The Atlanta Falcons’ preseason contest against the Detroit Lions came to a premature conclusion after Lions safety Morice Norris suffered a scary head injury in the fourth quarter. Both teams decided to stop playing and suspend the game in the wake of the injury, but according to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, the decision to stop the game was made by him and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, not the NFL.
Immediately after Norris’ injury, Atlanta’s offense let the play clock run out, indicating that they had no intent of finishing the game after the scary scene. And based on Campbell’s comments on the situation, if it weren’t for his and Morris’ decision, it sounds like this game would have continued on.
Dan Campbell, Raheem Morris Shut Down Falcons-Lions Preseason Game
In the fourth quarter, Norris hit his head hard on the field while attempting to make a tackle, and it became clear right away that this injury was potentially serious. Norris immediately went into the fencing position, which indicates a severe injury to the head. He was loaded onto a stretcher and placed in an ambulance, which quickly took him off the field.
Thankfully, Detroit reported that Norris has movement in all his extremities and was talking to his doctors, but that doesn’t mean the incident wasn’t scary. Players on the field were clearly shaken by what happened, and it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the game get suspended before it reached its proper conclusion.
However, league officials were not in favor of the game getting suspended, as they wanted the teams to continue playing. On Monday, Campbell revealed that he and Morris went against the NFL’s directive to continue the game, saying that they both realized it was in the best interests of the players and the two teams to call the game early.
“Raheem and I agreed that that was what we were gonna do,” Campbell said when speaking with reporters on Monday. “We talked to, you know, [referee] Shawn Hochuli, [he] let us know the game is still on, and we communicated with each other. We told Shawn we’ll be taking knees and he said, ‘I understand,’ and that’s the way it went. And then the game was called.”
Dan Campbell, Raheem Morris Made the Right Decision
GettyRaheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons looks on during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers.
There’s no doubt that Campbell and Morris made the correct decision to suspend this preseason game. These games are meant to be tune-up contests for the teams and their players, so when a serious injury takes place, there’s very little incentive for the game to keep on going, simply because there is nothing on the line.
The decision to force the NFL’s hand probably hasn’t made Campbell or Morris too popular in the league offices, but both coaches did what they felt was right for their players. The good news is that Norris is doing alright, and both teams will be looking to move past this frightening incident, with the Falcons preparing for their next preseason contest against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 15.
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