"Raheem Morris Aims for Significant Offensive Improvement for Falcons"

Raheem Morris achieved his first victory as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons at home, where the positives slightly outweighed the negatives.

Despite not scoring an offensive touchdown, the Falcons managed to secure a 26-24 win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, thanks to a special teams touchdown, a pick-six, and four field goals from Younghoe Koo. Koo's 58-yard field goal with just two seconds left sealed the victory for Atlanta.

Morris emphasized the importance of all three phases of the game, stating, "It's a three-phase game, the way I look at it at all times." He also expressed his excitement for scoring on defense and special teams, saying, "you're throwing a pool party in your head."

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In the crucial NFC South matchup, the Falcons had possession of the ball for 11:24 less than the Saints and only gained 315 total yards.

Prior to this game, the Falcons had struggled with third-down conversions, with a success rate of only 22.2%. However, they showed slight improvement in this area, converting on 4 out of 11 attempts.

Morris acknowledged that there is always room for improvement and highlighted the importance of time of possession and third-down conversions. He stated, "You talk about time of possession, we got a little bit better on third downs (Sunday), just a tick better."

The Falcons will have a short turnaround as they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, their second consecutive NFC South opponent.

This game will hold special significance for Morris as he reunites with his former team, the Buccaneers, where he served as a defensive assistant and head coach. He will also face quarterback Baker Mayfield, who he coached during his time as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.

Morris expressed his respect for Mayfield and his determination to win, saying, "I think Baker is going to do whatever he can to win that football game."

The Falcons have a close history with the Buccaneers, with Tampa Bay leading the all-time series 31-30 and winning six of the last eight matchups.

In other news, Morris announced that cornerback Andersen, who had a 47-yard pick-six in the second quarter, is day-to-day with a knee injury.

The Falcons did not practice on Monday but released an estimated injury report, listing starting running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III, and right tackle Kaleb McGary as limited participants.

In addition, the Falcons are reportedly signing linebacker Rashaan Evans, a former first-round draft pick, to their practice squad. Evans started all 17 games for the Falcons in 2022 and recorded a career-high 159 tackles.

The 28-year-old was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2018 and has played in 85 games, recording 485 tackles, five sacks, five fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.