Some people in the NFL are destined to be head coaches, and others have proven to be less-than-adequate head coaches and are better-suited suited to spend their career in a cushy coordinator job---and after his stint with the Atlanta Falcons, it's clear Raheem Morris fits into the second group.
Morris last just two seasons as the head coach of the Falcons, where he accrued a 16-18 record as head coach that doesn't effectively tell the story of how bad he was. So when he was fired by Atlanta in January, it didn't take long for him to find another job due to his status as a Super Bowl-winning DC.
Shortly thereafter, he was hired by longtime friend and fellow ex-Falcons assistant Kyle Shanahan to be the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers after Robert Saleh's departure. And so far, that hire has paid off, as according to SumerSports, the 49ers are tied for seventh in the NFL with a -0.09 defensive EPA per play.
Through six games, Morris' defense is currently giving up the fifth-least yards of offense on a weekly basis, and the niners are allowing just 18.3 points per game this season. But in Week 7, the 50-year-old is making his highly-anticipated return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Falcons host his Niners.
So what we have on our hands this weekend is a good old-fashioned revenge game. He's looking to prove they shouldn't have fired him with a commanding defensive performance, and given he spent two seasons in Atlanta, the familiarity with not just this offense, but this roster will affect the outcome of this matchup on both sides of the ball. Raheem's fingerprints will be all over the outcome here.
Raheem Morris' knowledge of the Falcons will make this matchup a lot tougher
And while Kevin Stefanski's system is different from the one implemented when he was head coach, the personnel is the same. Michael Penix Jr. is still the starting QB, Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts haven't gone anywhere, and the Dirty Birds return four of five starters on the offensive line.
The only players Morris is truly new to are Jahan Dotson and Jawaan Taylor, but his knowledge of this offense is another advantage for this San Francisco defense. He should know how to rattle Penix with pressure, or how to stack the box to correctly neutralize Bijan--or at least you would think so.
Raheem Morris' leadership has elevated this 49er defense, as youngsters like Gracen Dalton and Jaden Dugger have stepped up while Upton Stout and Renardo Green look revitalized. And although his system and coaching philosophy are similar to Saleh's, he's managed to get more out of it.
Morris will ask his unit to send a lot of pressure, especially if Nick Bosa is able to return, and the creative blitz packages he's dialed up have been tough to stop-- which means that this Falcons' offensive line needs step it up.
Actually picking up the blitz and holding tall in pass protection is part of this, but so is making sure this run game tires the defense out so it doesn't all have to fall on Penix and the passing game and a high-powered Niners offense is kept off the field. And that falls on the play-calling of Tommy Rees.
What Raheem Morris' return to Atlanta actually means for the Falcons
However, Morris isn't the only one feeling the effects of what's going to be an emotional weekend. Penix said it will be "exciting" to face off with him but said they haven't spoken in a while, which one can only assume means there hasn't been much contact between them these last 10 months.
In contrast to Penix, Bijan Robinson offered a more realistic interpretation of his relationship with Morris while expressing a similar enthusiasm about facing him. And he also became the second Falcons player to credit the job he's great done in San Francisco while discussing his return.
“I’m super excited to play him," Robinson said. "Obviously, he’s a father figure, big brother to me. To get to play him and his defense and how well they've been doing is a testament to him and what he's done.”
Both sides of this matchup are going to have something to prove, which means the chip on your shoulder excuse goes both ways. Both of these teams will be motivated, but whether Raheem Morris gets his defense humming for him or if the Atlanta offense uses his philosophy against him to shock the unbeaten Niners remains to be seen.
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