Getty Raheem Morris talks to Julio Jones during their time as Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
When the tempo is slow and the energy is down at Los Angeles Rams training camp, that’s when new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris wants to see a “MAD” play.
What is “MAD?” Yes, it involves playing with fire and aggression. But as Morris helped break it down to reporters, “MAD” stands for “Make a Difference.”
Playing “MAD” is considered the slow tempo breaker that reestablishes energy. It’s also the moment where a certain player’s buttons get pushed by Morris himself, and the player responds by delivering a moment that would ignite the sidelines or fans.
Morris explained the importance of looking for “MAD” in his first training camp presser on Wednesday after practice wrapped up at UC Irvine’s Crawford Field.
“When you find those ways to push people’s buttons, you’ve got to push them. And some days you’ve got to push people’s buttons at practice when it’s dog days like today and when you start off sluggish and a little bit slow,” Morris said. “You know whose buttons you can push to get things going.”
Who on the Rams Got ‘MAD?’
The Rams’ “MAD” representative on Wednesday came from the secondary, as described by The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue in her camp report. Here’s how the scene unfolded:
“Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris ran all the way out to the middle of the field to greet safety Taylor Rapp and slap him on the shoulder pads in celebration of a big hit Rapp delivered on a run play in the box in one of the 11-on-11 periods of practice (in which the first-team offense usually goes against the second-team defense and vice versa).”
Morris did indeed celebrate with youthful exuberance, as Rodrigue succinctly described in her tweet.
Morris pointed to the third-year safety out of Washington as the one who reinstalled the energy and focus at UC Irvine.
“Today it was Taylor Rapp, he ignited us with a big pro thud,” Morris said. “And after that, it got the defense going. It got us all talking and getting involved with everybody.”
The “MAD” may be considered a fundamentally sound tactic, but it was clearly needed to prevent Wednesday training camp boredom.
Pushing Through the Slow Moments
Sometimes during training camp, players and even coaches get tired of competing against one another, which could potentially lead to bored moments.
Not only does Morris encourage the “Make a Difference” plays on his side, but also from an offensive player to light a fire at camp. With that comes “pushing each other’s buttons” as Morris described it.
“Everywhere you go, everybody is going to be different. All the people will be different. All the guys and their own unique skill sets. And you find ways to push each other’s buttons,” Morris said.
Especially on days when the Southern California temperatures rise, or when guys have completed one full week of camp and the energy hit a brief halt. That’s when Morris, and the Rams, prefer to see someone go “MAD” on the field.
“When you got days like this when it’s a little bit hot, a little bit warm, you’ve got to pull them through,” Morris said. “And today was our job as coaches to pull them through.”