Much was made when the Atlanta Falcons decided to bring back former defensive coordinator and interim head coach, Raheem Morris, in favor of coaching GOAT, Bill Belichick.
Raheem Morris Finally Gets Second Chance At NFC South Head Coaching Gig
Back in 2021, general manager, Terry Fontenot, and owner, Arthur Blank, had the opportunity to hire Morris, whose Falcons team had gone 4-7 with him as head coach back in 2020. Ultimately, they passed on him in favor of at-the-time up and coming Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.
Fast forward 3 years; Smith gets fired after posting 3 straight mediocre 7-10 seasons, and the man who was passed up for him, Morris, is hired to be the next coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
After a very successful spell as the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams under head coach, Sean McVay, Raheem Morris returned with a bolstered pedigree and a reputation as a true leader of men – so much so that Blank decided he would be a better option for the team than the former head coach who has won an unparalleled 8 total Super Bowls.
Now, the Falcons have released their first offseason ‘behind the scenes’ video, and it seems like the Falcons’ decision may well have been vindicated, as Morris delivers an emphatic rallying call to his (old) new team, per the Atlanta Falcons social media.
Raheem Morris’ Inaugural Speech For The Atlanta Falcons A “Must Watch” For The Football Community
Operational excellence and toughness are clearly at the top of Morris’ priorities when it comes to shaping the identity of his team for the season(s) to come.
Nothing about this is particularly shocking, coming from a former defensive coordinator, who as a whole tend to prefer tough, physical football teams, rather than emphasizing finesse and offensive wizardry.
What really stood out is not only the command with which the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers totally held a room full of multi-multi millionaires, Pro Bowlers and All-Pros, but the clarity of his message going forward:
“Hustling proceeds everything”.
The Falcons are assuredly so far content with their decision, although any true vindication or “I told you so” moments will have to wait until the results come in, but if the team plays the way Morris wants, and feels like he can get them to do, they will undoubtedly be a very tough out in both the NFC South and conference at large.
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