Los Angeles Rams Transcripts - Defensive
Coordinator Raheem Morris, Offensive
Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris
(On what it’s been like watching OLB Byron Young and NT Kobie Turner
develop this season and continue to swap places in sack totals)
“Didn't know about the sack totals, I just kind of go about the deal and they've
really gotten better watching those guys go since they've been here. They
came in young rookies. Kobie came in, super smart, super intelligent with an
unbelievable motor. Byron just coming in really showing us stuff right off the bat
with some explosiveness being just a violent rusher and he's really developed
some of his tools to get even better and now developing as a dropper as well,
being at the outside backer position. They have been so much fun to work with
and be around. I couldn't be happier with the two young guys.”
(On lessons he’s learned from the adversity the team has faced this
season)
“You learn lessons every single week in the National Football League and I
think getting to the bye being 3-6, having a couple close games there where
that could have looked different as well, it gave you the confidence coming out
of the bye that you can do what we've done over the past couple of months. It’s
really a credit to our leadership and (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) and what he's
been able to do and how he's pushed us forward. I really give him a lot of credit
for that, fighting through it. And it's not just this year, it's the years prior. It's all
your years of experience. It's going through the different situations as you go
through them when you go about your business in the National Football League
and it's a lot of fun to be able to have those moments for these guys.”
(On if he’s surprised by the level of performance he’s seen from the
rookies this season)
“Surprised would be a word I wouldn't use. I never set people's expectations
and I am happy at the development that has happened. I think we have the
best group of coaches and you’re really impressed with how (Defensive Line
Coach) Eric Henderson or (Defensive Backs Coach) Aubrey Pleasant or
(Assistant Linebackers Coach) Chris Shula or (Outside Linebackers Coach)
Joe (Coniglio) or any of these guys developing their games, (Secondary Coach)
Chris Beake. I can go on and on with the guys, right? (Assistant Defensive Line
Coach) AC (Carter) to (Defensive Assistant) Mike Harris, but I'm never
surprised what they do. I've always felt like these guys are going to come in
and we're going to try to do what they can do and then let them exceed our
expectations on the grass. Those guys have certainly done that. So surprised
would be a little off. It's more like pleasantly pleased the production and how
they've grown just something like that.”
(On if he gets to try new things in games like this Sunday where the
‘world doesn’t end’ if they lose the game)
“The world always ends if you lose a game (laughter). Everybody dies, that's
what happens, right? Every single week that's the life we live in. When you
make decisions, conscientious decisions based on being a head coach of
sitting a couple of guys, the guys that are playing, coaches included, we are all
in and we have to go win this football game. That's how we look at. It's how we
play the game. If you don't do it that way, you end up getting hurt as a player or
you end up missing opportunities as a coach and we don't want to miss those
opportunities. We're going in and then obviously there's some strategy. There
are some strategic things that go on there when you're resting a guy like (DT)
Aaron Donald, you're resting a guy like (Lcool smiley Ernest (Jones) to get those guys
back to where you want them to be for when you go into the playoffs because
you were fortunate enough in this business to qualify before it mattered or
before it ended. You take advantage of those moments for certain people,
whether it be long-term players or whatever the case may be. But the guys
have got to go, we’re coaching this game as if we have to win it to get in and I
think that's the mentality you have to have.”
(On his comment last week about not getting emotionally invested in
watching the Seahawks vs. Steelers game and if that stayed true when
everyone was watching it on the plane)
“I didn't, you could ask everybody. I sat in the seat and I was trying to enjoy the
Tulsa King and while I was enjoying it, everybody started to cheer after the
game had got to that result and when it got to that result, then I joined the party.
But I didn't get emotionally invested. I stayed true to my word. I didn't let them
get me although they wanted me to, (VP Sports Medicine and Performance)
Reggie (Scott) and his staff included. It was a lot of fun. (Senior Staff Writer)
Stu (Jackson) was there, I believe, and I didn't get involved until after the fact
and after the fact we were able to celebrate and be very excited of our
accomplishment that we were able to do getting in the playoffs.”
(On what the plane ride back was like)
“It was outstanding. It was what you would think. It was a bunch of guys being
really happy at what they've been able to accomplish at that point, but not
satisfied. It was what you'd expect, a bunch of guys really proud of that
accomplishment but knowing that we still have more left, it's fun.”
(On if he sent Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin a message after the
game)
“Of course we did. Mike T was a staff member of ours this week and he did a
great job (laughter). Like I said, personally, I can't speak for everybody,
obviously people look at that and cheer for different people and I couldn't get
involved. I have too many good people that I know in Seattle and things of that
nature and definitely want the outcome to come out in my favor, but I just don't
want to put bad karma on myself. Mike T did a nice job of it. I got a bunch of
messages from a bunch of different people and Mike Tomlin definitely got one
from all of us, not just me.”
(On what the conversation was like with McVay regarding resting
defensive players)
“Really Sean initiated it with us pretty early. Really started on that plane ride,
just kind of some early thoughts and then I'm fortunate enough to ride home
with him and some more further going throughout the process until the next
morning until we had our final coaches meeting and he made his decisions at
that time. Then he called those guys to let those guys know on how he was
going to move forward and he did a really nice job. Came back and reported to
us on our normal game plan Tuesday and came to let us know that he talked to
those guys and spoke with them and when they came in, they were ready to
deal with what they had to get ready for and how they're going to prepare
themselves this week in order to get ready for moving forward. He kind of
handled that on his own. I think it was a great job, done really well and I think
he handled it great with the team. I told our team the maturity of this football
team for the coach to be able to come in and explain that to everybody and tell
them what we have to do this week, I thought it was handled really well. I
thought it was nicely done.”
(On how he feels about his defense preventing explosive plays moving
into the playoffs)
“Not very good right now. We've given up way too many, right? That is a
circumstance of a bunch of different things. It's some individual losses,
sometimes it's a schematic issue, sometimes it's a bust, a mental error, and we
have to cut those things down, right? We've been fortunate to start off games
really well and play really well throughout and then give up some explosive
plays towards the end. We've been able to hang on to win those games and
last week was really too close for anybody's comfort. It doesn't matter who
you're playing. If you want to continue to move games moving forward, you
have to play better than that. We have got to clean that area up.”
(On why he thinks giving up explosive plays towards the end of games
has become a pattern)
“The thing I would say that most stands out to me and you try to address is
usually when you play a simpler defense and play back and your four-man rush
can’t get there as quickly, it doesn't look the same in the back end. The
coverage has to hold up longer, the rush is not getting there. It's kind of a
combination of rush and coverage and we have to get better on those
situations. And we improved this week because we have to finish this game off
and get some of those things done, but still have to get better to that level.
That's something that you can constantly work on. That is the beauty of it,
right? The constant moving on and getting better throughout playing football
while you're going to the playoffs and it's something that we can definitely
address.”
(On if improving in those areas on defensive can be done in ‘above the
neck’ stuff)
“Everything in this game is above the neck. You stole my own saying from me,
but this is an above the neck, right? When you're talking about that, you're
talking about the knowledge of what they're going to do and what you're going
to do and then how do you prevent scrambles? How do you prevent explosive
plays? How do you prevent when a quarterback has time to hold onto the ball
because you can't get that perfect rush that you need, when you're trying to sit
back and play smart. Sometimes it's easy to the next day, ‘We should have
blitzed them.’ That's great, but you still put some people in harm's way with
explosive play and how do you find that healthy balance? I'm never going to
complain about our offense scoring a bunch of points and giving us a big lead
and us giving up a couple explosives. It is what it is, right? We'll live with those
battles and we'll get better in those moments.”
(On if they build confidence because of the way they win games as
opposed to guys saying ‘here we go again’ when things start to go
wrong)
“I don't think I've ever heard anybody say the, ‘Oh boy, here we go again’
mentality, because…and I mean you're right, probably because we're winning
the games, right? They become teachable moments. I guess that's what you're
trying to say there. When you win those games in those tight situations,
whether you jump out on New Orleans or really balling and just playing like the
‘85 Bears up until three and a half quarters, and then they start rolling back on
you, you hold on and then the same thing happens I think versus Washington.
They put in (Commodes QB Jacoby) Brissett and he comes in, he looks like
(former Tom Brady in his prime. You get that thing done and then you go
out and play a hard battle last week versus the Giants. I think when you're able
to win those games, you give yourself confidence, you give your team
confidence, you give everybody confidence, and you have those teachable
moments that we're brought up and able to implement throughout the week.
That's why weeks like this, weeks like next week, all those things have to be
brought into the fold. We call them peeling off band-aids in our room and I get a
lot of opportunities to peel off band-aids this year, in particular with a young
football team.”