It's Not About One Eagles Playmaker for Falcons' Coach

Raheem Morris was asked about Saquon Barkley and expanded things to talk about the Eagles' playmakers.

Aug 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on the sideline against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - First-year Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is a defensive-minded mentor, having spent the vast majority of his coaching career teaching defenders in a hands-on fashion, including coordinating stints as a coordinator with Atlanta and the Los Angeles Rams.

Morris had also been the head coach in Tampa Bay, and an interim top man with the Falcons before returning to the organization as the somewhat surprise choice to lead the team this offseason.

Morris' debut wasn't great offensively, losing 18-10 to Pittsburgh. Morris' calling card was on display as an Atlanta defensive led by Grady Jarrett, Kaden Elliss, and Jesse Bates, coupled with recent acquisitions Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons kept the Steelers out of the end zone.

That's the test in Week 2 on Monday night for a Philadelphia offense that piled up 410 yards and 34 points in a season-opening win over Green Bay despite quite a bit of meat left on the bone due to shaky field conditions and some poor decision-making by quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The highlight for the uninitiated was three touchdowns by Saquon Barkley, who won NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in his Eagles' debut.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley / John McMullen/Eagles SI

Morris was queried about Barkley earlier this week in Atlanta and quickly steered things to the larger picture with the Eagles' offense.

"It's just really the whole offense when you look at those guys," Morris explained. "We're talking about a bunch of superstars across the board, Slim Reaper [DeVonta Smith], A.J. Brown, you got Saquon out there, they just traded for [Jahan] Dotson, they got a bunch of guys out there.

"They got the biggest offensive line in the history of the game. They got a brand new center that's going to create a really challenge for us and Hurts was the runner up in MVP just a year ago, whatever the case may be, so they got a good offense so we got to get up in the lab right now and that's what today [game planning] is about.”

The mutual-admiration society spread to Philadelphia and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

"Watching them on film, I think they do a really excellent job," Moore said of Morris' defense. "The front, getting [Matthew Judon], putting him on the edge, a premier player. And then to have two safeties [Bates and Simmons] of that caliber, just great feel for the game, great understanding, and they can tie everything together. I think it's a veteran group, a really experienced group.

"They did a nice job of containing Pittsburgh in some ways on Sunday. So it'll be a challenge."

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