4 things to know about new Rams OC Mike LaFleur
The Los Angeles Rams have another new offensive coordinator, hiring Mike LaFleur to replace Liam Coen. LaFleur spent the last two years with the Jets as their offensive coordinator.
The Rams needed some changes on offense after finishing last in the NFL in yards last season, so the hope is that LaFleur will bring some new, innovative ideas to Los Angeles.
Here are four things to know about LaFleur.
He’s Matt LaFleur’s brother
McVay is good friends with Matt LaFleur, so it’s likely that he’s crossed paths with Mike more than a few times. Matt was McVay’s offensive coordinator in 2017 before taking the same position with the Titans in 2018. He’s now the head coach of the Packers.
Mike is the younger brother of Matt and has a shorter track record in the NFL, but Matt also has eight years on him in age.
He’s only been an offensive coordinator for 2 years
LaFleur has only been an offensive coordinator for one team: the Jets. He only held that role for two years before getting fired after the 2022 season. Robert Saleh made changes to New York’s coaching staff and after two disappointing years offensively, he decided to move on from the play caller on offense.
Jets offense never ranked higher than 28th in scoring
In the last two years, the Jets struggled badly on offense. They never ranked higher than 28th in points scored, finishing 29th this past season. They also ranked 26th in yards in 2021 and 25th this season.
That’s not entirely LaFleur’s fault, however. There was constant change at quarterback in 2022 and Zach Wilson doesn’t exactly have the makings of a starting quarterback. With a veteran like Matthew Stafford, LaFleur should have much more success.
He hails from Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree
LaFleur has worked closely with Shanahan throughout his career. He was an offensive assistant under Shanahan in 2015-2016 while with the Falcons, then he followed Shanahan to the 49ers in 2017 and was their passing game coordinator for four years until 2020. LaFleur is one of the smartest offensive coaches in the league, so landing a coach from his tree is wise.
