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When critiquing Morris is easy to forget that this is the defense that McVay wants.

McVay dumped Wade's scheme and brought in Staley because he wanted the Fangio defense. He brought in Morris, who had no history with the Fangio defense, and they continued to run the Fangio defense. Not saying Morris can't run it, but one has to wonder if this is the defense he would run if given the choice.

This is the defense McVay wants because this is the defense that McVay hates facing. Just as Fisher played dink & dunk offense because as an aggresive defensive coach he hated that it took away his ability to rush the passer, McVay, as an offensive guy, chose a defense that fustrates his big plays.

I do think Morris could probably be more creative in implementing this defense, but to lay the faults of the defense purely at his feet is to avoid the fact that Morris runs it because McVay wants him to.

BINGO!!!

To this day, I've absolutely NO IDEA whether or not Morris likes this style of defense himself...or if he's proposed something else. In listening to some of Jourdan Rodrigue's podcasts from last season, it's clear that Morris is able to tweak things here and there. I think that we saw such a tweak in the Super Bowl. But whether or not he's proposed significant changes in light of the personnel he currently has is unknown to me.

Morris strikes me as a "company" man who may offer thoughts/suggestions, but will ultimately follow through with what his boss wants (and keep his mouth shut). The boss's plan becomes his plan and he carries the water. This is very common in successfully-run companies.

From what I've seen of McVay, though...he strikes me as someone who's very stubborn and might view someone's thoughts and suggestions as a "questioning" of his methods (see Robert Woods).

What I do know, however, is at the end of the day...the head coach calls the shots.