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Rams RB Todd Gurley on Titans OC Matt LaFleur: "He's Ready"

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. –** Todd Gurley, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, believes Matt LaFleur is ready for the next step with the Titans.

The Titans hired LaFleur as the team's new offensive coordinator last month under new head coach Mike Vrabel. A year ago, LaFleur served as offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams under head coach Sean McVay. The Rams led the NFL in scoring in 2017, averaging 29.9 points per game.

With the Titans, LaFleur will call plays for the first time in his career.

"That is what it is all about, starting from quarterbacks coach to getting an opportunity as OC and then be able to make the play calls," Gurley said of LaFleur. "Good for him. He's ready. I think he'll spark them up. I think Matt and coach McVay working with each other last year was such a good thing for us as a team, and for him. Because they were able to communicate and talk about things, and you learn from that experience. You saw how it worked on the field. And he's been around some good coaches.

"Obviously coach McVay did the play calling last year, but Matt can do it. I am definitely excited for him. He's worked his way up and I'm glad he's getting a chance in Tennessee."

In his first season with the Rams, LaFleur was instrumental in quarterback Jared Goff's development. Goff threw for 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 2017 en route to reaching the Pro Bowl.

Prior to joining the Rams, LaFleur served as quarterback Matt Ryan's QBs coach for two seasons with the Falcons. Ryan was named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns for a 117.1 quarterback rating in 2016. Robert Griffin III also enjoyed success under LaFleur's tutelage with the Redskins.

But Gurley also had huge success last season with the Rams while working under McVay, named the NFL's coach of the year in 2017, and LaFleur.

The third-year running back was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press at NFL Honors during Super Bowl LII weekend. Gurley racked up an NFL-best 2,093 scrimmage yards while finishing second in league rushing with 1,305 yards. He became only the third player in NFL history to tally 2,000 scrimmage yards, 10 rushing TDs and six receiving TDs.

Gurley had 788 receiving yards, and he had a huge day against the Titans late in the season when he had 158 receiving yards, and 118 rushing yards.

Gurley said LaFleur will have some weapons to work with in Tennessee. LaFleur has experience working with some of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL as he spent time with Mike Shanahan, Gary Kubiak, Kyle Shanahan and McVay.

"Coach LaFleur, he is a good coach," Gurley said. "He was with Atlanta the year before he was with us and they did some great things, and he was with us this year. For us to have the year that we had, it was crazy. I am definitely excited for him. It will be good for him. He's ready, man. We had the NFL's No.1 scoring offense.

"The Titans have two great running backs there in DeMarco (Murray) and Derrick Henry. And a great tight end in Delanie Walker and some good receivers. So he'll have some guys to work with. There's definitely talent there in Tennessee. Hopefully Matt can come in there and spark the Titans up even more. It's not like the Titans are down --- they just left from the second round of the playoffs. Hopefully Matt can help make them even better."

TitansOnline looks back at the NFL coaching career of Matt LaFleur, who was named the team's offensive coordinator on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. (Photos: AP, Rams, Falcons)

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