While it wasn’t their flashiest win, the Rams showed true championship potential with their balanced performance in their 27-17 win in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars have surprised many a skeptic in 2017 and were 3-2 heading into their match up with the Rams, having already beaten the Texans, Ravens and Steelers.Just as the Rams are having a renaissance this season, so too were the Jags. In the end though, the visiting team was methodical and precise when they needed to be, and every single side of the ball contributed to the win.

So while it wasn’t a high-scoring circus performance like their wins over the Colts and 49ers, nor did it have the down-to-the-wire thrills of the win in Dallas, they were the most complete team they’ve been all season. Every unit on the roster contributed, the defense finally played up to their potential, and Jared Goff’s composure and ability to prevent turnovers was once again on display.

Pharoh Cooper represented the special teams unit when he kicked the game off with a 103-yard punt return for a touchdown. Greg Zuerlein added a pair of field goals, one of which was 56-yards, and Malcolm Brown got in the mix by scooping up a blocked punt that he returned 8 yards for a touchdown.

On the offense, promising rookie tight end Gerald Everett contributed with his first NFL touchdown while Todd Gurley ran for 116 yards on 23 carries – both of them assisted by superb work from the offensive line, particularly John Sullivan and Rodger Saffold.

On the defensive line, Aaron Donald was at the top of his game per usual, finishing yet another dominant game with 2 sacks, 2 hits and 6 hurries on 41 pass-rushing snaps. Meanwhile, Mark Barron was at his best performing his hybrid linebacker/safety duties. Per PFF, he had 8 tackles with 6 stops – three in the run game and three in the pass game.

Now sure, there are some teams in the NFL that don’t necessarily need a relatively balanced roster to put together a successful season. The Patriots, Packers and Broncos are all great examples of that.

The Patriots rely heavily on Tom Brady this season, the Packers’ season is basically over with the loss of Aaron Rodgers and the Broncos have been an almost exclusively defensive squad for three years now.

Still, a talented and balanced team with dynamic play makers and a steady hand at quarterback is about as good as you can ask for in the NFL in terms of predicting season-longevity and playoff success. In fact, the 2017 Rams look a lot like the turn-of-the-millennium Patriots. That might make you “Greatest Show on Turf” fans shudder, but you can’t deny that it worked out for them.