After beating the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was overheard on 790 The Zone telling his players it was time to quickly switch from Panthers week to Jacksonville Jaguars week. He made it clear the time to celebrate win No. 8 would need to be abridged, and the drive for win No. 9 on Thursday would begin immediately.
Hours later, he was hospitalized for chest pains, but is expected to make it to Atlanta on Monday.
Smith also told his players to ready for walkthroughs on Monday, another short week necessity. Smith's medical condition may complicate what was obviously a carefully constructed schedule, but, as he made clear, the plan was already in place for this week even before Sunday's game against Carolina.
In a statement on his condition, the Falcons said the following:
Following the Falcons game vs. Carolina today, Head Coach Mike Smith was transported to a hospital in Charlotte for a non-emergency matter. Coach Smith is resting comfortably, his tests reaffirmed his health, and he is expected to be in Atlanta on Monday. The Falcons will provide further information as it becomes available.
For more on Smith and the Falcons, stay tuned to Falcons blog The Falcoholic.