Revamped Rams conjuring memories of Greatest Show on Turf

There are few things Hollywood loves more than a good sequel.

Eighteen years after the 1999 Rams shocked the football world and captured Super Bowl XXIV, the 2017 version is making waves as one of the most surprising teams in recent memory. The Rams are no longer mired in mediocrity borne of Jeff Fisher's lack of imagination, and are instead thriving in a way few could've expected under wunderkind head coach Sean McVay.

The 1999 Rams won the Super Bowl a year after going 4-12, and became lionized as "The Greatest Show on Turf." This year's Rams are poised to run away with the NFC West, coming off a 4-12 season marred by indecision and internal feuding. Here's how the two teams compare:

Both among most improved teams in history

Heading into Sunday, the 2017 Rams were the most improved team of the past 31 years, while the 1999 Rams ranked fifth in year-over-year improvement, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). The Rams then routed the Houston Texans 33-7, continuing their rise as one of the most unexpected juggernauts of the modern era.

The 1999 team's improvement was largely due to the acquisition of Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk by trade, and the unexpected emergence of quarterback Kurt Warner after Trent Green tore his ACL during the preseason. Football Outsiders ranked the 1999 Rams first in DVOA after they finished 24th in 1998, and this year's team has been a statistical mirror image.

Los Angeles finished dead last in points last year by averaging a paltry 14 per game; this year, it leads the NFL with a whopping 32.9 per contest - an identical number to the 1999 team. Deja vu isn't lost in Tinseltown.

Coaching, personnel upgrades paying dividends

Coaching and personnel changes can make an immense difference, which they certainly did for both Rams teams.

Both the 1999 and 2017 versions gained monumental upgrades on the sidelines. The 1999 iteration was still manned by head coach Dick Vermeil, but offensive coordinator Jerry Rhome had been fired before the season and replaced by Mike Martz.

Martz, who was promoted to head coach in 2000, immediately revitalized the Rams' offense and is inextricably linked to that era of success. Of course, he also benefited from an influx of talent, including a trade for Faulk, a pro-ready Torry Holt in his rookie season, Isaac Bruce returning from injury, and the unexpected emergence of Warner. But the passing game exploded with a fresh, innovative mind behind the headset.

The 2017 Rams would've never come to fruition if Fisher remained head coach. He'd become synonymous with stale, conservative offensive schemes, was embroiled in a feud with team legend Eric Dickerson, and simply got the least out of his players.

Los Angeles is now thriving under McVay. Many were skeptical that the youngest head coach in NFL history could take the team to grand heights in his first year, especially with the mess Fisher left behind. However, McVay's offensive wizardly has given one of the most previously boring teams in the NFL a fresh identity despite featuring most of the same core from 2016.

McVay took a pair of castoffs from the Bills in Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins and turned them into viable downfield threats. Woods torched the Texans for 12-yard and 94-yard touchdowns while Watkins is no longer carrying the weight of a franchise on him and has developed into a very capable No. 2.

McVay's players aren't new, for the most part, but the passing and rushing stats couldn't be more different from last year - just as we saw from 1998 to '99:

Quarterback production, 1998-99

Jared Goff production, 2016-2017

It would be unfair to Banks if we didn't note that Warner benefited from an improved receiving corps. Bruce played just five games in 1998 but came back with a vengeance in 1999, Holt was selected sixth overall and immediately burst onto the scene, and Az-Zahir Hakim made a major leap during his sophomore season. Warner supplanting Trent Green, however, was a development no one saw coming and under Martz's tutelage, he turned the once-anemic Rams' offense into one of the most scorching units to ever take the field.

Last year, people were quick to write Goff off as a monumental bust after the Rams traded up to select him first overall. But, it's a fool's errand to dismiss a young quarterback based on a small sample, and this year Goff has been among the better pivots in the league. One would be remiss not to mention left tackle Andrew Whitworth's impact, as he's been the NFL's best pass-blocker this season and one of the best free-agent signings of the summer. Regardless, Goff is thriving during his second year in ways many never expected.

Running back production, 1998-99

Todd Gurley production, 2016-17

The 1998 Rams operated by committee at running back, but none took a commanding lead of the offense. Holcombe was relegated to backup duty in 1999, while Henley, Hill, and Lee quickly flamed out of the league.

Faulk joined the Rams by sheer circumstance and a bit of luck, as he was in search of a new contract that the Colts refused to offer him. After being named to three Pro Bowls with Indianapolis, he turned into one of the greatest running backs of all time with the Rams. With Faulk operating as the potent fulcrum of the offense, the once-moribund quartet of running backs was completely displaced.

A lot of writers and fans alike have joked about how Todd Gurley looked like the reincarnation of Trent Richardson last season, only to find himself this year. They're not wrong. Gurley went from being one of the NFL's worst running backs to a bona fide All-Pro candidate in less than a year.

McVay has turned Gurley into a facsimile of Faulk, allowing him to thrive as a power runner and a safety valve as a receiver. Gurley's receiving numbers are better than his previous career bests, and he continues to flourish as an all-around dynamo. Many wondered how Fisher squandered Gurley's talents, and it's a testament to McVay that he's instilled confidence back into the 23-year-old, who's now competing for the NFL rushing title.

Aftermath

There are plenty of remarkable similarities between the 1999 Rams and the 2017 Rams. The nearly unprecedented improvement links the teams together, and it seems increasingly possible that - at 7-2 and leading their division - they could stun the NFC field and make a run at the Super Bowl.