Pod-TST: Getting to know Raheem Morris better from The Falcoholic

Raheem Morris will be the LA Rams’ third defensive coordinator in the last three years, but his job is to take over a defense that ranked first in both yards and points allowed for the first time in franchise history. They hadn’t been the top-ranked team in either category since leading the NFL in points allowed in 1978.

What’s the highest a Raheem Morris-led defense has ranked? That wouldn’t be a very exhaustive search, because excluding his three years as a head coach, Morris hadn’t been an NFL defensive coordinator until 2020; and five games into that stint, the Atlanta Falcons promoted him to interim head coach.

As a person who has been coaching in the NFL since 2002, there is plenty to know about Morris, but what can we glean from his last six years with the Falcons, in roles that included defensive passing game coordinator, offensive passing game coordinator, wide receivers coach, defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and head coach?

To find out, I spoke to Dave Choate, lead writer at SB Nation’s The Falcoholic, on this week’s episode of Pod-TST.

We discuss, in this order:

• What went wrong for the Falcons?
• Why offense and defense for Morris?
• Defensive strengths for Morris and coaching in a 3-4
• What went wrong with Dante Fowler this year under Morris?
• Keanu Neal, Desmond Trufant, Damontae Kazee, Darqueze Dennard, Ricardo Allen, Blidi Wreh-Wilson as fits with Rams
• Thoughts on Alex Mack
• Todd Gurley’s season
• Why hasn’t Matt Ryan forced his way out like other QBs?
• How split are Atlanta fans on drafting a quarterback at pick four?