Insider Reveals Falcons 'Plan B' If Cowboys Hire Bill Belichick

If the Atlanta Falcons cannot land Bill Belichick, they could turn to current Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

Was the Atlanta Falcons search for a new coach dealt a major blow on Sunday by the Green Bay Packers?

Ever since the Packers took a quick and commanding 27-0 lead on the Dallas Cowboys in the second quarter, the internet was lit abuzz with talk about the latter being a new potential destination for now former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. 

Despite three straight playoff appearances and 12-win seasons under coach Mike McCarthy, the current vibe in Dallas indicates that 81-year-old team owner Jerry Jones is considering a coaching change. If the recent rumors are anything to show for it, the Cowboys could join the Falcons in taking a "big swing" at landing Belichick. 

So, while the Falcons are reportedly making the six-time Super Bowl champion their top target, according to NBC's Mike Florio, they already have a backup option in case they swing and miss.

"And if Belichick ends up not being in play in Atlanta, keep an eye on Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris," Florio said Sunday on NBC's "Football Night in America". "... We could see him emerge as the new favorite to become the next of the Falcons." 

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (left) and former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick (right) / Clutchpoints

Morris isn't a new name or face for Atlanta, as before his current role as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator, he held four different roles with the Falcons. 

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach joined then-Falcons coach Dan Quinn's staff back in 2015 as the pass game coordinator before coaching receivers and even becoming the defensive coordinator. Then, in the wake of Quinn's midseason firing, he served as the interim coach.

Despite Morris's lone try at being a head coach in the NFL being a failure, as the Buccaneers had just one winning season during his three-year tenure, his work with the Rams' defense has made him a hot name in the coaching circles. 

Morris's first season with the Rams saw him help L.A. win the franchise's second-ever Lombardi Trophy as he coordinated a defense that was the league's No. 1 run defense, allowing just 60.2 yards per game while also boasting the No. 3 passing defense, which allowed 222 yards. 

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However, his most impressive work may have come this season for the Rams. After an offseason that saw Rams general manager Les Snead begin his "roster remodel," which saw them offload many of their star players, except for Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald, Morris's unit managed to be serviceable despite a lot of youth. 

With the Rams' 24-23 loss on Sunday to the Detroit Lions ending their season, Morris can now focus on potentially finding himself a second chance at becoming an NFL head coach.