Matt LaFleur Explains Why McVay's Offense is Difficult to Defend

Most people are familiar with the photo. It’s the 2013 Washington coaching staff, featuring future NFL head coaches Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Raheem Morris, Mike McDaniel and Matt LaFleur.

Future head coaches were so prominent on that Washington staff that finding a current NFL game without some level of influence from that quintet is near impossible.

LaFleur, who later served as Atlanta quarterbacks coach with Shanahan from 2015-16, offensive coordinator under McVay in 2017 and Titans offensive coordinator in 2018, said there’s one common thread that makes their offenses so difficult to defend.

“The thing that Kyle always wanted to do was the influence of motion,” LaFleur told Chris Simms last week on the Unbuttoned podcast.

“No. 1, it ties a lot of the things that you might want to run a repeat, repeated play or scheme or concept, and you're going to dress it up. And just the different advantages that you can gain throughout running motions, whether it's leverages on run plays or where it's allowing wide receivers free releases off the line, how it can manipulate a defense. I would say that was a big thing.

“I think Sean, it was great being around him. He always wanted to present a similar look and have plays off of plays. So, that was obviously a big influence.”

Unless they meet in the postseason as some predict, LaFleur and the Packers won't play McVay this season. But the Rams will see another branch from the McVay tree out of the gates in 2025, new Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley. When Houston comes to SoFi Stadium in Week 1, Chris Shula and the defense might see some familiar looks from the Rams’ former pass game coordinator who now calls plays for C.J. Stroud.

And while they don’t play the Dolphins, either, the Rams surely have a few playbook pages from Miami’s Mike McDaniel, especially concepts that could help Kyren Williams excel this season.

“I love how he uses the speed that they have and the creative formations that you don't see every week,” LaFleur said. “Mike's always had great ideas in the run game. That was kind of his baby when we were all together, whether it was in Washington or Atlanta. And then, certainly, I think it took a new level when he was in San Francisco.”