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What Makes Mike LaFleur's Offense Potentially Unstoppable
By Walter Mitchell
Allow me to start out by thanking my friend J for:
J
@azcards77
·
Replying to @WBJMItch
Love your content. Do you have an article that review the LeFleur offense philosophy?
I would expect Mike LaFleur's offense to be a tight braiding of McVay's and Shanahan's go-to, bread-and-butter plays out of 11 personnel, with Drew Petzing's/Klayton Adams's dynamic 12 and 13 personnel control of the "numbers game" in the defensive box.
Drew Petzing?
if anyone tells me "I stopped reading there" --- this thread was never meant for you to begin with.
The fact is, for Drew Petzing's and Klayton Adams' first two seasons in Arizona, they tormented, punished and exhausted the NFC West defenses, which had the GMs, HCs and DCs asking themselves "how the frick are we going to handle the Cardinals' 12 and 13 personnel for years to come?"
In LA, Sean McVay and Mike LaFleur were paying close attention. And this past season, when Puka Nacua was injured, instead of putting in Tutu Atwell, McVay, at LaFleur's urging turned the bulk of the snaps over to their 12 and 13 packages --- with the kind of jackpot success that even they didn't full predict.
I mean, look at the Rams' TE room now:
* Tyler Higbee, 6-6, 253, Western Kentucky- R4, 2016
* Davis Allen, 6-6, 253, Clemson - R5 2023
* Colby Parkinson, 6-7, 266, Stanford - UFA 2024 (SEA)
* Terrance Ferguson, 6-5, 252, Oregon - R2 2025
* Max Klare, 6-4, 246, Ohio St. - R2 2026
Note: we can thank Les Snead for passing on TE Kenyon Sadiq. Phew.
I would bet you right now that the odd man out of these 5 TEs gets claimed by Mike LaFleur.
Those of you who know me well, know more than ever now why I was banging on the table for the Cardinals to take Brock Bowers at pick #4 in 2024. He was the perfect system fit.
Mike LaFleur's Philosophies
Major Tenet: Most of the plays in the playbook are designed to have the QB take snaps from under center because handoffs are quicker and play actions are harder to read.
Controlling the Numbers in the Running Game
The #1 bread-and butter-play in McVay's offense has always been the power off-tackle play. He will run that play ad nauseum until the defense finds a way to stuff it.
Variations:
A. 11 Personnel to the TE side
B. 12 Personnel with 2 TEs to one side, either lining them up or motioning into
C. 12 Personnel with TEs on opposite sides
C. 13 Personnel with 3 TEs all to one side or 2 to one side and 1 to the other
Who Kicks Out the Edge?
1. The backside guard on a straight-line pull
2. The playside guard off his offensive tackle's downblock
3. The closest tight end
4. The fullback
Who blocks the playside DT?
1. The tackle and guard on a double team
2. The tackle alone, either head up on a hook block or inside shoulder on a downblock
3. The guard if head up
Who blocks the Playside ILB?
1. Iso him with the TE
2. Iso him with the pulling guard or center
3. Iso him with the fullback
What the Rams Learned: How Difficult the Power Off-Tackle Play is to Defend from 13 personnel.
Note -- 13 Stack Right means 1 RB, 3 TEs (all stacked to the rIght) and 36 --- 3 is RB and 6 is 6-hole between the RT and TE.
Just imagine the weak side running options and all of the waggle and bootleg play action designs. It's a plethora of big play opportunities.
For example. what does the defense do pre-snap, if MLF motions the TE directly across from the 6-gap to the left? Do they chase him with the SS? If not, MLF now would have a 5 to 4 numbers advantage to the left side. If they do have the SS chase the TE, then MLF has created a 5 to 4 numbers advantage to the 2 TE side.
Notice too that the WR is basically on an island with the CB. unless the FS shades all the way to the WR side making it harder to be a factor in run support on the off-tackle play.
Play Action Example
13 Stack Right Fake 35, Waggle Right Cross, Vert, Delay
Note: 13 is 1 RB 3 TEs Stacked to Right, QB Waggle (shortened bootleg) WR1 runs a "cross". Back TE runs a "vertical" and flex TE first blocks edge so that the edge does not have a free lane to the QB, then the TE releases and runs a delay route to the flat.
Watch it unfold here at the 2 minute 3 second mark. This is an excellent video.
Look at how wide open the back TE, Cody Parkinson, was after releasing from his block. McVay thought the flex TE would attract both the CB and the FS on his vertical route and that's exactly what he got.
What Makes Mike LaFleur's Offense Potentially Unstoppable
By Walter Mitchell
Allow me to start out by thanking my friend J for:
J
@azcards77
·
Replying to @WBJMItch
Love your content. Do you have an article that review the LeFleur offense philosophy?
I would expect Mike LaFleur's offense to be a tight braiding of McVay's and Shanahan's go-to, bread-and-butter plays out of 11 personnel, with Drew Petzing's/Klayton Adams's dynamic 12 and 13 personnel control of the "numbers game" in the defensive box.
Drew Petzing?
if anyone tells me "I stopped reading there" --- this thread was never meant for you to begin with.
The fact is, for Drew Petzing's and Klayton Adams' first two seasons in Arizona, they tormented, punished and exhausted the NFC West defenses, which had the GMs, HCs and DCs asking themselves "how the frick are we going to handle the Cardinals' 12 and 13 personnel for years to come?"
In LA, Sean McVay and Mike LaFleur were paying close attention. And this past season, when Puka Nacua was injured, instead of putting in Tutu Atwell, McVay, at LaFleur's urging turned the bulk of the snaps over to their 12 and 13 packages --- with the kind of jackpot success that even they didn't full predict.
I mean, look at the Rams' TE room now:
* Tyler Higbee, 6-6, 253, Western Kentucky- R4, 2016
* Davis Allen, 6-6, 253, Clemson - R5 2023
* Colby Parkinson, 6-7, 266, Stanford - UFA 2024 (SEA)
* Terrance Ferguson, 6-5, 252, Oregon - R2 2025
* Max Klare, 6-4, 246, Ohio St. - R2 2026
Note: we can thank Les Snead for passing on TE Kenyon Sadiq. Phew.
I would bet you right now that the odd man out of these 5 TEs gets claimed by Mike LaFleur.
Thise of you who know me well, know more than ever now why I was banging on the table for the Cardinals to take Brock Bowers at pick #4 in 2024. He was the perfect system fit.
Mike LaFleur's Philosophies
Major Tenet: Most of the plays in the playbook are designed to have the QB take snaps from under center because handoffs are quicker and play actions are harder to read.
Controlling the Numbers in the Running Game
The #1 bread-and butter-play in McVay's offense has always been the power off-tackle play. He will run that play ad nauseum until the defense finds a way to stuff it.
Variations:
A. 11 Personnel to the TE side
B. 12 Personnel with 2 TEs to one side, either lining them up or motioning into
C. 12 Personnel with TEs on opposite sides
C. 13 Personnel with 3 TEs all to one side or 2 to one side and 1 to the other
Who Kicks Out the Edge?
1. The backside guard on a straight-line pull
2. The playside guard off his offensive tackle's downblock
3. The closest tight end
4. The fullback
Who blocks the playside DT?
1. The tackle and guard on a double team
2. The tackle alone, either head up on a hook block or inside shoulder on a downblock
3. The guard if head up
Who blocks the Playside ILB?
1. Iso him with the TE
2. Iso him with the pulling guard or center
3. Iso him with the fullback
What the Rams Learned: How Difficult the Power Off-Tackle Play is to Defend from 13 personnel.
Note -- 13 Stack Right means 1 RB, 3 TEs (all stacked to the rIght) and 36 --- 3 is RB and 6 is 6-hole between the RT and TE.
Just imagine the weak side running options and all of the waggle and bootleg play action designs. It's a plethora of big play opportunities.
For example. what does the defense do pre-snap, if MLF motions the TE directly across from the 6-gap to the left? Do they chase him with the SS? If not, MLF now would have a 5 to 4 numbers advantage to the left side. If they do have the SS chase the TE, then MLF has created a 5 to 4 numbers advantage to the 2 TE side.
Notice too that the WR is basically on an island with the CB. unless the FS shades all the way to the WR side making it harder to be a factor in run support on the off-tackle play.
Play Action Example
13 Stack Right Fake 35, Waggle Right Cross, Vert, Delay
Note: 13 is 1 RB 3 TEs Stacked to Right, QB Waggle (shortened bootleg) WR1 runs a "cross". Back TE runs a "vertical" and flex TE first blocks edge so that the edge does not have a free lane to the QB, then the TE releases and runs a delay route to the flat.
Watch it unfold here at the 2 minute 3 second mark. This is an excellent video.
McVay thought the CB and FS would defend the vertical, leaving no one to cover TE Colby Parkinson. Voila!
Isolation "Oppo Lev" Passes in the Red Zone and on 3rd and 4th Down Conversions
Look at how wide open the back TE, Cody Parkinson, was after releasing from his block. McVay thought the flex TE would attract both the CB and the FS on his vertical route and that's exactly what he got.
Isolation Oppo Lev PasseOppo Lev means the isolated WR runs 5 yards and then will break out or in depending on where the CBs leverage is. If the CB is shading inside, the WR ops outside and vice versa. the CB is square, then the WR has the choice to break to the side where there is least amount of traffic Matthew Stafford works tirelessly on two things --- (1) coordinating pre-snap pass protection calls with OL and skill players; (2) perfecting Oppo Lev timing with his W WRs, TEs and RBs.
What we likely can expect to see in Mike LaFleur's Offense
1. QB under center most of the time.
2. Hard-nosed, smashmouth *gap* style rushing attack, often from 12 and 13 personnel. No more zone schemes, guys.
3. Creative play action passes off dropbacks, waggles and bootlegs, thrown more often these days to the outside where the LB and S help is not as strong.
4. In the red zone and often on key 3rd and 4th downs, isolation "Oppo Lev" passes to the best mismatch receiver.
5. An array of dump offs, flare. swing, out, circle and wheel passes to the RBs.
Some interesting parallels --- when Rams came off their worst season in 2022 and wanted to When the Rams, after suffering their worst season in 2022, they decided to play fewer shotgun passes out of zero formations (spreads) --- and they also changed their zone run blocking schemes to gap schemes to revitalize the running game. So get this --- they were then building around a RB from Notre Dame and to bolster their offensive line they signed the top G in FA in Kevin Dotson and then they drafted the highest rated G in round 2, Steve Avila.
Sound somewhat familiar for the Cardinals in 2026?
Isolation Oppo Lev Passes
Oppo Lev means the isolated WR runs 5 yards and then will break out or in depending on where the CBs leverage is. If the CB is shading inside, the WR ops outside and vice versa. the CB is square, then the WR has the choice to break to the side where there is least amount of traffic Matthew Stafford works tirelessly on two things --- (1) coordinating pre-snap pass protection calls with OL and skill players; (2) perfecting Oppo Lev timing with his W WRs, TEs and RBs.
1. QB under center most of the time.
2. Hard-nosed, smashmouth *gap* style rushing attack, often from 12 and 13 personnel. No more zone schemes, guys.
3. Creative play action passes off dropbacks, waggles and bootlegs, thrown more often these days to the outside where the LB and S help is not as strong.
4. In the red zone and often on key 3rd and 4th downs, isolation "Oppo Lev" passes to the best mismatch receiver.
5. An array of dump offs, flare. swing, out, circle and wheel passes to the RBs.
Some interesting parallels --- when Rams came off their worst season in 2022 and wanted to When the Rams, after suffering their worst season in 2022, they decided to play fewer shotgun passes out of zero formations (spreads) --- and they also changed their zone run blocking schemes to gap schemes to revitalize the running game. So get this --- they were then building around a RB from Notre Dame and to bolster their offensive line they signed the top G in FA in Kevin Dotson and then they drafted the highest rated G in round 2, Steve Avila.
Sound somewhat familiar for the Cardinals in 2026?
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Building around a Notre Dame RB, then signing the top-rated UFA G in Kevin Dotson and drafting the top ranked G in Round 2 of that year, Steve Avila. Hmmm: RB Jeremiyah Love, G Isaac Seumalo, G Chase Bisontis.
ReplyDeleteOur ground game will be more explosive with Love either running or as passing threat. That should open our passing game even more. Instead of a ground and pound we can legitimately break off 30 yard runs. We haven't had that threat for over a decade. Every year of a McVay offense has a different DNA or evolution. I think LaFleur may bring his own brand with our personnel grouping.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, Walter!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate all your hard work.
He's the BEST
DeleteWalter, the point about the pre-snap motion math is the crux of everything here and I don't think it gets enough attention. When you motion that third TE across the formation and force the defense to declare — you haven't just created a numbers advantage, you've essentially made the defense tell you what coverage they're in before the snap. That's free information on every single play. Combine that with a QB under center where the handoff is faster and the play fake is harder to read, and you've eliminated two of the defense's biggest advantages simultaneously.
ReplyDeleteThe parallel to the 2023 Rams rebuild is sharp. Same philosophy: shore up the interior OL, install a power gap scheme, build the TE room deep enough to dress three on any given night. The Cardinals getting Seumalo and Bisontis in the same offseason mirrors exactly what LA did with Dotson and Avila. What's fascinating is that LaFleur watched Petzing and Adams pioneer this heavy-personnel approach in Arizona — and now he's coming back to Phoenix with the very system that Cardinals fans had a front-row seat.
The one wrinkle I'd add: the Oppo Lev concept becomes exponentially more dangerous when the safety has already been pulled toward the TE motion. By the time the defense resets and the CB is isolated, the leverage read is a one-on-one the QB has practiced thousands of times. It's not a check-down — it's a designed mismatch with a built-in answer. That's what makes 3rd and 4th down conversions feel almost automatic in this system when it's humming.
STOP IT Buddy! You're not helping me manage my low expectations for the season!