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2017 NFL power rankings: Patriots lead the way

By Russell S. Baxter

Feb 2, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; A general overall view of NRG Stadium with graphics featuring New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) prior to Super Bowl LI. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; A general overall view of NRG Stadium with graphics featuring New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) prior to Super Bowl LI. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) pressures Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) pressures Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /
Alden Gonzalez of ESPN). Yes, fixing the offense is certainly a priority but the Rams would like to make the other side of the ball a bigger factor. And getting cornerback Trumaine Johnson re-signed is a big key.

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31

Los Angeles Rams 4-12

Last week: 3rd, NFC West
Last rank: 31st

Looking Back: At one time, the Rams owned a 3-1 record and had victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals on their resume. But the team would win only one more game the remainder of the season. And Jeff Fisher’s tenure as head coach came to an abrupt end before 2016 even concluded.

Looking Forward: New Rams’ head coach Sean McVay has his work cut out for him. He inherits a club that has finished dead last in the league in total yards per game in each of these past two seasons. Los Angeles scored an NFL-low 224 points in 2016 and the team’s offensive unit totaled only 23 touchdowns in 16 games – three fewer than Arizona Cardinals’ running back David Johnson. One of the positives under Fisher was the fact that this team held its own against its division rivals. But that doesn’t mean much when you’re a franchise that struggles against the rest of the league and hasn’t posted a winning season in more than a decade (2003).

Offseason needs: Now that recent Super Bowl champion and 2015 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Wade Phillips is the team’s new defensive coordinator, what kind of adjustments will the team have to make in terms of personnel on that side of the ball. This is a club loaded with talent on the defensive front and a switch to the 3-4 doesn’t figure to be an issue, according to Phillips (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN). Yes, fixing the offense is certainly a priority but the Rams would like to make the other side of the ball a bigger factor. And getting cornerback Trumaine Johnson re-signed is a big key.

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