide receiver is with the Titans now. Their head coach, Arthur Smith, has never done the job before. These exhibition games matter for the Falcons, and they've bee…