Raheem Morris Addresses Penalty Issues After 19 Flags on Thursday

The Atlanta Falcons took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, but they had to overcome 19 penalties to do it. Raheem Morris discussed that on Monday.

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons got a win on Thursday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they set a career mark that will not be one they will want to remember. They defeated their division rivals 29-28, despite what became a stunning display of infractions. 

The Falcons overcame an incredible 19 accepted penalties for a total of 125 yards, which was both the most in franchise history and in the NFL over the last nine years.

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“You’ve got to get those things addressed. You can never just excuse yourself for having that many penalties,” head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “I think it was 10 each half, almost, whatever the case may be, some declined. Some you’re always going to disagree with, but still, no excuse to have that many penalties. 

“You're not supposed to win a football game when you get that many penalties. The guys actually went out and did a nice job of being able to overcome. Very proud of them for that, but there are definitely penalties out there that you’ve got to be able to stop. You’ve got to eliminate, and we can.”

Now for the season, the Falcons are minus-12 in net penalty margin (seventh-worst in the NFL) and minus-57 in net penalty yards (ninth-worst).

The Raiders were the last team in NFL history to record this many infractions in a single game, committing 23 accepted penalties in their win over the Buccaneers on October 30, 2016. 

In comparison to what the Falcons put on the field, the Buccaneers were flagged just four times for 25 yards, but still blew a 28-14 fourth-quarter lead and lost the game. 

“I try to stay away from conspiracy theories,” Morris joked about the discrepancy in penalties. “You're never going to go through and agree with 100 percent of penalties. That's just not a coach's nature. But those guys, as we know, they’ve got a tough job, and they’ve got to go out there and make those calls at full speed and full time… But, it is what it is. I'm just proud the guys overcame it.”

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Overcoming these penalties was a monumental achievement for a Falcons team that has struggled in closing games this year. That emotion was apparent with the head coach after his team converted a game-winning field goal as time expired. 

Raheem Morris letting everybody know 🗣️ https://t.co/Xvndmov7VX pic.twitter.com/JpcAcX3tBz

— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2025

Morris stopped short of calling the moment ‘cathartic’ on Thursday after the game, but the yell expresses every bit of emotion that this Falcons team has been carrying throughout what has been a very difficult season. 

“We will go clean up the penalties and do whatever it is we need to do, whatever it is,” he said Thursday. “I was so proud of the fight, so proud of the guys, [and their] toughness.”