There were still 14 minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter of Friday's preseason matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions when head coaches Raheem Morris and Dan Campbell agreed to end the game early. Lions defensive back Morice Norris had just suffered a serious injury and was rushed to the hospital.
Both sidelines were shaken up by the severity of Norris' head and neck injury. Morris felt suspending the game was "the right thing to do" and Campbell appreciated the Falcons head coach for how he handled the situation.
"Raheem Morris is a class act," said Campbell after the game. "He's the ultimate class act. We agreed that it just didn't feel right to finish that game."
Whenever a player has to be rushed away in an ambulance, it makes the game feel much less significant. The Lions social media team released a statement updating Norris' status after Friday's exhibition:
Few had a problem with the decision to call the game, and the two head coaches clearly saw eye to eye on this situation. In past years, the game probably would have gone on even though the players would be emotionally checked out.
Campbell and Morris are beloved by their players, and both have a unique ability to connect with them on an emotional level. This is one of the reasons that Campbell has had so much success in Detroit, and it's something Morris hopes to replicate in Atlanta.