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The San Francisco 49ers are 5-0 for the third time in the Kyle Shanahan era, and one of the reasons for it is the performance of their defense.
Mostly because Raheem Morris is his defensive coordinator.
“It doesn’t surprise me with Raheem [that the defense has been so good and young players are performing well],” Shanahan said to Evan Webeck of The Post. “I’ve just been around him for too long. He’s one of the best people and best coaches I’ve ever been around.”
Despite Shanahan and Morris working on opposite sides of the football, their paths have crossed multiple times through their 20-plus-year coaching careers as they both served as assistants in Tampa Bay, Washington, and Atlanta.
In 2016, they were both part of Dan Quinn’s coaching staff in Atlanta, where Shanahan served as the offensive coordinator, and Morris was an assistant head coach and defensive pass game coordinator.
The Falcons went 11-5 in the regular season and would go on to win the NFC, earning them a spot in Super Bowl 51.
Atlanta would end up losing that game by blowing a heartbreaking 28-3 lead at halftime to the Patriots, and Shanahan departed to San Francisco.
He attempted to bring Morris with him, but was blocked from doing so.
“I tried to bring him here originally when I left Atlanta. They wouldn’t let him out,” Shanahan said. “So It’s been a long time coming to get him here.
Through five weeks of the season, the 49ers rank as the sixth-best defense in the NFL as they’ve given up an average of 18.6 points per game, while ranking as the eighth-best pass defense, allowing an average of 199.6 yards and only five touchdowns in the air.
“He’s done an unbelievable job this year, especially with the injuries, but just overall. Everything he’s mixed up schematically,” Shanahan said. “I love the confidence he’s given our DBs and the way they’ve been playing since training camp. He’s had a real huge effect on this team. We’re very lucky to have him.”