Morris found himself in a similar situation last season, when, as defensive coordinator of the Rams, he saw Los Angeles go up 27-3 on Brady and the Bucs midway through the third quarter of their Divisional Round playoff game. Then it happened. Again.
Brady led Tampa Bay to 24 consecutive points, tying the score with 42 seconds to play. The story was writing itself: Morris experiences Brady heartbreak once more!
Except he didn’t. Mathew Stafford and Cooper Kupp combined for back-to-back pass plays of 20 and 44 yards to set up the decisive field goal with 4 seconds left.
“It would have been a cool story for you guys to write about, but I’m glad you didn’t get that chance to write it,” said Morris, laughing. “Truthfully, that Super Bowl loss did not cross my mind during the game. There’s no doubt it [was] brought up before the game. You certainly used it in preparation when talking to your guys about staying in the fight. But once the game starts, he’s already got an edge on you if you’re thinking about it.”
Morris, like so many others, is effusive in his praise of Brady. He saw something special in him the first time he played him, during the 2005 season. Morris was the assistant defensive backs coach on a Bucs defense that would finish the year No. 1 in points against and eighth overall.
“He stood in the pocket and looked so comfortable and absolutely delivered passes with a great rush around him. We had Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks blitzing in the A gap. He stood in the pocket without flinching and delivered balls down the field. You’ thinking to myself, ‘Man, this guy is something different.’ Who knew that in 2022, two decades later, you’d still be talking about this guy in this fashion? He’s outstanding. He’s the GOAT”
Which makes the opportunity to face off against him different — dare we say, special — from competing against anyone else, particularly if this is his final season.
“To have him come back and this possibly be a farewell tour is a chance for everyone to appreciate his greatness,” Morris said. “It will be something you can look back on, for sure, as a coach or player or anybody that has had to prepare for him and know that that was a special moment. You’re talking about the Michael Jordan of our game, the Pelé of our game. You’re talking about the greatest of the greats. He’s a guy you tell your kids you played against and competed against, that you were one of the few who actually beat him. That’s special.”
Browns safety John Johnson played against Brady slightly more than 21 months ago, yet the details are as clear to him today as they were then. Suited up for the Rams at the time, he baited Brady into an uncharacteristically poor throw that came right to Johnson.
“It hit me in the chest and … I dropped it,” said Johnson. “It was a pick-six — wide open, untouched. After the game, I was like, ‘Darn, that might be the only chance I have to pick Tom.’ Now that the opportunity has presented itself again, I’m definitely going to get up for that game. I’m not going to force anything. It’s just that if you can get a pick off arguably the greatest to ever do it, it’s awesome . I’ll take that ball home, frame it, and no one is touching it.”