Raheem Morris is a polarizing figure in Los Angeles. Despite being a big part of the Rams’ Super Bowl run in 2021, fans remain frustrated by his defensive scheme. It calls for a lot of soft coverages – even on third-and-3 – and a concerted effort to prevent big plays over the top of the defense, but for the most part, it works.
Pro Football Focus thinks highly of Morris despite his detractors, ranking him as one of the best defensive coordinators. He cracked the site’s top 10, coming in at No. 7 on the list.
After being put in what looked to be a lose-lose situation as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009 as just a 32-year-old, Morris climbed back up the NFL coaching ladder to now be one of the league’s more respected defensive coaches. As the Rams’ defensive coordinator since 2021, Morris helped orchestrate a defense that won a Super Bowl in his first season there. In his two seasons helming the defense in LA, the Rams’ 88.2 overall defensive grade ranks second in the league and their 90.0 run-defense grade is far and away the best mark.
As frustrating as the Rams’ coverage assignments can be sometimes, there’s no denying the effect Morris has had on the run defense. As PFF points out, the Rams rank first in the NFL in run defense grade since Morris took over in 2021, dominating in that phase of the game.
It would be a major accomplishment for Los Angeles to once again rank at the top with its current roster, missing key run defenders such as A’Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey. Even Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott were relatively effective in that department last season.
It’ll be a challenge coverage-wise this season, too. The Rams will have one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL, led by players such as Cobie Durant, Jordan Fuller, Derion Kendrick and potentially Russ Yeast.
If the rams are even above-average defensively in 2023, Morris should garner even more head-coaching consideration.
