Head Coach Raheem Morris Week 13 Media Availability | Wednesday, November 26th | Press Conference

Head Coach Raheem Morris Week 13 Media Availability | Wednesday, November 26th | Press Conference

Better than not to serve. Better than not to serve. That’s not true. Steve was deep. What’s up, D? Uh, not too much, coach. Oh, look at that. Look at you. Yeah, I’m good. Oh, no. Was he gave me a thumbs up? Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. Um, yeah, coach. Where are you at with uh Drake London going into the work week here? I’m going to give them all a week. Um, you know, we talked we started talking about week to week. Okay. Um, so I I you know, I don’t know what the proper term is, but doubtful for me. Um, but um I’m sure he’ll give you the whatever the letter of the law is. You know, he’ll be um he looks good. He’s moving around. Um I’m I’m happy that we’ll be getting him back soon. Just not not sure how soon. And how did Matthew Burgger play in his return? Good. You know, obviously had the scare when he went down, got kind of leg whipped um you know, hit the ankle, but he was able to return in the game. So he looked good coming back. It was great to have him back out there. Um energetic. um you know obviously you know one of our guys that we count on a lot guys that can do a lot for us Hen winning and you know obviously filled in very nicely for Matthew um Burge and all that type of stuff as he introduced himself to me last week but um it was great to have him back out there. It was good to have him back with his fellas. It was good to have the guys, you know, playing together and playing well. I’m sorry you you were saying you consider Drake doubtful this week. Yeah, you know, you say doubtful. He’s moving around well. He’s doing some things, you know. Um, you always take those kind of guys up to the last minute, but you know, week to week, I’m not I don’t think it’s this week. I forgot to ask you Sunday about Casey Washington. Was he a healthy scratch? Healthy scratch. You know, obviously um made some made some decisions on personnel things that we were doing last week. Um so he was down. You know, he one of the guys that we uh we relied on to try to win that football game. Um we’ll see this week where we’re at and what we can do, but um he was down last week for sure. Was Drake um as you expected kind of wanting to play a Sunday? You know, I the one thing I knew going into is I can’t ask Drake, you know. Um Yeah. You know what I mean? Got to go with the doctor. Got to go with um with our medical team and all our performance team and things that we got going on here. You know, obviously he looks great. He’ll probably feel great today. He’ll probably feel better as we get going. Um he’ll probably feel better throughout the course of the week. Um and then if something happens that we get cleared and do all those things, we’ll do those things. But right now, I wouldn’t say that is the case. What went into the decision to name Kaden Ellis the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award nominee for the Falcons? Kaden Ellis. I mean, that’s the self-explanatory. Um, the guy is in our community. The guys is for our team. He’s our captain. Um, he’s one of the the better people I’ve been around in my life just in general. Um, football or whatever, you know, just in just in um all all walks, all fashions of life. talking about family man, you’re talking about in our community, talking about in his community, um his family, um his brothers is it was it’s just a bunch of thing where you can go into all those those phases of it and make him that guy. So like for Kaden, um feels really normal and really right. the offense that you ran Sunday with Kirk so much under center and play action. I’m wondering if that’s the offense you envisioned when you signed Kirk um and weren’t able to do as much of it because of his mobility issues. Um uh definitely, you know, with the pistol, you know, when he started was really, you know, to help him to be able to get back from the injury and things of that nature. As he got comfortable during the season, we were able to move over to the up under. you probably think I’ming more familiar with the pistol stuff and a lot of the shotgun stuff from the offseason program and how we trained him, how we prepared him, you know, coming off of the injury. You know, a lot of our stuff happened from um that first OTAA days with him, you know, first those first seven on sevens with him. Um he got really comfortable doing those things and got into that world. But, you know, what he’s traditionally done in his career has been up under center has been, you know, he’s done a lot of gun stuff as well, a lot of pistol stuff as well. We did a lot of pistol in Washington when he was a young pup, but um you know coming off the RG3 thing, following those game plans. So he’s been familiar with both, but um he’s done a lot of the different things from up under back in the pistol all over the place. So realistically, he’s done a lot of those things, but he’s definitely been up on center doing a lot of those things, you know. Um I can remember his first strike throw from up under center. It was called drifting, but I can remember all those things. When was that? In DC. In DC. Yes, sir. What uh personality have the Jets taken on Tyrod in there? Uh you know um you know obviously you know Tyrod’s been around for a long time. Um he does a nice job of delivering the football out of his hands getting it to different people. Um he knows how to do that. He’s done that for a while. Um he’s always been a master of the offense. He’s been in this league as a backup um for a lot of years. He’s done a great job of learning multiple offenses, really being able to train people, you know, becoming that extra coach really on the grass. And when he’s had his opportunities to play, he’s played well. Um he’s had a he’s had the chance to start before and he’s he started well. He started against us before. Um whether he’s with Giants, whether he was in um LA, whether he’s had the ability to do it now as the Jets starting quarterback. So like you got a professional over there, um a guy with a lot of experience, a seasoned guy, um a guy that can come out and dictate and tell you exactly probably what they did on defense. Um he gives him a lot of versatility when it comes to those things in the pass game. Um he’s definitely um has some athleticisms. No, not just in field athleticism, but definitely still has all the athleticism be able to move. Um obviously a little bit older, but still a threat to run and move the chains and you know be a to slot up in um his escape lanes to be able to still deliver the football down the field or pick up the necessary yards you need to do with his feet. And Hall he’s like they’re trying to get him the ball a lot. I guess had a fumble last week, but what what do you have to prepare for a running back like Bryce? Uh Bri Bree is an absolute monster, you know, so he’s like one of those guys that’s fast. Um he’s dynamic. He runs hard. Um and they’re trying to get to them ball, you know, obviously you hear the coach talking about a bunch, getting the ball like we do, um whether it be out the back field and catches or just handling the football in the back field. Um they got a a nice duo they got going back there. You know, obviously they lost their young man from Wisconsin. Um I believe it’s Wisconsin um early in the season, but they’ve done a nice job of still being able to supplement that stuff with uh different people. Um but you know, Bree is a problem. You know, he has been since he’s been in the National Football League. Um I know he had a little bit of injury history, you know, early um had some early this year and been able to bounce back and looks really good. Zane Gonzalez had two big field goals from 50 yards out and further. He’s only the second Falcons kicker to do that in a single game. How confident are you that he has kind of solved the kicking issues this season? I am extremely excited about it. I brought it up in our own our own team meeting, you know, talking about the operational piece that we’ve been able to gain from having Zayn back there. Um, being able to line up and kick those field goals and, you know, kind of making those necessary preparational things that you need to do. Um, only looking at those kicks when it’s one is one of those ones sending you to overtime or sending you to a win, things of that nature, getting back accustomed to doing those things, which he’s provided that operational piece. He’s done a nice job of doing that. Um he’s provided a lot of um steady hand um for us when it comes to those things and he’s also um taken over some of the kickoff responsibilities for us as well. Um being able to provide the the knuckle ball that’s that’s run through the league and he’s been to provide a couple of those as well and do some really good things and provide some good kicks across the board. So the things he’s given us I’m really excited about and um so has his teammates. Last season versus this season with D off Alford seemed to be kind of night and day. How have you seen him just really get comfortable and grow his confidence this year? Uh, you know, D offer, you know, always has a lot of confidence. Um, you know, last year it was shaken a little bit, you know, based on a couple of games that we didn’t have as well. Um, you know, some of the stuff even last year wasn’t his fault that we kind of blamed him for, not we, but you know, the outside world. Um, but he’s done a nice job bouncing back this year. Done a great job of really locking in the defense, owning a bunch of different personnels, buffing different uh positions. You know, when AJ went out, he had to fill in as the lead dog corner in AJ shoes. Uh, you know, Hughes goes out, he has to fill in for Hughes as as the the secondary guy. Billy’s been out and he has to go and play nickel and now eventually settling and Billy got hurt last week to going in nickel and being a start nickel, you know, you know, hopefully for the rest of the season and being able to get those things done. But his knowledge, the things that he can do for us, his versatility, um, the teammate that he is when he plays on special teams, the team that he does when he’s been a returner, um, the things that he has to do as an emergency safety, um, he’s done so many different things for us. He’s smart. Um, he’s unique. Um, he’s one of those guys that you count on and you can depend on at all times. Can you tell he’s having a good season himself? Like personally, just whether it’s on a day-to-day basis, you can just tell he’s enjoying playing. D’s pretty u pretty personable with me. So, like I can always tell when he’s having a bunch of fun. So, like even if he’s not having a bunch of fun, I can always give him some type of pick me up to talk to him. Um, and I believe last year even when he had a rough game, you know, telling him that he was a starting nickel in the National Football League, he was very appreciative of that. Um, and he’s very appreciative of the confidence the coaches had around him. So like um I love what’s happened for him. I love to have some success. Um and now he’s interested in getting some team success. The curveball since it’s just us in here chatting. There were moments in your career where you um were struck by how strong some of these guys are just physically strong. I think sometimes we the players Yeah. don’t just kind of take it for granted. But are there moments you remember thinking, “Holy crap.” There there have been there have been there have been a lot of moments like that. Um and some of the moments some of the moments have been less like uh the guys who are like weight strong but just like the the natural strength of some of the guys. I remember like Garrett Blunt my first time seeing him run the football and and and knowing he didn’t lift weights and just how strong he was and how big he was and how physical of a runner he was. And then there’s guys here um like that. Then the training and the methodology of everything that they do to get ready um now is so different. you’re like blown away and aed by, you know, Jake Matthews and his longevity and his ability to go out there every single week and just watching him fight through everything that happens in in the football game that that gives me a real awe and and a sense of wow. You know, Bjan, you know, obviously he’s a freak in everything and all facet of it, whether it’s catching, running, lifting, um racing, rapping, singing, whatever, acting, anything that he does, I’m always in awe um by his ability to do those things. And then, you know, um these newer guys, these rookies coming in, being able to contribute like they have has been uh always put you in awe and and and anytime you go into an O line lift, you’ll find something to to really be in awe about. Anytime you go into watching the secondary or these receivers run, you’ll find something to be awed about. And then they provide that for you every single day. So, like I’m never shocked when I see something different on another team because you see it on your own team and you know somebody else got some some hidden gem somewhere. Anything else? Any any update on Michael? He had a surgery went well. Um you obviously um got a chance to do that yesterday. Um really fired up about that. Um and really fired up about his his uh his when he comes back and his and his plan for coming back. Thanks. All right, guys.

Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Raheem Morris speaks with the media as the Falcons set their sights on the New York Jets for an out of conference matchup.

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