The former Atlanta Falcons coach discusses Sunday night's big game, the NFL head coaching carousel and which playoff teams have impressed him the most.
Mike Smith believes the Seattle Seahawks’ defence could cause New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye problems in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
The Seahawks are the favourites in the Super Bowl betting, and while Smith believes it will be a close game, he’s backing Mike Macdonald’s team to come out on top.
In our exclusive interview, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach also discusses the recent coaching hires around the league and which NFL playoff teams impressed him the most.
Mike Macdonald has led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl in just his second season. How impressed have you been with Macdonald in his tenure so far?
It’s been fantastic football and it’s been great coaching. If you’re a student of the game and a proponent of good defensive football, then you’ve got to be a big fan of Macdonald and what he’s put together in Seattle.
This defence is good on all three levels. They fly around. They don’t give up many big plays, and I love the system that they run. It’s got so much flexibility, and they make it look really simple because they hardly make any mistakes.
They love to put guys in different positions. When you put those guys in different positions, all it does is confuse the quarterbacks. You make them overthink and it leads to bad results for the offence, and good results for the defence.
They’re so fundamentally sound. They understand the scheme so well and force mistakes because they don’t send any text messages or phone calls to the quarterback pre-snap.
I love the way Macdonald puts together his gameplan. I’ve had an opportunity to hear him speak and his techniques are really impressive. The way he moves people around. You’ll see guys that are lining up at nickel, but they’re really playing the dime position. They’ll have outside linebackers that can line up and rush over the guards. They have a great mug package.
He does a fantastic job and it’s hard to unwind as a quarterback. They’ll do some walkaround stuff, then they’ll mug up inside. It’s very effective. It comes from three or four different systems that have been run in the NFL over the last 15 to 20 years.
I have to give kudos to the general manager, John Schneider as well. They’ve got great players on all three levels. They look like men against boys out there.
You have Leonard Williams who is unblockable inside. Alongside guys like Byron Murphy, Ernest Jones IV, Devon Witherspoon, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Julian Love.
Then, you have the rookie, Nick Emmanwori. I don’t even know what position he plays, and that’s what I’m talking about when it comes to how hard it is for opposing quarterbacks to try and break down this defence.
91% of the time, the Seahawks were in six or seven defensive back sets. They had the fourth highest rate of blitz against drop back passes, but their overall blitz rate was 24th in the league. That’s so impressive because it tells me Macdonald knows when to pressure. He’s not a huge blitzer, but he’s got a great feel for when it’s going to be a drop back pass. And that is the time you want to blitz.
He puts versatility over strict schemes, and he builds around the players and their skill sets. He doesn’t want to pigeonhole guys into playing one position or one way. He wants them to be able to line up in multiple positions.
He’s said he wants to be aggressive and adaptive. That adaptability in today’s game is so important. When you have that ability, you cause doubt in the offence’s minds. That’s when big plays happen for the defence.
I can’t say enough about the system Macdonald has put together and how he works it.
Kudos to the players, too. If I were still coaching, I would’ve loved to have coached a defence like them. They’re big inside up front. They can stop the run with a light box, and I love the flexibility.
They’ve done a fantastic job with that setup.
I would not be a bit surprised if Baltimore looks very similar to this next season under Jesse Minter. When you combine how Minter can call the defence, with Lamar Jackson and what he’s capable of on offence, you’re going to see a real quick turnaround for the Baltimore Ravens.
Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel has led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first season as head coach of the team. Why do you think Vrabel has had an instant impact in New England?
When you look at the way Mike Vrabel has done things, as a player and a coach, I’m not stunned by his success one bit.
He was part of the Patriots’ system from 2001-2008. He’s been part of three Super Bowl winning teams, and he’s made it into the Patriots’ All-Dynasty, All-2000s, and 50th anniversary teams. He’s already in the Patriots Hall of Fame, too.
He’s a great playcaller, but I think the biggest thing about Vrabel is that he’s authentic, and he’s one of the NFL’s best communicators. When you have that authenticity as a coach and you can communicate quickly and accurately to your team, you will always be ahead of the curve.
That’s what stands out most with Coach Vrabel, and it explains why he was able to turn this Patriots team around so quickly.
People always ask me for my advice on how to be successful and I’ll always say, “Don’t try and be Bill Belichick, don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Be happy and be content in the skin you’re in. If you try to be somebody else and you’re not authentic, your players will see straight through it.”
That’s why Vrabel is so successful.
He understands the game and he can speak from the experience of a guy that’s put his hand in the dirt. That makes it mean a whole lot more than hearing it from someone who has never done it.
He did this in Tennessee as well. I know he didn’t leave the Titans on his own accord, but they made a huge mistake. Mike Vrabel is a hell of a football coach.
He also understands having good people around you. What’s one of the first things he did as head coach of the Patriots? He went and hired Josh McDaniels, who is one of the most brilliant offensive minds.
When it’s all said and done, they’ll be talking about McDaniels’ career and what he’s done on the offensive side for a long, long time. He is one of the best in the history of the game.
When you look at the matchups between the players and the coaches, what do you think the keys are to Super Bowl LX? Where will this game be decided?
I think it’s going to be a really close game. These are two well-coached teams in all three phases.
So, it will come down to a play here or there. It might be a tipped pass, or a blocked punt. With these two returners in Rashid Shaheed and Marcus Jones, it might even be a kick return that swings the game.
This will be a great football game to watch. Both of these teams are built on physicality. They’re about running the football and creating mismatches. At times it will look like an old-fashioned football game which will be about who controls the line of scrimmage. Both teams will feel more comfortable running the ball.
I like Seattle. I think that their defence is going to give Drake Maye some issues due to his inexperience. They’re going to have something in their toolbox which they haven’t shown in a long time, or at all, and it will create one or two negative plays, which can be the difference.
What was your reaction to the Atlanta Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach?
The thing that stands out the most about this hire is that Coach Stefanski is going to emphasise physicality on this football team, which is a great thing. Football is a physical game where you win in the trenches, so I think he’ll focus on that.
In my opinion, he was the no. 2 guy in this hiring cycle that everybody was trying to get an opportunity to sit down and talk with, behind only Coach John Harbaugh.
By Cleveland standards, he had a very good time at the Browns. Again, it’s by Cleveland standards, but he did a great job. In 2020, he brought the Browns their first playoff appearance since 2002, and he’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. That’s quite an honour.
All that says he did a very good job with his football team. With this Cleveland Browns organisation, it’s hard to have more success than that.
So, I think the Falcons have landed a coach who is very talented, but also very hungry for success. He’s highly motivated.
He’ll have a lot of toys to play with in Atlanta too, especially on the offensive side of the football. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts (if he is re-signed) are all very talented players.
His biggest question mark is the quarterback position. Michael Penix Jr. has suffered multiple season-ending knee injuries and is rehabbing following reconstructive surgery. The success of any NFL organisation comes down to two people, the head coach and quarterback. So, we need to find out quickly whether Penix Jr. can truly be the answer at the quarterback position.
It’s been a busy period for the Falcons. Not only did they have to hire a coach, but they also had to hire a general manager. They just announced Ian Cunningham, and I think that’s a great choice. He spent the last four years with the Chicago Bears as assistant GM.
I like Cunningham’s résumé. He worked with the Baltimore Ravens when they won a Super Bowl and he worked at the Philadelphia Eagles, where he helped build another championship-winning team. He’s well thought of in the NFL. I think he’ll slide right into the power structure the Falcons are putting in place.
They’re ready to turn the page and compete for Super Bowls as quickly as they possibly can.
The Falcons have brought Matt Ryan in as President of Football. How do you think he will fare in this role? Could you tell Ryan was destined for a front office role when you were coaching him?
When it comes to Matt Ryan, I’m very biased, and I’ll always be very high on him.
We have a long-standing relationship, going back to when we picked him third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
We learned a lot of things about Matt, and they were confirmed throughout his career. In fact, they were probably confirmed in his rookie season.
We learned about Matt’s toughness, but also how smart he is. His football acumen is off the charts, and he’s a tireless worker. His work ethic can’t be questioned, but he commands the room, and he makes the people around him better.
That’s what you want from your quarterback and that’s also what you want from the leader of your football team, either on the field or in the front office. He’s also, in my mind, definitely going to be a Hall of Fame quarterback. His statistics alone should put him in the conversation, and I’d be surprised if he didn’t get in.
In his new role as president of football, I have no doubt in my mind that Matt’s going to enjoy the same type of success that he had as a player.
Anything Matt does is just full steam ahead. So, he will lead the Falcons to a quick turnaround.
The Falcons aren’t a three- or four-win team either. They’ve been better than that and been close in a lot of games. They just need to get over the hump. And I think the way they’ve restructured the front office will make for a very interesting watch over the offseason as they try to improve, while also keeping the guys they need to keep.
But they’re not far away. I give Mr. [Arthur] Blank credit for making these changes because he knows they’re close and he thinks these moves can get them over the hump.
I think a lot of people in the organisation are so excited about having Matt Ryan back in the building too.
Bill Belichick didn’t receive the votes needed to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. What are your thoughts on this?
My reaction was similar to everybody else’s. Whether you’re a fan of the New England Patriots or not, it makes no difference.
I know they changed the voting process recently, so I’m wondering if something got miscommunicated because there is no way that Bill Belichick is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
This is a black spot on the Hall of Fame. They need to look at this immediately and review the voting situation. I was shocked.
Some are thinking they need to revamp the whole process because of the negative publicity this has created, not only for the Hall of Fame, but for the NFL itself. It’s a mess right now.
Coach Belichick has six Super Bowl wins as head coach, 333 career NFL victories, which is second to Don Shula, and a further two championship wins as a coordinator. That’s eight total Super Bowl rings. Based on those facts, you cannot argue that he is not the greatest NFL head coach of all time.
Yes, when you are coaching as long as Belichick coached, you’re going to have some things that are controversial. We all know about them, but every long-standing coaching regime has these.
If you asked 100 people to name an NFL head coach who is an absolute lock to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, at least 99 would say Bill Belichick. His record speaks for itself.
What can the New York Giants fans expect from John Harbaugh? How can he help that young Giants core?
I would tell Giants fans that they’re getting a coach who is detailed, organised, and a proven winner who is a leader of men. That’s why he was the number one available coach in this hiring cycle.
He was one of the most well-lauded special teams coordinators for a long, long time in Philadelphia, and has also coached on the defensive side of the ball. He managed 193 wins as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens and that includes a Super Bowl victory.
So, he’s got the pelts on the wall to help the Giants become a team to be reckoned with. And I think that will happen very quickly.
John and his staff are going to work tirelessly with the front office to evaluate the roster now and identify parts they need to add in free agency and the draft.
What can new head coach Jesse Minter bring to the Baltimore Ravens?
I think that was a great hire. Jesse Minter is so well thought of in the league, and he’s a football lifer too. He’s the son of Rick Minter, who coached in both college and the NFL.
Jesse is out of the Harbaugh coaching tree, having coached with both Jim and John. He’s charged with turning the Ravens around, and this is an organisation which is not far away. They’ve got great pieces and an elite quarterback in Lamar Jackson.
There is a shift in the NFL happening right now and the Jesse Minter hire is another example. We’re moving towards hiring more defensive head coaches. Currently we have guys in the league like Mike Macdonald, DeMeco Ryans, Todd Bowles, Robert Saleh, and Mike Vrabel, and what they’re doing is a little bit different.
They’re all true playcallers who call the defences. That’s something that has not been the trend recently, but these guys are doing a wonderful job.
What these guys and Minter are doing is pretty cutting-edge and unbelievable, in terms of how they structure game plans. It’s impressive how they tell the offences lies and time it perfectly with the snap, so that quarterbacks can’t get a pre-snap read. They’ve done a great job.
Minter has quickly risen throughout the NFL in terms of his acumen as a defensive playcaller. I think that’s going to carry over to his time as head coach of the Ravens.
He also has familiarity, as this will be his second time in Baltimore. So, the city and organisation won’t be unknown to him. He’s been there. He knows Eric DeCosta, Steve Bisciotti and Ozzie Newsome, so I think it’s a great choice to bring in someone who already understands how these guys work.
It was reported that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was sitting in head coaching interviews. Where do you stand on this?
This has probably happened many times before, but it’s just never been publicised this much.
More and more owners are diversifying the way that they go through the hiring process. This year, there were 10 head coaching changes with each team interviewing around six or seven candidates. That’s a lot of interviews. So, teams might just want to change up how they’re assessing candidates and this is just another method.
When you have a quarterback like Josh Allen who has pelts on the wall, why not let him sit in? He is probably the first or second most important person in that building, and he touches the ball more than anyone else on game day.
It also doesn’t mean Allen was part of the decision-making group. But you want the candidate to feel comfortable talking about and to the franchise quarterback, and vice versa too. You want the quarterback to be comfortable with the potential new coach.
In the end, the Bills decided to promote offensive coordinator Joe Brady. What was your reaction to this?
Well, the Bills have done a great job offensively. I think the reason that they’ve had the success that they’ve had has a lot to do with Joe Brady.
He’s the one that’s calling the plays and has worked very closely with Allen. They have a great relationship as well, so I don’t think they’ll miss a step on the offensive side of the ball.
It’s really important that the head coach and quarterback are aligned. With Allen and Brady’s existing relationship, this should be an easy transition. In fact, it’ll be the easiest transition out of all of the 10 coaching changes which took place this season. It’s not a complete redo.
I also want to give credit to Sean McDermott. He was great and did a fantastic job. But it’s the NFL which stands for not for long. He was there for a pretty long time and did a good job, but at some point in time, your time will come. You’re going to be relieved of your duties. You don’t see many guys walk off into the sunset, like Bill Cowher did.
The Denver Broncos fired their offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi after reaching the AFC Championship Game. Does that seem harsh?
That’s a tough question when you’re not in the building or privy to how things go in that specific organisation.
When it comes to the NFL, nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to turnover in coaches. This year, we had 10 different head coaches lose their job and that just seems to be the modern NFL, right now. It’s just part of the machine.
I don’t think you’ll ever know the reason for the change there in Denver. They were 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl, and they had to play with the backup quarterback, in a near-blizzard.
It was a tough way to end, but I will say this, Sean Payton and Lombardi have a wonderful relationship. They’ve worked together for a long, long time, and who knows? It may have even been a mutual decision. That’s something we may never know.
But that’s the NFL. Next man up.
The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy after longtime coach Mike Tomlin stepped down. Many fans seem divided on the hire. What was your reaction to this?
Well, he’s going home. That can either be a really good thing, or it can be a really bad thing, as we know.
Coach McCarthy is a great offensive mind, but he’s in rare air. Not many guys get three opportunities to be an NFL head coach. He had a great, successful career at the Green Bay Packers where he won a Super Bowl.
At the Dallas Cowboys, he had a little success but not as much as he did at the Packers. Now, he’s come full circle. He’s getting the opportunity to be the head coach of his hometown Steelers.
People forget how good McCarthy’s résumé is. He has 185 wins during 18 seasons as an NFL head coach. Only five coaches have led one franchise to eight straight playoff appearances, Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, Andy Reid, Bill Belichick, and McCarthy. So, he is in elite company.
You will always have people who like a hire, and you will always have people who do not like a hire. That’s the NFL. It will be the same in free agency and the draft, some people will like a signing or pick, others won’t. That’s what makes this league so great, and it will never change.
While Aaron Rodgers’ future is still up in the air, would it be fitting for him to reunite with McCarthy and win another Super Bowl in the twilight of their careers?
Absolutely. That would be a storybook ending. Especially for Mike, if he gets to win a Super Bowl for his hometown team, with the quarterback he won the first one with. That would be a great story.
And who knows how long Mike is going to continue coaching. This is a new way the Steelers have gone about the hiring process. They haven’t had to do it a whole lot in recent decades, but they used to let a young guy take over and let him stay for a long, long time.
McCarthy will be a very old man if he stays the same time Mike Tomlin did. We’re probably not going to see him coach for another 15 years plus.
But at the same time, if he has success in Pittsburgh, he’ll be able to stay as long as he wants.
I also think the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most well-run organisations in all of professional sports, not just football. That’s a testament to the Rooney family and the success they’ve had. That fan base is unbelievable too. So, McCarthy will be set up for success.
Outside of the Super Bowl teams, which NFL playoff team impressed you the most and why?
If you make the playoffs, in my mind, you’ve already had a successful season, which is pretty impressive. There’s a lot of fans that believe if their team doesn’t win a Super Bowl then it’s been an unsuccessful season, and I think that’s wrong.
So, first, I’ll say kudos to every team that made it to the postseason.
If I had to say, I’d say I was very impressed with what the Chicago Bears did in year one of Ben Johnson’s tenure.
I think they’re going to have a fantastic offseason too. They haven’t always been a team that’s really popular for free agents, but I think that might change with Johnson and Caleb Williams being there. They’re close and they have a very, very good team.
The Denver Broncos and Sean Payton also really impressed me. Unfortunately, they lost their quarterback in Bo Nix before the AFC Championship Game. But Sean has just done a fantastic job, just like he did in New Orleans. He’s got them rolling. He always works with the quarterbacks, and he’s done a great job with Bo Nix. I think they have a great relationship and will have so much success in the future.
So, those are the two teams I was most impressed with, and they are both extremely close.
