The last time the Patriots and Rams played, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady busily dismantled their opponent in the Super Bowl. This rematch still promises to be a good game, but the Patriots in particular look very different than they did in that last matchup.
First of all, this is a compelling rematch because both teams could still be making playoff pushes. The Rams have to navigate around Jared Goff, who is only good when Sean McVay programs him just the right way to be good, but they remain a force in the NFC West with enough talent to make a playoff run.