The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Morris focuses on turnovers
Offensive assistant moved to defense to improve secondary.
FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons have acknowledged fixing their secondary is key to a second-half turnaround.
Assistant head coach Raheem Morris was moved from coaching wide receivers to defensive backs Monday. Morris, a longtime NFL defensive backs coach who spent the previous three-and-half seasons coaching wide receivers, was at practice Wednesday barking out instructions and firing passes to cornerbacks.
“You do whatever is required for the team,” said Morris, who was coached by Falcons coach Dan Quinn as a junior at Hofstra University. “Whatever we feel like is best for the team. Some new eyes, some new perspective on some techniques and fundamentals, some things that we wanted to clean up and help with, things (Quinn) thought I could help with.”
Morris was all for the move but wanted to check with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter first. “If coach brought me over, he did it for a reason,” Morris said. “Coach Quinn is very easy to please. He’s one of those people that you want to go over and help as much as you can.”
Passing-game coordinator Jerome Henderson, who previously worked with the safeties, was with Morris. Defensive backs coach Doug Mallory, who previously worked with the
cornerbacks, was working with the safeties.
Quinn said he wasn’t worried about titles.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Quinn said. Owner Arthur Blank approved of the coaching staff moves. “He said, you’ve got a lot of smart people there and utilize every resource that you have,” Quinn said. “Raheem and I talked about that and felt this was the best thing to do for the team.”
Running backs coach Dave Brock moved to wide receivers coach, where he was Morris’ assistant in 2017 and 2018 after serving as Delaware’s coach from 20132016. Special teams/offensive assistant coach Bernie
Parmalee moved back to coach the running backs, where he was for the 2018 season. The secondary is Morris’ to fix.
“No one is pleased with where we are at,” Quinn said.
The defensive backs aren’t creating turnovers, and there have been blown coverages and missed tackles galore. Cornerback Desmond Trufant, who returned to practice from a turf toe injury after missing three games, has the team’s only interceptions (two).
The Falcons are minus-11 in turnovers, next to last in the 32-team league. “Your turnover margin definitely affects your win percentages,” Morris said. “We are where we are because of that right now. That’s one of the main reasons. Now, that’s not everything, but it is everything for us.”
Morris wants all of the defensive coaches to stress the importance of creating turnovers. “It’s something that we have to focus on, getting the ball back,” Morris said.
The Falcons have given up 261.1 yards passing a game, which ranks 23rd in the league. The secondary has allowed 17 touchdown passes (28th in the NFL), and the team has given up 31 plays of 20 yards or more (23rd). “You look at some of our communication errors and they are on the back side of plays,” Henderson said.
If Morris can tighten things up in the secondary, perhaps the defense’s pass rush can make some strides. The Falcons’ seven sacks are last in the NFL.
“I remember going to the combine and being interviewed by Raheem,” Falcons free safety Ricardo Allen said. “I know that he was a DB coach there, too. Being able to have him back on our side, having that perspective from offense, can only help.”
Allen was on the defense in 2015, when Morris worked with the defensive backs. “He finds out your strengths and your weaknesses by just studying you,” Allen said. “He’s going to make you do those on a different level. Yes, he’s going to always focus on your weaknesses to help you get better.”
Morris has his own coaching style. “He’s a straight shooter,” Allen said. “He’s going to keep it 100. You’re going to know exactly your accountability to the play and your accountability to your brothers.”
His new job will require Morris to get the defensive backs to cut down or eliminate the blown coverages. “He’s a great teacher,” Allen said.
Injury updates: QB Matt Ryan (ankle sprain) and Trufant (turf toe) returned to practice Wednesday, according to the team’s official injury report. Ryan and Trufant were limited along with guard Jamon Brown (foot), guard Wes Schweitzer (head), guard James Carpenter (knee) and tight end Jaeden Graham (knee). Backup running back Ito Smith is out of the concussion protocol, but has a neck injury and did not practice. Defensive end John Cominsky (ankle) did not practice.