Getty Taylor Rapp of the Rams tackles Christian McCaffrey of the Panthers during the 2019 season opener for both teams.
Lose one, gain three for the Los Angeles Rams on the coaching staff front.
While the team lost tight ends coach Wes Phillips to the Minnesota Vikings where he’s slated to handle the offensive coordinator reins there, Sean McVay spent Monday, February 21 adding to his staff.
Per the NFL Network, McVay is adding three names to his staff: Greg Olson in a senior offensive role, Liam Coen as offensive coordinator and Jake Peetz in a to be determined offensive role.
“The three additions are reunions for the assistants. Olson served as quarterbacks coach under McVay in Los Angeles in 2017 before moving on in 2018, while Coen was an assistant receivers coach and assistant quarterbacks coach with the Rams before he left for Kentucky in 2021. Peetz, who was the LSU OC last season, worked with McVay in 2014 with Washington,” wrote nfl.com writer Nick Shook.
But of all three names, one of them managed to get the best out of Derek Carr and Christian McCaffrey during the time he was around both Pro Bowlers, plus was responsible for their first taste of the Pro Bowl as their position coach: The former LSU Tiger Peetz.
Carr Under Peetz
The 38-year-old Peetz once worked with a young Carr with the Oakland Raiders from 2015 to 2017.
And in all three seasons with Peetz serving in roles like senior offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach, Carr thrived in each season Peetz worked with him.
In 2015 with Peetz working with the Raiders for the first time, Carr put up the following numbers per Pro Football Reference: 3,987 passing yards (a 717-yard increase from his rookie year), 32 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions…leading to his first Pro Bowl nod. But the following year, Carr’s completion percentage improved to 63.8 (a career-best at that time) and won his most number of regular season games (12-3 as a starter) that season. In Peetz’s last year of working with Carr, he still got a Pro Bowl campaign out of the quarterback by throwing for 3,496 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
While Carr got the Raiders back to the playoffs, he hasn’t gone back to the Pro Bowl since Peetz left. Post Carr, one other man who dominated in the Bay Area became a Pro Bowler under Peetz.
McCaffrey Under Peetz
The former Nebraska Cornhusker long snapper Peetz put aside his quarterback expertise to work with the running backs with the Carolina Panthers in 2019.
And that was when he worked with a young fast-riser in McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was fresh off his first career 1,000-yard season in 2018 (1,098) before Peetz arrived to Charlotte. But with Peetz as his position coach, McCaffrey ascended to new heights: A career-high 1,387 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns (another personal best), also hit 1,005 receiving yards and added four more touchdowns through the receiving end — all leading to McCaffrey’s first and only All-Pro First Team nod in his young career.
Here’s samples of what McCaffrey did with Peetz on his side:
Christian McCaffrey topped 30+ PPR points a whopping eight times last season
He demolished the Jaguars for a season-high 47.7 PPR points in Week 5
237 total yards
3 TDs
He also delivered 209 total yards against the Rams back in 2019.
McCaffrey since Peetz left? No 1,000-yard seasons as a running back and receiver since, plus has since been mentioned on the trading block.
Peetz is heading back to the NFL after one season with LSU. Signs currently point to an offensive assistant or positional assistant role in his reunion with McVay. With Coen and McVay specializing in QBs, Peetz may settle for tagging along with Thomas Brown — who is expected to return per Rapoport — with the running back group.
Regardless, the Rams are getting a new coach who produced first-time Pro Bowlers at his last two NFL stops. A Ram working with Peetz could get lucky and witness his own statistical and production spike.