Falcons' Raheem Morris pours on praise for Buccaneers before season opener

"I mean, an unbelievable test,” Morris said. “You know, you talk about Baker [Mayfield], the knowledge he has, the amount of experience he has with different teams, and everything that he's done in this league. It's impressive, particularly within the last couple of years, when you talk about the three-game trip to L.A. with us or going to Tampa and really taking over there in an impossible situation following Tom Brady, being able to maintain the success. So much experience there, (he) basically helped make two head coaches in the National Football League going in there playing really well.”

Morris knows firsthand what Mayfield can do, and he got to see what Mike Evans is capable of in their first matchup of the season when he went off for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Morris knows he’ll need to shade coverage to the future Hall of Famers' side or he’ll make you pay in one-on-one opportunities. 

“Mike Evans, what can't we say positive about Mike Evans — the guy that he is, the challenge that he presents. If you put him in a one-on-one situation, you're going to pay for it. He can make anybody pay for it. He's talented that way.”

However, it’s not just Mayfield and Evans that the Falcons defense will need to worry about. The Bucs' run game was revitalized last season, going from a league-worst to one of the best behind a running back room featuring Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, and Sean Tucker. 

“They've got a bunch of really skilled running backs, a three-headed monster. I think I talked about them last year, don't get enough credit for what they're able to do and what they did last year running the football.” 

The Bucs also added a new wrinkle to their offense this season when they selected receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round. The talented rookie is in line to start his first game, and though he has yet to play an NFL game that counts, the Falcons will need to respect what he can do on the field, or they’ll find out pretty quickly. 

“They've got really good football players, really good talent on offense, and we've got to be prepared and ready to go,” Morris said. “Not to even mention all the other new wideouts, some of the new toys they've got. They've got the young guy from Ohio State, a bunch of different guys that played for them in the past, and they've got a lot of good players.”

Even with injuries sidelining Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs and Jalen McMillan for the season opener against the Falcons, the Bucs are loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball. It's talent that Morris respects and, as such, will make sure his team is ready. However, whether they're ready enough will be seen on Sunday.