Niner Noise
FanSided

NFL power rankings: Post-preseason 32-team breakdown before Week 1

By Peter Panacy

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
31 of 33
Next
HONOLULU, HAWAII – AUGUST 17: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams readies his team before a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Aloha Stadium on August 17, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
HONOLULU, HAWAII – AUGUST 17: Head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams readies his team before a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Aloha Stadium on August 17, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

team. 51. . . Previous: . Los Angeles Rams. 3

It’s hard to put a pulse on the defending NFC champions, the Los Angeles Rams.

Sure, the Rams suffered a number of offseason losses after going all in for their trip to the Super Bowl. Ndamukong Suh is gone. So is safety Lamarcus Joyner and offensive guard Rodger Saffold.

Yet Los Angeles remains stacked, especially on offense. And head coach Sean McVay remains one of the best offensive geniuses in the league right now.

But there is another question mark. Running back Todd Gurley is no longer going to be the bell cow of the offense, and his importance to McVay’s scheme can’t be understated. L.A. bringing aboard the rookie, Darrell Henderson, shakes things up a bit. Henderson could take over for Gurley at some point down the line. The combined roles, for now, are going to be interesting to watch as they attempt to jell.

There’s also the real possibility the Rams suffer that worrisome Super Bowl hangover. It’s a possibility, just as equal to the loss being a teaching point to McVay and Co.

Like a number of teams on this list, L.A. could go sharply in either direction — either proving its still worthy of a championship run or falling apart in short order.