Mike LaFleur's Week 1 success with Cardinals adds insult to Rams fans' injury

After contributing to the Los Angeles Rams' offensive success in 2025, coordinator Mike LaFleur left to take over as head coach of the hapless Arizona Cardinals. At the time, LaFleur was expected to struggle in his first season in Arizona. Meanwhile, the Rams expressed all the confidence in the world in new OC Nate Scheelhaase.

Perhaps we judged too quickly?

While one game does not set the trend, the teams' season debuts could not be more in contrast. LA scored just one touchdown en route to a humbling 27-7 loss at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. LaFleur had the Cardinals offense firing on all cylinders to outmuscle the Chargers by a score of 26-14.

The juxtaposition was striking. LA's passing offense was pedestrian. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed just 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. That collective performance left many questions over how the team will fare going forward.

Conversely, Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett went 27-of-37 for 277 yards and a touchdown as Arizona's offense showed up in midseason form.

Mike LaFleur made a statement in first game as Cardinals head coach

Like Rams head coach Sean McVay, LaFleur loves tight ends. It was no surprise, then, to see Cardinals star Trey McBride show up in the spotlight, handling 9 of 13 targets for 95 yards and a score in his first game in LaFleur's offense.

Compare that to a Rams offense that completed four passes to tight ends for 31 yards.

LA averaged 30.6 points per game in 2025. Arizona averaged just 20.5 points. In Week 1, the Rams must only seven points while the Cards put up 26. Who did it better?

That's not to say LaFleur would have saved the Rams from falling flat on their faces, or that Arizona will have the better offense this season. But after McVay and Scheelhaase failed to scheme up any success while LaFleur had his crew humming, the contrast stings.

There's plenty of time for the Horns to right the ship. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals can avoid their perennial slump. Still, Arizona's offense clearly beat expectations in Week 1, while Rams fans are still waiting for signs of life.

The Cardinals' upset victory leaves LA as the only winless team in the NFC West. 16 games remain this season. Unfortunately, the climb to the top just got a lot steeper. And now, LaFleur is no longer around to help this offense figure out how to score.

As always, thanks for reading.

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