With the Los Angeles Rams set to take on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional round, there are a number of layers to this matchup that should make it intriguing.
One of the most notable aspects will be between head coaches Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur. After all, the pair are quite familiar considering they were on the same sideline to start their coaching careers.
The pair got well-acquainted when they were both part of Mike Shanahan’s staff from 2010-2013 in Washington. When McVay took the Rams job going into the 2017 campaign, he brought LaFleur along with him as his offensive coordinator.
It seems there is still some friendly competition going on between them. Although they are still close, LaFleur admits that all goes out the window this weekend, via Jourdan Rdogrigue of The Athletic:
LaFleur, on McVay: “We still talk pretty regularly. I don't know how much I'll talk to him this week. That's one of my closest friends in life. He's like a brother to me … But the gloves will be off on Saturday.”
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 12, 2021
LaFleur also recalled the two having their fair share of battles during his stint in Los Angeles:
LaFleur said, smiling, “every day was a battle” when working with McVay. “You challenge each other, but that’s how you grow.”
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 12, 2021
In many ways, McVay and LaFleur learned the ropes together on how to run a team that is capable of competing week in and week out. It is safe to say the transition worked out better than expected after they managed to turn the Rams’ offense from worst to first in scoring en route to an NFC West championship.
Although McVay has not been a head coach for very long, his immediate success has already led to a firm planting of his coaching tree. LaFleur is one of the more notable branches after leaving to call plays for the Tennessee Titans as offensive coordinator the following season before taking the Packers job a year after that.
Fortunately, there is good reason to be optimistic since McVay is currently 2-0 against his former coaches defeating Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson. It will be interesting to see how this battle on the sidelines plays out with championship hopes on the line.
