After Lions safety Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance early in the fourth quarter of Friday\u2019s preseason game in Atlanta, Falcons coach Raheem Morris spoke with Lions coach Dan Campbell, and they both agreed to stop playing.<\/p>\n
Morris said after the game that he and Campbell talked on the field in the aftermath of Norris\u2019s injury and felt that out of respect for Norris and his family, it would be best not to play anymore. So the Falcons took one snap with 14:31 remaining in the fourth quarter and all the players on the field just stood together and let the clock run out.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust Dan and myself, respect for his family, Morice Norris, it was that simple,\u201d Morris said. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of times that happens. I can\u2019t sit here and tell you I\u2019ve been through a lot of those or seen a lot of those. I don\u2019t think any of us have. That was the moment decision and it was the right thing to do for our football team and the Lions\u2019 football team with what happened tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morris said he doesn\u2019t know and gave no consideration to whether the league office would approve of two teams agreeing between themselves to effectively cut a game short by a quarter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. That wasn\u2019t in my thought right now,\u201d Morris said. \u201cThe thought process for both of us was about Morice Norris and his family. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a preseason game, it\u2019s hard to imagine the league office disagreeing with the decision that Campbell and Morris made. Players were shaken by how serious the injury to Norris looked, and weren\u2019t prepared to keep going.<\/p>\n