The Los Angeles Rams opted to make some significant changes on both sides of the ball this offseason. Aside from pulling the trigger on a blockbuster deal for quarterback Matthew Stafford, Raheem Morris also replaced Brandon Staley as the new defensive coordinator.
The Rams made quite an investment in order to bring Stafford over after parting ways with Jared Goff, two first-round picks (2022, 2023) and a 2021 third-round pick. Regardless, it seems those on the coaching staff felt it was a small price to pay for a quarterback of Stafford’s caliber.
Both head coach Sean McVay and Morris are well aware of Stafford’s reputation as one of the NFL’s premier gunslingers. It appears his efforts in the clutch have also not gone unnoticed through the years.
McVay is known for his ability to recall plays spanning from the start of his coaching career. The memory of Stafford leading a comeback win over McVay and Morris’ Washington Football Team has not faded.
“Broke my heart. It was after he beat the Rams and you guys went to London. So, (QB) Kirk Cousins scored on a zone read to take the lead. I thought the game was over. He makes a couple unbelievable throws and then he knifes a seam to Anquan Boldin right over the top of us in a buzz coverage. It was a tough day. But it was one of those things where you witness it and (Defensive Coordinator Raheem) Coach Morris and talked about that. He broke Raheem’s heart this past year as well in a two-minute situation. So, a resilient competitor, all those things. I do remember those tough days. But you can’t help but respect and appreciate just the caliber of competitor and that belief that he instills in everybody around him because he’s got the tangible evidence to reflect that with some of the results. And to the question that you asked Les as well, I do think it’s really important to acknowledge how fortunate we both feel to work for Stan Kroenke. The willingness to have us be able to articulate some of the thought processes behind, why we felt like this was a good decision and then to have the trust from him and the support – those are things that you never take for granted. It makes you want to work that much harder to continue to make him look good with being able to trust us to make some of these decisions. It’s never a perfect thing, but when you have that belief from ownership and that support, man, that is something that you don’t take for granted and feel so grateful. And I know Les and I both share in that sentiment.”
The good news for the Rams’ coaching staff is they no longer have to worry about coming up with an effective game plan against Stafford. It is clear that this played a major factor in their willingness to make a splash leading up to the start of free agency.
McVay has noted his desire to revamp the offense with some more explosive plays in the passing game. General manager Les Snead solidified his wishes by not only acquiring Stafford but adding DeSean Jackson to the mix of this talented receiving corps.
Although Morris will no longer be preparing to shut down one of the NFL’s most notable gunslingers, squaring off in practice every day should certainly help pay some dividends. After all, the Rams will need every edge they can get they hope to establish themselves as bonafide Super Bowl contenders once again.
