Washington Commanders are 1st in line to interview this Rams coach for HC job

The NFL enters each season knowing that of 32 teams, 14 teams will compete in the NFL Playoffs. Approximately 16 teams will end that season with a win-loss record of .500 or better. But for the other 16 teams, they have another grueling process that they must endure. While the LA Rams have avoided the nastiness of a failed season since 2016, the team has been impacted by the turnover of the coaching staff of unsuccessful teams.

And right on cue, here we go again.

While the annual event known as the NFL Black Monday (due to the day of so many coaches being fired) has not affected any NFL West Division teams directly in 2024, the LA Rams are expected to be a team that is hit hard with requests to interview coaches for NFL head coaching opportunities.

And those opportunities are already knocking on the LA Rams front door:

For many fans, the chance to part ways with Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is a golden opportunity to do so and give the Rams a chance to find a new defensive coordinator whose philosophy is more aligned with their preferences to play solid football. But as the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for, because you just may get it.

Raheem Morris, hired in 2021 to replace a very popular DC Brandon Staley, has not been without some challenges. But let's highlight some of the events that he is responsible for that seldom are discussed:

Why will Rams miss Raheem Morris if hired away as HC?

1. He emphasized the middle of the Rams defense
2. He knows how to take the defense up a notch
3. He helped to bring the first Rams NFL Championship to Los Angeles, California

He emphasized the middle of the Rams defense

Before arriving at the LA Rams, the Rams' defense emphasized the shell concept. Simply stated, the Rams invested in cornerbacks and pass rushers, and hoped that the defense could make do by investing less into defensive linemen and safeties, and next to nothing in interior linebackers. That all changed with Morris, who immediately persuaded the Rams to invest a third-round pick into ILB Ernest Jones.

That may have seemed like a very small step at the time, but it was a giant leap for the Rams progress. For 2023, ILB Ernest Jones played just 15 games, and yet had 145 tackles (a new Rams recorded), 4.5 quarterback sacks, six quarterback hits, 14 tackles for a loss, 13 pressures, six pass deflections, and only allowed 70.8 percent of the passes thrown to his receiver to find their mark. That is a huge upgrade over the past performers at ILB.

He knows how to take the defense up a notch

While the Rams defense has had to 'make do,' more often than fans realize, But when the defense needed to take it up a notch, this defense was able to do so. The Rams won in Week 18 by a score of 21-20, but held the 49ers offense to zero points in the second half. But that was not the first time the Rams defense shut out their opponent for an entire half of football.

The LA Rams opened the 2023 NFL season by shutting out the Seattle Seahawks in the second half of Week 1 to win by a score of 30-13. The Rams shut out the Indianapolis Colts in the first half of Week 4. The Rams shut out the Arizona Cardinals in the second half of Week 6. And finally, The Rams shut out the Washington Commanders in the first half of Week 15. When the Rams needed a victory, the defense stepped up.

He helped to bring the first Rams NFL Championship to Los Angeles, California

Lest we forget too quickly, the LA Rams entered the NFL Playoffs after having been decimated by injuries in the secondary that sat both starters. Rather than fret or surrender, Raheem Morris persuaded former DB Eric Weddle to come out of a two year retirement to suit up for the LA Rams and paired him with hard-hitting DB Nick Scott. The strategy paid off, and the LA Rams won their first Lombardi Trophy for Los Angeles, CA.

Raheem Morris proved to the NFL this year that he was not dependant upon elite defenders. In all honesty, the Rams defense seemed to be more dependable and far more physical in 2023 than in previous years.

Don't overlook the fact that the 2021 version of the Rams defense was built to the specifications of former DC Brandon Staley, and the onus for Morris was to maintain the same basic defensive premise of that Staley inspired defense. 2022 was a transitional year, as the Rams loaded up the secondary with young defensive backs, and the team ousted the outside linebacker rook of nearly all veterans. The full 'Morris inspired' version of the Rams defense is on the football field in 2023. It's not perfect by any means.

But my oh my does this defense play hard. And best of all, they have fun while doing so.

Morris deserves the opportunity to be promoted to head coach once more. But let's not convince ourselves that the Rams will automatically upgrade the defense, and the overall team, by letting him sign on elsewhere. I expect that many Rams fans will celebrate openly if and when Raheem Morris is hired to be a head coach for a new NFL team.