Back in Atlanta this week, 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was asked the kind of question that follows him around anytime his name comes up in coaching circles: could he be a head coach again?
Morris wasn’t interested in feeding that machine. He pushed back on the idea that every coordinator is automatically chasing the top job, making clear he’s comfortable where he is.
“ We have somewhere in society been screwed up, ” Morris said, via ESPN. “ We have got this illusion in our head that everybody’s a head coach.
There are 32 head coaches in the National Football League. There are 32 defensive coordinators, and there’s 32 offensive coordinators, and there’s 32 everything we do.
… We are blessed and you couldn’t have a better job than all of us. ”
Kyle Shanahan made it clear the 49ers would prefer not to lose him. The San Francisco coach said Morris is part of the fabric there for as long as he remains in charge, unless another head coaching opportunity comes along.
“ I see Raheem here for as long as I’m here, ” Shanahan said. “ Raheem’s so good of a coach, you’ve always got to be nervous you’ll lose him as a head coach.
But if that doesn’t happen, I don’t plan on him ever leaving. ”
There was also an injury update on 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans, who is dealing with Achilles tendinitis, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The team does not think he’ll need more testing.
Shanahan said Evans has handled this issue before and doesn’t view it as something that should linger.
“It’s something that he’s had before. It’s something that bothered him throughout the week.
When you have Achilles tendinitis like he does, it kind of is what it is. … I hope he recovers throughout the week, but you don’t think it’s a long-term thing, but right now it ended up costing him two quarters and hopefully he’ll be able to play next week, but if not, we’ll have to have the rest of the group step up and hopefully get him healed up by after the bye week.”
In Arizona, the early read on running back Jeremiyah Love isn’t encouraging. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported the current expectation is that Love will miss a second straight game in Week 7 against the Broncos because of an ankle injury.
And in Los Angeles, Sean McVay is looking for more from his offense than a steady diet of the passing game. The Rams coach said he wants the unit to find more balance and stop leaning so heavily on throws to put points on the board.
“ Yesterday, we [didn’t have] that many plays, ” McVay said, via Rams Wire. “ We were still in a two-minute [drill] at the end of the game playing from behind.
I would like to be more balanced, no question about it. Ultimately, what I care about and what we care about is what’s the best way is to move the ball and score points.
Because of some of the situations that we’ve been in, those two-minute situations have gotten us a little bit out of balance. No matter how I cut it, it’s an excuse.
I’d like to be able to have a little bit more balance and that’s reflected by being efficient on early downs and sustaining drives. ”
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Ty Simpson is among the younger players the Rams are weighing for more snaps as they try to navigate the stretch ahead. For a team that still has Stafford performing at a high level, the question is no longer whether he can carry an offense, but how long Los Angeles can keep asking him to do it while also trying to build a clearer path through the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
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Rams Suddenly Face A Huge WR Decision After Latest Injury Blow
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Alex Kay floated the idea of Los Angeles looking at free-agent Tyreek Hill as a way to soften the blow, but the timing may not be on the Rams side. Hills agent has said he is close to signing with another NFL team, and there has been no official report of a deal with Los Angeles, leaving the Rams to weigh whether they need to act quickly or look elsewhere for help. [Read more 🡒]