NFC Notes: Arthur Smith, Bryce Young, Falcons, Panthers, Saints

Falcons

Falcons HC Arthur Smith refused to shake Saints HC Dennis Allen’s hand after it seemed New Orleans may have run up the score on Atlanta, with Smith telling Allen: “That’s fing bulls!”

“You don’t want to see the season end like that,” Smith said, via Zach Klein of WSB. “Credit to them. They made the plays certainly in the second half. It got out of hand. You can do whatever you want. I just gave them my opinion about it. But it doesn’t take away the fact that they beat us in that second half and took advantage of our turnovers and hit some shots. It’s unacceptable. That’s not who we are, not what we’re about.”

• Jordan Schultz reports that Falcons owner Arthur Blank could wind up firing HC Arthur Smith after their blowout loss to the Saints in the final game of the season.
• Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice says an unreported condition of the Eagles’ trade with the Falcons for DL Kentavius Street was that if Street didn’t play at least six games, the Eagles would get the Falcons’ 2025 seventh-round pick. 
• The deal was initially Atlanta giving a 2024 sixth for Philadelphia’s 2025 7th and Street, but Street played just five games.
• Falcons S DeMarcco Hellams was fined $4,314 for unnecessary roughness.

Panthers

Panthers first-round QB Bryce Young said the hit he took that sidelined him this past week against the Jaguars wasn’t serious and wouldn’t keep him out of any future game.

“No, that wasn’t the case,” he said, via Panthers Wire. “Just took a hard hit, just an awkward hit that took a little bit longer to get up from. After that, was able to walk back to the sideline, went in the tent for a second, everything was all good. I just wanna do everything I could to get back. It was nothing serious, which definitely is a blessing.”

Young reiterated his small frame and his ability to handle damage isn’t on his mind. The Panthers list Young at 5-10 and 204 pounds, with the latter number likely pretty generous. Despite taking 59 sacks, second in the NFL this year, Young has missed just one game. 

“For me, that was never something that was on my mind,” he later said of his size. “I’m not out there to prove anything wrong or to make a point. I’ve always been focused on tryna do the best that I can at my job, tryna help the team, try to focus on what I can control. That’s something that never really fell in that category. So, it wasn’t really something that was a big focus for me.”

• PFN’s Adam Caplan reports for the second straight season, Lions OC Ben Johnson will top the Panthers’ desired coaching candidate list. They’ll have loads of competition for him. 
• Panthers DT Derrick Brown was fined $10,927 for unnecessary roughness.
• Brown recorded his 99th tackle of the season on Sunday, the most by an NFL lineman in the past thirty years. (David Newton)

Saints

• NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan says the Saints have been frustrated by CB Marshon Lattimore‘s tepid recovery process after going down each of the past two seasons. His recent contract restructure indicates both the Saints and Lattimore are open to parting ways via trade this offseason. 
• Duncan expects the Saints to release WR Michael Thomas with a June 1 designation, as Thomas wasn’t productive, healthy or a non-headache off the field.