#NFLVideos: The Season With Peter Schrager: Rams OC Mike Lafleur

The Season With Peter Schrager: Rams OC Mike Lafleur

All right if you listen to this podcast you listen to it because we have the best guests who are coaches GMS decision makers and also uh some of the most relevant ones I could not have imagined a more appropriate guest for this week either a because of the performance his

Offense put on this year in Los Angeles or be his connection to the two head coaches of uh one of the divisional round games with no further Ado it’s the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams Mr Mike laflor Mike what’s up man what’s up Peter appreciate you having me

Man yeah no doubt look I remember being on the sidelines at the Super Bowl and it was Chiefs versus 49ers and there’s a little rope there and your brother Matt had either just been hired by Green Bay or maybe a week earlier had gotten the job and he’s sitting behind a rope and

He’s like hey shr shrs and I’m sitting there with a credential because I’m one of these obnoxious media guys that just walks around like I belong on the field and he’s like what’s up dude and like you came over to the sideline and there was this awesome hug before the game

Because you were an assistant with the 49ers coaching in the Super Bowl and there’s Matt laflor the recently hired coach of the Packers and now it comes full circle where the 49ers are back in a big game divisional round and your brother is still the head coach of the

Green Bay Packers where are you going to be for this game and when you see laflor versus 49ers and you have nothing to do with it what’s your reaction it’s wild you know it seems like the Packers and and Niners have played a lot of games over the last 5 years right and

Uh was a part of a lot of those and obviously not anymore so uh trying to figure it all out we are going to shoot up there uh my wife and I um I know my parents are going to they’re actually they’re going to fly over there Bri and

The boys are going to fly down here for a night for whatever reason okay and then we’ll end up shoot we’ll end up shooting up there on the on Friday so trying to figure all that out I mean all this happened so quickly we you know

Didn’t plan plan on uh not being a part of you know this upcoming weekend’s game so we’ll figure it all out but we’ll be up there to sport him for sure we’re going to talk that game in a second but can we can you humor me a little bit on

Just some Rams Talk as we put a bow on what was an amazing unexpected season that maybe you might say well unexpected to you but un very expected to us you get the job um after things end in New York you get the job in Los Angeles MCV

Texted me like I really like this Michael FL obviously he knows your brother real well and he knows and he’s like I really think things are going to be special and I’m kind of rolling my eyes like no I like Mike too but with what with what weapons and then we have

This offensive explosion and I’m going to mention two guys and I want you to hit on both of them when did you know puka nakua was going to have the greatest rookie season from a wide receiver that we’ve seen in years yeah I mean to sit here and say

That uh when we drafted him and then even as well as he was doing in OTAs in training camp to to have the statistical year he had it’d be lying to you but you did know early on that one this kid is extremely mature two he’s extremely

Tough that’s that was evident from all his film obviously at biu um and he just he fit into this culture right away he’s he’s he’s a man and uh what what a cool resource he had in Cooper cup to kind of lean on to to get him up to speed

Obviously when you have Matthew Stafford as your quarterback you know you want to be in the right spot at the right time and he understood that and that’s part of his maturity so he um he stood out right away OTAs stood out when he put the pads on probably even more so once

We got the training camp and you know it happened right away he had a great game against Seattle he ended up having 20 Targets in week two versus the ners which was crazy catching 15 of them you know and he just kind of and it never

Stopped and um you know he’s uh he’s a dude you root for too cuz he’s just such a likable guy and uh when he puts those pads on he he plays the game the right way yeah we talk about that rookie wall all the time like it felt like it never

Came for Nea and he saved his best for last he had the most yards for a rookie receiver in a playoff game in the history of the sport on Sunday night and it he did it on 10 targets nine catches and it’s like everyone who’s watching at

Home who watched him all season is like yeah that that’s kind of what we expect from him was the game plan going in let’s feed puka and let’s get him the rock yeah I mean obviously you know it’s our job to make sure that the best players are are touching the ball but

But what’s what’s when our offense is running at its best it’s not about trying to force anyone the ball you let the you let the the coverage dictate where that ball goes and you know Matthew does as good as anyone of spreading that ball around reading the

Plays out true um you know and I think that’s why you saw a lot of our guys you know particularly that back half of the season with Demarcus and and Higg making his plays like he always has here obviously Kiren both in the run and the pass game Cooper’s always going to be

Cooper um you know so two two two two had a two two had a big big play and 2 two was making plays earlier in the year and and um you know continued to so um that’s when our offense is doing the best but again not the the the best

Players are going to find a way to to touch the ball and he did and yet you you know in the moments it’s like if you had told me in in August that Ronnie Rivers was going to be getting key plays in this huge play all these guys stepped

Up I really was impressed with the way the offense played yeah no it’s um it’s just a credit to those guys and again it all it all starts with number nine um he is I heard a lot of good things about him when I came in and it it was almost

Undersold from people in Detroit obviously how sean felt about him um incredible player incredible quarterback he’s not going anywhere I won’t let him go anywhere for I mean he’s got too much good years ahead of him uh but he’s he’s even a better person to work with he is

Just phenomenal and he’s receptive and uh you know you wake up enjoying going to work every day cuz the a the building is incredible but B that quarterback is just a he’s a joy to work with talk about his toughness for a second are you serious we’re talking about an NFL in

2023 where you you know some people say that the rules have changed and that there’s you know that the guys aren’t as tough as they were here’s Stafford on Sunday Night Football getting stepped on getting knocked getting you know his hand is completely severed there’s like just out there slinging just right back

Up and keeps going I thought I thought in a loss it was the most heroic performance that we’ve seen in recent memory just he was awesome yeah he’s that’s what he is I mean he’s you know he’s going to get knocked down he’s he’s not uh he’s not Lamar out there running

Away from you know the big guys chasing him in there but he’s going to stand in there with the best of them and he’s going to keep getting up you know and and that’s just evident that’s not just this year uh he’s not just all of a

Sudden just gotten tough that that dates back to his rookie year right and I I I believe it was his rookie year the Cleveland Brown against the Cleveland it’s m Up N has it man and so it’s just it’s not fake right and it never gets

Old watching that and um yeah it’s it’s a prerequisite to uh to be tough and and be a you know a quarterback in this league it’s that’s just part of it but he just takes that to another level a level that it’s in my opinion unmatched

Yeah and then he had the running back Kiren I’m just going to hit on him because we’ve hit the other names and obviously the offensive line all stepped up this year but Kiren Williams I think the stat was he had the third most rushing yards like in the history of the

Sport for a guy who’s missed five games there was some wild stat about just how good he was this season historically and before the year I don’t know if anyone drafted him in their fantasy football league right no uh he’s he’s just another guy that again he he got cut short a little

A year ago right he he was battling some injuries and stuff like that he is a guy that I know Les and Sean pinpointed that hey this is a ram you know when they when they took him in the draft in terms of his toughness in terms of his

Maturity so he kind of fits in that same mold I was saying of of Puka where he just comes to work and he’s ready to work every single day and so what he does on Sunday really isn’t that big to us because that’s what he does Wednesday

Through Friday when he’s out on that practice field he’s just showing up every single day he’s such an enjoyable guy to be around he’s a guy that that again kind of like Matthew you you want to do your best for him as a coach you

Know and uh you know he he had a he had a magical run this year and I think that’s his standard I think that’s uh I know that’s how he’s going to approach it you know moving forward I think the Rams are in a very good place you know I

Had Kevin Dem off the team president on last week as he was talking about the Jared gof trade and the Stafford trade and going through it all and he went through some of those defensive names then the offensive players and I I just love the way the story went this year

You guys you know kind of written off by everyone before this season and by the end of the year I think you guys were one of the top five six teams in the league and if things go a different way if you make one more play if you get one

Call that goes differently probably still playing today in the team that nobody wants to face I would just say congratulations to you as a first year coordinator with this team taking that offense to new heights it was really awesome dude yeah I appreciate it didn’t

Uh didn’t plan on on being uh you know in in my house right here on a Tuesday was hoping to uh keep this thing going like you just said I mean it’s credit to Detroit that was what what a great game that was um and it’s it was it was and

It was an incredible atmosphere had a lot of you know all my family basically still lives in Michigan so we had a lot of lot of Rams Fans there that uh you know uh just had to make the drive over from Grand Rapids and kazoo but um you

Know hey when you when you don’t score touchdowns in in the Red Zone uh that kind of was the story we were 0 for three in the Red Zone we were we were fourth in the league going into you know the playoffs but none of that stuff

Matters if you get it done on that on that day and and U I thought our guys played great they played tough they they were in the fight all day and and you know they made one more play than we did you know me I’m watching it and

Stafford’s throwing for 362 and n’s got nine cat hun and they had that Red Zone shot to Cup and I’m like that that’s nine out of 10 times Stafford the cup that’s that’s usually and I know it’s killing you I’m sure it’s killing you and I’m just watching on my couch but

I’m like that’s how close this game was it was the razer’s edge and I don’t want you to spend all offseason thinking about what could have been and I want you to at least appreciate how great you guys had had it going on because you

Guys were dialed in it’s a it’s a fresh wound right now so we’ll see uh you know we we’ll see it’s uh leave it to me to bring it up so we always talk about that 2013 Washington staff which included your brother and McVey and McDaniel but like I look at that

2019 49ers staff and I’m like you want to talk about today’s coaches and all those guys can you go through some of the colleagues you had on that 2019 49ers Super Bowl team that was just in the coaching staff alone because you look around the league it’s everyone

Doing huge things right now yeah it’s uh it was a really cool staff Kyle you know um gets a ton of credit and and credit deserve for being just so good schematically right getting Guys open getting his guys um getting his best players the ball with space But the

Thing that I think he does best is he has an eye for coaching talent and just obviously player Talent he’s incredible at it he he knows what he wants from both sides and uh you know we we were the same staff in 19 basically outside

Of cerak who we brought in in 19 who was a huge huge you know reason why that D line does what it does but in 18 we were coaching the the Senior Bowl you know and uh and didn’t have the year that we wanted and it was still all the same

Coaches and credit to to John Lynch and and Kyle for for you know just being great leaders and keeping us on the right path obviously you know you had Mike McDaniel who’s doing great things I just say cerak who’s who’s arguably the best in the business at at dline uh

Salah who is you know an incredible defensive coach uh and and great friend um you know Bobby slowick was a was a QC on defense for the first two years Kyle said I don’t want to waste him on defense let’s bring him over to offense

He’s got too good of a brain to be wasted on the defensive side uh so he stole him from Salah who who didn’t love that and brought him over what about Deo Ryan you know who who keep going just incredible incredible um again you know I he’s an incredible coach but he’s even

A better person and leader um and and not surpris seriously not surprised at all at what he’s doing it just was a matter of time and what a cool fit for him too going back to Houston uh I I would say that’s probably the fairy tale

You know for him to to to be back there um just a lot of really really good good coaches but but better better humans for sure I love it uh all right so this week you’re kind of torn you’ve got your brother You’ got your former you know

Colleague obviously I would imagine your heart lies with with blood and you’re going with Green Bay on this one but their relationship having watched it from a from a close vantage point I think it’s so interesting obviously they’ve had already huge battles in the playoffs and regular season and of

Course Kyle’s got the best of Matt sometimes Matt’s gotten the best of Kyle sometimes uh the dynamic between Matt laflor and Kyle Shanahan from little brother and ex- colleague uh what’s your Vantage Point on it uh um just respect you know I I think uh they they have so much respect for

Each other uh they obviously you know worked uh you know for quite a few years together starting in Houston when Kyle was a a very very young offensive coordinator and obviously really good already and then then for him to bring him to Washington they had the one year

Where um you know they all got like go in 13 as we all know and then 14 they separated for a year Kai went to uh Cleveland that’s where I met up with them and Matt went to Notre Dame and then able to have the two years in in

Atlanta together and and what a what an incredible two years that was in 15 and 16 obviously didn’t finish that one the way we wanted but but again nonetheless um they’re both uh both incredible coaches they’re both incredible people very different people uh you know so

It’s um it’s going to be it’s going to be a fun one up there no one expected Green Bay to be where they’re at everyone expected San Francisco to be where they’re at for obvious reasons uh and uh you know I think they’re both playing their best ball at at the right

Time and it’s going to be fun you’ve had a chance to watch from afar Jordan Love’s maturation and development this year obviously your brother’s been living with it for years having him on the bench with Rogers there and then finding a way to get some time to devote

To love I think right now now that Stafford’s been eliminated now that dak’s been out of here I could argue that no quarterback in the NFC is playing better than Jordan love right now you’ve had a chance to watch from afar obviously but you’re you’re in those conversations Jordan love as you

Look at him as an opposing coach what’s your take on his development how far he’s come he just he he he he looks like he just not looks he has just great command out there you can just tell it’s the game is slowed down for him so much

And that’s a that’s a fun spot to be as a player and let alone a quarterback you know and so you you’ve been able to see it not just from week one to now but but really kind of somewhere in that mid you know middle part of the Year felt like

It started when we we played them in early November right before our by week where you could just you could feel that it it just was starting to look right and then I know when we were on the by I was able to watch the the Green Bay

Steelers game you know live because you don’t get to see many games live obviously cuz you’re preparing for your own and it they didn’t win but it looked right on offense it it just and and see that’s interesting because everyone circled that game and was like that’s

The end of the steel the end of the Packers season like they lost to the Steelers it’s over and yet you saw it and you’re like wait a second I see something here it looked right it it looked right from you could tell Matt was calling it in an aggressive way and

Um usually when the play callers being aggressive it’s cuz he has so much trust in all his players but but more importantly his quarterback and um I think that’s probably the biggest thing if you ask him is is Matt trusts him because Jordan’s playing that way and he’s playing aggressive he’s playing

Smart and uh it’s been uh it’s been cool to watch and I know I know and Matt’s been on record I don’t know Jordan I’ve talked to him probably once but he’s um I know Matt really roots for the human he he he he’s puts a he really likes the

Guy you know and and the teammates really like the guy and so so that’s what’s that’s what’s really been cool to to see from afar it’s really neat that whole story of the Packers they are so young so here we have all these established teams Packers are the

Youngest team to ever win a playoff game your brother takes a whole different crew of guys on offense and over night almost package them together and here we are they’re sizzling when you were talking to Matt over the summer did did you think he had an idea that there was

A shot that davien Wicks and Jayden Reed would be leading them to the divisional round I I’ll be honest it seems like every week There’s new guys out there I don’t even know where some of like Bo Melton showed up in week 17 and is now

Like a go-to guy right and and whoever’s out there it’s just working you know and that’s kind of what I mean where it just uh it just looks right you know it’s it looks uh like a just a well constructed well orchestrated and again that you

Know a lot of credit to Matt and the coaches no doubt but but quarterback is is in command out there and he and he’s comfortable and everyone else is f suit really really cool to watch I say with great confidence said I believe and you don’t have to be bachor I believe you’ll

Be a head coach in the NFL at some point you know and if it’s not getting interviews this year or getting a job this year it will happen for you because you’re already respected as one of the best offensive Minds in the game and that’ll happen when you look at Sea and

You look at your brother and you look at Kyle everyone always says uh well they run like the Shanahan offense or whatever it is there are different intricacies between the three though right and you you could spot them out you can identify like here’s what this one does better than the other here’s

What makes this one unique from this one you’ve had a chance to obviously be with those guys for many many years in conversations both in the building and I’m sure you know at a dinner table or at a bar or wherever you guys are hanging in the offseason yeah I mean

It’s uh you could say the the nuts and bolts of the offenses are are you know similar you know in some aspects but they all go within their own personality you know and I it we could talk for three hours about this about where the differences are in to be honest mik I’d

Like to write a book on this like I feel like this is like the coolest stuff going in football right now and seeing the three offenses this year was really neat yeah and then you then throw you know McDaniel in there in Miami and and and here here’s what I’ll say that you

Know I I feel like let’s just say those four teams is uh it’s fit to the players you know whatever your player skill sets are that’s that’s where the offense ends up going and and starting with the quarterback but also the skill around it you know so um because we can all run

This system or whatever the system is but if it doesn’t fit with the the the players that you got then doesn’t really matter you know and so we fit ours in a in a way where hey we’re going to use puk’s big body as a as a fullback sometimes and Cooper’s you know

Toughness and smarts as a fullback sometimes back there because that’s really what they are at times which opens up the Run game which opens up the play pass and all that so um again that’s probably a a conversation for another day uh you know maybe maybe

Maybe somewhere here in LA on the beach or something we can get together for a few hours and talk about it uh Kyle as as like the the the coach who has spawned like you know with you and with McDaniel and of course with your older brother uh has Kyle’s offense changed

Over the years do you see it as you study that 49ers tape saying like well this is a different offense than the one that I was coaching a couple years ago yeah it as it it’s it’s evolved and you know I think uh with with a guy like Christian you know mcaffrey they’re

Doing a lot of things where you know they’re not in empty but they’re they’re in empty because of where Christian lines up with Sean and I call it he’s in Jumanji out there like he’s not on the ball but he’s like outside the core five yards off you know and it’s like what

What what are they bring you know something’s going on over there and maybe he’s a decoy maybe he’s not you know and that’s a guy that again that um in 2017 when we went to the Stanford Pro Day Kyle loved him we all loved him obviously and uh you know you

Know it was we had the won’t even get into the draft and and how that all unfolded but he ended up in in in the long run getting them got and he and he got there you know and he probably got there at the right time and you know so

It’s uh it’s it’s Unique to watch but yeah that Kyle’s always evolving and and um the the the defenses have evolved so much since the play pass days of 2015 and 16 with with Atlanta and even early when we first got to San Francisco uh people aren’t letting you get over top

As much anymore and so now it’s exploiting the intermediate levels of the defense and you know I like to feel that we we we do it as well as anyone you know our our kind of group of coaches yeah what what is the what is the offseason like tape for you is it

You study NFL do you study College are you one of these guys that will go into a hole and just start learning everything around the league or are you more here’s what we do here’s how we have to get better here’s our Personnel I’m always fascinated because you talk

To these coaches and a lot of you guys on the offensive side of the ball it’s hey did you see what Eastern Kentucky did this year or it’s did you you see what they do out in Boise State you know it’s it’s interesting and I know that

Some people curate that stuff online but we as fans and me and the media like I don’t necessarily have that same nose for it as the coaching set world does what do you do over the offseason to get better in h your skills yeah unfortunately the off season is here you

Know and um it was you know last year getting here because again it’s it’s not the offense we ran in New York or it’s not San Francis I I had to learn this system you know and what the intricacies of of this one is and so there was less

Studying last year on other teams it was more okay what do we got and you know here’s what we did and let’s let’s mold it to the 2013 Rams or 2023 Rams excuse me um and so that’s what we did and now this year you get to you get to go out

Again and hey we got this system okay now what can we incorporate what’s the the trends and flows of of the league and the defenses and stuff like that if we hadn’t picked up on it from just our weekly game planning so uh that’ll be

Fun you know as far as like the college and stuff like that you you study so many of these guys coming out of the draft that you inevitably are watching their schemes too and some some of them you I mean you’re like what is going on

Here you know and it’s it’s Unique it’s cool it’s a whole different game the college game and a lot of respect for for what they’re doing but it’s it’s like foreign uh it doesn’t even feel like the same game half the time but but that’s where that’s where I know me

Personally that’s where you you know if there’s something schematically that someone’s doing I’m not watching a team per se I’m watching the players and then hey that’s kind of cool and will fit I don’t know you know you just kind of use your own brain there and and you go from

There but um that’s kind of the process of what will happen up until when the players get back you know my relationship with McVey I I’m not in the building every day but we’re just friends and we’ve been friends for years and I respect his coaching ability what

What did you learn from Shawn McVey what did you see this year working for him so much um he is uh you know he’s asked me goes did you expected to be like this and I don’t know what I expected I just expected to come into a

Place where you’re going to work with really good people and and starting from the top our ownership um they’re they’re awesome that the LA Rams building is so cool because it’s it’s just ball it’s ball and good people you know and and it was uh it was extremely refreshing it’s

So fun to go to work every day because of because of that building and Les and Shawn um he Shawn is is demanding he gets the most out of these guys um you know he’s extremely urgent like I’ve told him our walkthroughs are the first

Walkthrough I was a part of in in phase two back in April or May whenever it was I go that’s the best walkthrough I’ve ever been a part of the first one and it just was and because and and it’s the players didn’t know any better that’s

Just what they do here you know and that’s the culture he set up and and there’s there’s never any issues you know so he’s got um he’s got full command of this thing uh he’s such a great leader he’s such a great person it’s obviously a good ex

And nose coach no doubt but there’s so much more that goes into it uh that people don’t see in terms of you know obviously the leadership and and the relationships he has with these guys um you know and it’s it’s it was really cool I don’t know what happened here in

The past obviously I just know they won a lot of football games uh but but I know he’s having a lot of fun and and that’s uh that’s cool it’s really cool for for for me and I think all the other coaches to watch him having fun and and

Really enjoying this thing what what did you learn from Kyle what was your big takeaway from Kyle when you say I’m going to take this on to all my next jobs like when you think of Kyle Shanahan what’s what’s the big the big uh give me that I’m going to bring that

Yeah it’s kind of in that same mold of of like this league doesn’t wait for you you know uh you better be urgent you know and and everything you do from a coaching and player perspective and because um there’s there’s 32 teams and and you know everyone knows what that

End goal is he doesn’t overly talk about winning or going to Super Bowls or any of that stuff it’s just what do we got to do do today to to to be better and uh the the way they practice up there the the the physicality that they bring on a

Daily basis that that comes to fruition on Sundays you know but it’s not just you know once in a while it’s it’s just how they do things up there so ton of respect for him is again I know I’m kind of broken record with saying it but he’s

An incred he’s an incredible code these are two of the top offensive Minds in the history of the sport like and you’ve worked for both of them as their right-hand men like I think that’s a pretty cool gig for you and I think it’s really interesting to get your insights

Because you have a different Vantage Point than us on the outside who just like yeah look at this play they drew up yeah no it’s the plays are they’re cool but everyone can draw cool plays I mean my my my daughter’s over here drawing up

11 guys I’m like it’s kind of good it’s got it from Mad you know let’s let’s implement it you know and usually it’ll work with Matthew Stafford and puka and Cooper so uh but it’s there there’s so much more to this thing and and um you

Know and like you said Kyle Kyle does it at a level that’s uh that’s awesome and um you know love him like a brother uh you know so he’s uh I I owe a lot to him I’ve got two more on like other coaches and I think you have to understand on

This podcast there a lot of coaches who listen so anytime we get insights on you know the Dynamics between them we love it uh when when you and Mike McDaniel were both coming up with the 49ers obviously there was the pass game coordinator there was a run game coordinator there was different titles

He gets the job in Miami um did you envision him you know doing this razzled Dazzle and the motion stuff and I guess now two years in would you say you’re super excited for what he’s become and what he’s got his offense doing yeah he

He you know and it’s like he he he looks so comfortable in his role too you know I I I don’t watch any of the Hard Knocks and stuff like that I I heard it’s pretty pretty entertaining and and but but the one thing that keeps coming out

Of from those players uh in Miami that that are open about is he is who he is he he’s not trying to be someone he’s not he’s going to be the same personality every single day um obviously has done some incredible things uh on offense there um you know

And it’s it’s not surprising he he puts a lot of time into it almost probably you know too much time when you know what time he wakes up in the morning and stuff like that but uh he’s he’s a he’s a ball guy and and he loves it and and I

Know the players uh they got his back there too did you think his personality would work as a head coach the big knock or the question was how is you know he’s this like really curious thinker he’s got this long drawn outlet and yet the player absolutely love him but I

Remember coming up they were like I don’t know if the players are going to be able to connect with Mike McDaniel and I was say I don’t know if that’s the case I think he actually might connect with them better because he’s himself and he’s authentic he he’s authentic

That’s the exact word I was going to use he’s he’s true to himself and I mean leaders come in all shapes and sizes right and and as long as you are who you are you’re true to yourself you’re not some you’re not trying to be someone that you’re not players see that they

Can see through BS I mean they’re professionals they can see through BS at an elite level you know and I know Mike just goes in there and his main goal is he’s very smart obviously but his his main goal is to to maximize these players and if if the players feel that

And know that which they do they’ll they’ll play for you you know they’ll play hard for you and they’ll and they’ll respect you and you know so that’s it’s been cool to watch cuz Mike hasn’t changed it’s the same guy he was as you know a receiver coach in

Cleveland and and when I first met him when he was in Houston um obviously just gotten a little bit older and uh you know it’s um not surprising at all and there’s moster your former play having 21 touchdowns as a Miami Dolphin and you’re like yeah I could see that

Totally you know it’s uh what a what a cool story for him uh gosh you know cut five six times I don’t know and then 2018 he obviously at the back end of the 2019 year uh on our way to the Super Bowl he he statistically I think was the

Top you know I mean it seemed like he was averaging about 120 a game and um but even in 18 he had some games where you know and I remember going up to Lambo and he he played really well all there and it was just putting it kind of

All together and there he was in 19 doing that and you know obviously him and Mike have a really really close relationship unique relationship and uh it’s been cool to watch him you know over there do his thing I had Salah on the podcast last season and he told a

Great story about him and Matt were roommates together but they were living in like a one-bedroom and they were eating you know Domino’s Pizza every night or it might have been whatever Little Caesars whatever the Detroit style whatever whatever’s in M Pleasant Michigan whatever’s in Mount Pleasant Michigan where central Michigan was and

That like for warm hot meals they would come over your house and like you would like you and your I guess was your wife or a girlfriend at time I don’t know you guys would cook them meals and be like I got you even though you’re the younger

Sibling um I know how tight you are with Salah as well what was it like working with Robert and for jets fans listening obviously you’re now with the Rams but like if they’re wondering like well what do we gotten a head coach what would you say about Salah uh extremely extremely smart like

It it like he he finds a way and yes they would come over when we were in high school it was my girlfriend at the time obviously my wife now and yes they would uh take over the TV and we it just was like can you guys just get out of

Here so we can just do our thing but anyway uh that’s for another time as well but he is the thing that Salah does so well is uh he he can he makes things very simple for I think the players like it’s you could tell you know his thought

Process and then he makes it where it’s extremely uh easy for the players to understand exactly what what what he’s asking from them and not just from a defense perspective but from a team perspective his team meetings are are are awesome uh I know the players love

It the the the stories that he gives and how he ties it all together uh with with you know whatever week we’re playing and and the players that that he has so there’s a lot of factors that go into what’s going on right now I won’t even

You know won’t get into all of them but uh a lot of respect for for for Robert and uh you know as long as they’re not playing the Rams you know I I wish them all the best obviously that’s cool and that’s mature of you obviously um all

Right real real quick you yourself uh so your older brother is in coaching you’re in coaching what was the laflor household like as kids and was this like your destiny like I don’t even know was your pops a coach like how’ it come to be it’s so cool that two siblings from

Grand Rapids Michigan is that where you guys grew up we grew we grew up in Mount Pleasant you grew up in Mount Pleasant so Pleasant Michigan how did this happen and and was like were you like football in a crib type deal or is this you just both independently loved it yeah you

Know um everyone in our family was coaches starting with with my grandpa he was a high school head coach at um mostly a school down in Kelo Kel in Loy nors but but he was a head coach at other places as well and so my mom obviously grew up just in and around

Football and then when she went to Central Michigan my dad was there playing and obviously started dating got married you know and da da da and then my dad once he got done playing ended up coaching at Central Michigan for 20 some odd years and so that’s what we grew up

Doing you know I got asked cuz we were going into Ford Field how many Detroit Lions games I went to I went to zero growing up because my dad was coaching at Central and so we didn’t know anything better than Saturdays in MAC football that was before Mac was played

On Monday through Friday it was Saturday 1:00 games and it was fun like Dan Dan Lefever like who we talking about like I go back before that it’s even before that long before JJ Watt we’re talking yeah oh yeah yeah this is uh gosh I couldn’t even give you some of the names

But uh Brian puit and Joe Young Blood and uh I mean Matt would actually probably be the one better cuz my dad got let go when I was in fifth grade but okay um but and which U my brother was a senior so he had all 18 years you could

Say of of being there on the sidelines with my dad and football Chipawa football you know and that’s who was your favorite team Michigan Michigan no Central Michigan that was that was the that was the only team you know and uh so um you know and then when he got like

Go he ended up being the high school head coach for a few years then an assistant stuff like that so never had a move uh Matt and I grew up in the same house and what a blessing right as you and Matt have jumped from place to place

Just pursuing a career which is all Noble and it’s been great what a cool deal that you guys grew up in the same town in a coach life that’s unheard of same same same house same town um you know so you have the same friends and

And you know like we were just saying my my met my wife at in you know in Mount Pleasant we started dating in junior high and um had a little hiccup there around 8th grade or something like that but got back together in early high school and and eighth grade dance was

Intense though like a lot happen there’s a lot of drama there’s the other yes I get it dude had to figure some things out obviously but uh we started dating again in high school and um ended up going to college together and got married and da da da you know so um her

Her her dad actually played at Central Michigan when my dad was coaching there you know so yeah he uh he was a receiver back when in the day when they put their hand in the dirt there in the 70s and 80s so um it was uh yeah it was really

Cool though we got to be in that same house and ironically Matt finally moved them out of there a year ago and you know they’re they’re obviously retired they’re and you’re supposed to go south and he moved them to Green Bay just to have some built-in babysitters don’t let

Them tell you anything otherwise that’s exactly why I get it dude I was thinking you were going to say to Naples Florida or to Palm Springs no Green Bay you’re coming here you’re gonna help out like I’m going I’m supposed to go see the grandparents but I’m not going to Green

Bay to go say like you guys want to come out here come out here this is vacation uh all right and then you get through college and it’s like it’s a no-brainer or did you have you know I know everyone’s got like well at first I was doing pharmaceutical sales sometimes

Like did you take other lanes or was is it coaching from the go you know so Matt always we both knew we were going to be coaches obviously and if you ask Matt you know uh today and I’d say the same thing like he’s like man if I could ever

Just be the quarterback coach at Central Michigan like i’ I’ve made it you know like what a cool gig that would be and and so that we I mean there was no aspirations of anything other than just trying to be the best you can be and

Wherever you land up make it the best you can and um when I got to college I went to a division three School in Chicago called Elmhurst okay and it was not state tuition and my parents were teachers and so they made that very known and they said hey if you’re going

To go to the school why don’t you like go into business or something or economics I’m like yeah you know what maybe I will pursue that and I got through about the first two months of those classes and I called my mom I said I can’t do this there’s for me this is

Not for me I’m I’m not smart enough to be doing these things so I and she goes I was waiting for the call and I Chang hey you gave it a shot I I gave it a shot and uh I went into change it education and knowing that you know I’ll

Get my education degree and try to land on as a grad assistant somewhere I guess when I I you know got out and never even G I got right to division 2 Squad I hadn’t even graduated yet and I got offered a job at a division 2 School in

A little place in Indiana and um it’s called St Joseph’s College don’t look it up because it it doesn’t even exist anymore it really shut down for real it’s not just the football program not this isn’t HRA of Raheem I mean the whole school just just poof gone and uh

Unfortunately I had some some buddies that were still coaching there at the time and you know it uh they all landed on their feet and all that but uh so we were there for three years that was the first three years and uh I don’t want to

Say the most fun three years but it was really fun it was uh isn’t that isn’t that amazing you say it’s fun you’re making no money I mean you’re working there and it’s like St Joseph’s College and yet here you are you were the offensive coordinator the New York Jets

And the Los Angeles Rams you’re like that’s my my pure joy was just coaching football you know oh it was it was and and still have incredible relationships with a lot of those guys you know still text with them you know all the time I

Get a lot of text from those guys on Sundays and stuff like that um one of the guys we that that’s currently on the um New York Jets staff Billy Vander he’s a QC there he’s a just needs an opportunity to get a position job CU

He’ll he’ll kill it he was he was our quarterback there at St Joe and he’ll he’ll tell you he threw 10 touchdowns in a game uh I think it’s I think it’s still a D2 uh he tied the record that yeah it was it was pretty and the funny

Part about it was I won’t go too far but he uh the the week before he didn’t play very well and I was in my mind I was ready to bench him I was done Billy he was done he had he had this one last op

And he made the most of that up I love that uh all right and then your first NFL gig was where uh the Browns in 14 okay so got who gave you that call Kyle gave you that call or it was from from who was it Mike petton had it all work

Together or you ended up in Cleveland yeah it was my brother calling me I was down at Davidson and um we were just we we just finished signing date so you’re like you could kind of breathe you know and uh we were kind of just Lauren and I

Were just kind of planning our next you know couple months like all right we know our weekends are somewhat free there’s no more recruiting stuff like that uh and then I got a call at like 10:00 on a Sunday night saying that I was going to Cleveland I didn’t really

Understand what was going oneland you’re going to Cleveland and I thought I go and I I thought Matt was talking about himself I go so I I thought you were going to Notre Dame he goes no you’re going to Cleveland I said when he goes tomorrow morning so I packed up my stuff

Drove from Charlotte to Cleveland and um that was that and then saw Kyle in the office and there we were and that was it and that’s it’s so crazy so you go up there to Cleveland it’s that wild year where Kyle was there and it’s Johnny manzelot quarterback and it’s Brian

Hoyer I want to say was the other right you guys start off like six and three it’s the Talk of the Town and then it goes kind of off the rails but uh an opportunity to get in there at that junior level what would be your advice

To somebody who’s starting off with an entry-level job in the NFL as far as like soaking it all in and you were coming from Davidson which wasn’t exactly Notre Dame or Ohio State but you had some coaching experience a lot of these young uh men and women come in

Straight off you know not having any experience at the college game what would be your advice to them kind of getting in the NFL building yeah I mean obviously be who you are be true to yourself don’t uh you know yeah you got to do your job at the best of your

Ability all cliche stuff no doubt um you know but the other thing is like kind of know your role too like keep your mouth shut a little bit too when you know like it’s you all got great ideas I’m I’m sure Kai probably annoyed Kyle talking

Too much about what we were doing in college would you would you be that way would you be like hey look what we did at Davidson let me show you I no no I I probably did one or two times and he probably looks back at that but uh I I I

Don’t know but uh you know it’s it is it’s hard to get your foot in the door no doubt you know and but when you do you just obviously like you do anything else in life you you go attack it and you be the best you can be and you know

Stay in your lane you when applicable and and then go from there all right um we’re going to wrap but before we do I just want to hey thank you I think you’re an awesome coach in your own right and then now you’ve got this this opportunity to go watch your brother

Play Kyle I think faced in the playoffs three times so far right I mean you guys beat twice back to back years and then they went up to Lambo and beat the Niners beat the Packers so this is one of those games this is this this will be

The third cuz we beat him twice in 19 in the regular season then the playoffs beat him in the playoffs and then and then in 21 um after the first year in the Jets we we had uh ended up going out to lamb and that was that was that night game

That Robbie H Kyle Kyle has Trent Williams running in motion like he’s a a wide receiver and they beat they beat the Packers uh as you look at this one this is the first time where Matt’s the big Underdog and it’s it’s always been it’s always been Rogers coming in um you

Look at this game like your brother you got to be so proud of what he’s done with this group as you know they’ve won 14 games in regular seasons and he’s been awesome and won all these games but like this has been a really cool season for your older brother

It’s been it’s been really fun it’s uh and I know he is I don’t know if he’s having the most fun he’s ever had but it it it sure seems like he’s you know just absolutely loving going into work every day with these guys these coaches um and like we

Saying I mean it’s a lot of guys stepping up they don’t even know any better right I mean the all these guys that haven’t played in these big games they’re just out doing their thing right now and what a credit to these players and again what what Jordan’s done um

It’s it’s been really fun to to watch from afar is there a vacation after the season where the families get together and maybe you invite Salah maybe you invite Kyle maybe sha mcve gets an invite this year like what’s the Hang session in the downtime and who is the

Crew yeah it’s uh last year you know last year was wild with everything going on but um ended up uh we had a really fun one we went to the Bahamas with uh rahee and Nikki and their kids who are who are the same ages as uh you know my

Kids and then obviously Matt and Bri they’re two kids were down there so we we ended up doing that that was awesome um we we always kind of get together Sean Sean’s going to have a little bit of a different offseason than he’s used

To little JJ in the mix I said get used get used to your house buddy because you’re not going to be leaving there as much you know so funny McVey and Veronica used to go to Cabo right after the season and they would go to like the

The Maldives or they’d go to the French Riviera I’m like you’ve got a four five month old no buddy enjoy enjoy being at home my friend and go go find something on Netflix I think it’s going to be more like Santa Barbara trips which again let’s not act like let’s not act like

This is a you know this is a pretty cool place down here so um yeah we’ll uh we’ll end up getting somewhere you know right now it’s we’ll get there next week and um you know at least it’s so happy it’s up at Levis as opposed to Lambo as

Much as Matt would probably rather have it at Lambo I’m happier it’s uh up there I hear you uh Michael FL this was awesome we’re going to have you on again in the offseason we’ll do a deeper dive we’ll go through everything but I I love that you would hop on especially a

Couple days removed from what was a a heartbreaking loss but B like dude an awesome football game and I know it’s the wounds are fresh but I think you’ll be able to appreciate that in the months that come yeah I I appreciate you having

Me on and uh should be a fun weekend of games huh all right laflor vers Shanahan part four is that what we agreed on or three or something like that I don’t know four five we had a CO game too but that was everyone’s just kind of that’s

Vanished it was a Thursday night Co game I remember that one that was it that was all right uh Mike I appreciate you bro thanks so much for joining the podcast thanks Peter appreciate you man

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