The NFL is a win-now industry, period.
It's a league where fans come to expect success, quick fixes and immediate results, hoping for the ultimate shot of their favorite team making it to the Super Bowl, ideally brining home the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
So, with the 2014 Atlanta Falcons currently at 2-6 entering their bye week, the team's fans aren't focused on the previous success that Falcons head coach Mike Smith and his staff helped establish upon arriving in 2008, including a 62-42 regular season record, the seventh-best mark in the NFL during that time and two NFC South Division titles. Instead, they want wins now, and Smith agrees.
"I haven't done a good enough job," Smith said Monday, during his weekly press conference. "Plain and simple, because ultimately, it's my responsibility. I haven't done the job that I need to do. I've let down the players, the coaches and the fans, thus far, but I tell you what we plan on doing, we plan on getting hot and making it a really good second half of this season."
In this week's match-up, the Atlanta Falcons are across the pond in London taking on the Detroit Lions at Wembley Stadium.
WR Roddy White runs after a reception
WR Roddy White
WR Julio Jones runs through the Detroit Lions defense after a reception.
DE Kroy Biermann and LB Paul Worrilow combine to make a tackle
QB Matt Ryan about to hand off the ball
RB Devonta Freeman spikes the ball after scoring his first career touchdown.
RB Steven Jackson runs the ball
WR Julio Jones runs after making a catch.
TE Bear Pascoe scores a touchdown
QB Matt Ryan shouts on the line
LB Paul Worrilow attempts to make a tackle.
WR Julio Jones and S Kemal Ishmael
RB Jacquizz Rodgers is tackled after a run
P Matt Bosher punts the ball
DE Osi Umenyiora fights through Lions T Riley Reiff trying to get to QB Matthew Stafford
QB Matt Ryan drops back for a pass
RB Steven Jackson jumps into the end zone for a touchdown
CB Robert Alford celebrates a play
CB Desmond Trufant makes a tackle on Lions WR Corey Fuller.
RB Devonta Freeman
Semi-professional American football players from Sweden
CB Desmond Trufant enters Wembley Stadium
RB Antone Smith
RB Devonta Freeman runs past Lions players for a touchdown
CB Robert Alford and CB Desmond Trufant
RB Devonta Freeman celebrates his touchdown
CB Robert Alford and WR Roddy White
QB Matt Ryan hands off the ball
CB Robert Alford and CB Desmond Trufant
Freddie Falcon at Wembley Stadium
QB Matt Ryan behind the line of scrimmage
QB Matt Ryan
TE Bear Pascoe celebrates his touchdown with TE Levine Toilolo
WR Harry Douglas
FB Patrick DiMarco
RB Steven Jackson
CB Desmond Trufant and CB Josh Wilson
DE Jonathan Massaquoi
DE Kroy Biermann
QB Matt Ryan
Gerald Brown, running backs coach, talks to WR Roddy White
Warrick Dunn
P Matt Bosher
DT Jonathan Babineaux
WR Julio Jones
WR Devin Hester
RB Steven Jackson reaches for the end zone but is ruled short
QB Matt Ryan prepares to pass
QB Matt Ryan
WR Roddy White
TE Levine Toilolo
The defensive line lines up against the Lions
DE Kroy Biermann gets his hands on QB Matthew Stafford
CB Robert Alford and Lions S Don Carey
RB Steven Jackson
RB Steven Jackson
TE Bear Pascoe catches a touchdown in the first half
QB Matt Ryan
WR Julio Jones
WR Julio Jones
Fans for all teams across the NFL came to Wembley Stadium to watch the game
LB Paul Worrilow in coverage
TE Bear Pascoe celebrates his touchdown with TE Levine Toilolo
DE Kroy Biermann rushes the quarterback
RB Antone Smith runs the ball
CB Desmond Trufant, FS Dwight Lowery and DE Malliciah Goodman combine for a tackle
CB Robert Alford celebrates a play
WR Harry Douglas and Lions LB DeAndre Levy
TE Bear Pascoe celebrates his touchdown with T Jake Matthews
In his 16th year of NFL coaching, seventh with the Falcons, Smith has seen more wins than losses, but even in the current five-game losing streak, he doesn't waver, instead confident in his abilities and those of his coaching staff and players, admitting that "we're going to do what we've done for the last six-plus years and prepare each and every week like we know how to do it and I'm going to continue to do that until Mr. Blank tells me otherwise."
The plan to turn things around begins with a team film session Monday night, followed by the coaching staff collectively evaluating and self-scouting the team's offense, defense and special teams groups, while the players are off for the rest of their bye week. The entire team will reconvene next Monday for a Falcons-on-Falcons practice, before an off day on Tuesday, followed by continued game planning for a divisional matchup against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Nov. 9.
