Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has given a ringing endorsement of coach Mike Smith.

There’s been some talk in league circles that Smith could be on the hot seat because he’s failed to win a playoff game despite having a winning record in each of his first four seasons. Blank strongly shot down that talk in a conversation with Pete Prisco.

"I think if you tell me Mike Smith is on the hot seat, then find a hot seat on the North Pole," Blank said. "That's as hot a seat as he's on. That perception is about as far from the truth as you can get."

Some of the speculation out there has included suggestions that Smith could be out of a job if he doesn’t win a playoff game in the 2012 season. But Blank told Prisco that Smith is safe, no matter what happens next season.

"Absolutely," Blank said. "He will be fine. He will be here for a very long time."

I think Blank sincerely believes that and he should because Smith is the best coach in franchise history. In a position where many have mercurial personalities, Smith is an exception. He’s a steady hand and I think that’s why his team has been a consistent winner in the regular season. But I also think part of the reason Blank believes Smith will be around is because the owner firmly believes the coach and the Falcons are gong to take the next step next season. Right after their playoff loss to the Giants last season, Blank publicly said that simply getting to the postseason isn’t acceptable.

Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff know that and I’m pretty sure they feel the same way. They’re both competitive guys and they don’t like coming up short in the postseason any more than Blank does.

There’s a good foundation in Atlanta and Blank doesn’t need to put pressure on Smith and Dimitroff to take the next step. They’ve put that pressure on themselves. The Falcons already have changed offensive and defensive coordinators and made other switches on the coaching staff. They’ve been quiet in free agency so far, but I expect Smith and Dimitroff to make a couple of calculated strikes at some point.

Despite the ugly loss to the Giants and some inconsistency in the regular season, I still view the Falcons as a team with the arrow pointing up. There will be some tweaks -- for the better -- in the offensive and defensive schemes. There will be some personnel added in free agency and the draft.

There also have been lessons learned in each of the four seasons that came up short of the ultimate goal. Smith and Dimitroff are sharp guys. They’re also very analytical. Fans can say the Falcons haven’t done anything this offseason and that’s true from a personnel standpoint. But Smith and Dimitroff haven’t been sitting still.

I’m sure they’ve used the past few months figuring out how they can take the next step.