Rallis and LaFleur matched up six times over the past three seasons as LaFleur worked as the Rams offensive coordinator. The two have talked about those six meetings extensively, learning what the other side was thinking each time they went up against the other.
While 2025 did not go well for the Cardinals – two lopsided losses – it was the 2024 season that stuck with LaFleur. The first game was a 41-10 Cardinals win, "one of the more embarrassing losses I've ever been a part of," LaFleur said. The second, the Rams escaped with a 13-9 win when Trey McBride couldn't haul in a pass in the end zone in the dying minutes.
In that game, LaFleur said, "we couldn't do anything."
Yet Rallis understands it's a what-have-you-done-lately league, and the Cardinals ended up 27th in yards allowed and 29th in points allowed. Boiling that down to one or two things is impossible – "There are a lot of variables" – but there was a reason Rallis wanted to reflect the way he did.
Specific change Rallis was not yet able to speak upon, but he said change year to year was inevitable.
The player development emphasized by Ossenfort? That happened to be what Rallis was working on Wednesday before his press conference. Already there are adjustments being made on the plan for both the classroom and the field, in the effort to bring along many of the young defensive players Ossenfort has drafted the past three seasons.
And while Rallis will always be close friends with former head coach Jonathan Gannon, he acknowledged having an offensive coach like LaFleur can benefit the Cardinals defense as well.
"Mike's knowledge of the offenses that exist in this division, and they are pretty prevalent around the league, getting his perspective on that and what gives those offenses issues, that is going to lead to a lot of growth for me," Rallis said.
LaFleur interviewed a number of other candidates for the defensive coordinator role. Rallis said he knew Ossenfort and LaFleur would be thorough in a search even if they wanted him back.
But Rallis delivered a message that LaFleur heard.
"There are a lot of learning lessons the back half of that year," LaFleur said. "I like what I heard and how we are going to improve from there, and he's too good of a coach and too smart to not to be able to improve."
Rallis was just happy that he will get a chance to come back and fix the things that went wrong in 2025.
"It means a lot," Rallis said. "Because I love the players and I know we can better than what we put on tape. I'm fortunate to get another shot at that."