Rams

There’s no question it’s Jeff Fisher. The Rams are playing with the attitude and confidence that reflects their coach. The youngest team in the NFL needed a steady influence, and he’s it.

Without a shadow of a doubt it was the hiring of Jeff Fisher. They made some excellent personnel moves, like signing Cortland Finnegan and drafting Janoris Jenkins, but the most noticeable difference between last year and this year is the edge the team plays with. Some of that is because of players like Finnegan and Jenkins but it's logical to argue that perhaps neither would be here were it not for Fisher's presence. It's more than just "attitude readjustment," too. It's the coaching staff that Fisher hired and the plans they've put into place to help maximize the talent on the roster as well.

There's no question the positive impact the Rams have had at this early stage of the season is because of the head coach. Some of those who work in the Rams organization that I spoke with will tell you how much of a difference Coach Fisher has made off the field as well as on the field. Having covered the NFL and the Rams daily for nearly 10 years I can tell you that Fisher is one of the most respected and highly thought of coaches in the league.

There's no doubt in my mind that Jeff Fisher is the biggest difference between last year and this year. Individual players improve the team incrementally, and the Rams have no shortage of players who have contributed to this year's improvement. But Fisher was able to change the attitude and the culture of the entire team. No single acquisition has made such a large impact.