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Coach Morris admits Bucs 'underachieved,' downplays hot seat

One year after his team finished 10-6, Raheem Morris could be coaching his final game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but he insisted it isn't an overriding concern.

"Last year, you could say we overachieved," Morris told the Tampa Bay Times this week as he prepared for the game against the Atlanta Falcons. "This year, you could say we underachieved. But I don't worry about what's going to happen. You've got to keep trucking. Don't worry about it. Don't blink."

Morris, who went 3-13 in his first season in 2009, is on the hot seat after opening this season 4-2 before losing nine consecutive games, including the last four by an average of 23.5 points.

Asked by the newspaper what his case would be to ownership to keep his job, the 35-year-old Morris said, "I'll tell them you've got the same young guys that won 10 games. You've got guys coming back off injured reserve. You've got guys you're going to add to your roster through the draft and, hopefully, through free agency.

"Let's go out here and try to do it again. Hopefully, we can build this team the way we wanted it to be, a lasting contender."

And what if he's let go anyway?

"I'll shake their hands," Morris said, "and tell them it was the best opportunity of my life."

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