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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- It is excruciatingly difficult for general manager Les Snead to watch playoff football these days. Even tuning in for last week's College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama and Georgia gave him trouble, because it took place only two nights after his Los Angeles Rams were eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons. But watching that game, and watching Alabama triumph again, reminded Snead of something coach Nick Saban said immediately after his Crimson Tide lost the 2016 finale to Clemson: "Don't waste the feeling." "That's kind of where we're at right now -- don't waste that feeling," Snead said. "Let's move to the next step."  Members of the Rams -- from players to coaches to executives -- are disappointed, but also increasingly motivated. They tasted enough success to know they're on the right path, but they came up short enough to realize more work is needed. They have a generally young team, especially at head coach and at quarterback. And they're seemingly poised for years of success given the outlook of the NFC West.
The Arizona Cardinals will begin a complete transformation, with coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Carson Palmer both announcing their retirements earlier this month. The Seattle Seahawks are going through a thorough makeover, letting go of offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and reportedly set to part ways with defensive coordinator Kris Richard. Their once-dynamic, now-aging defense could look a lot different next season. And in a striking example of how the outlook of an entire division can reverse itself in one year, the San Francisco 49ers -- led by head coach Kyle Shanahan and now anchored by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo -- may now represent the Rams' biggest threat. But those Niners lost 10 of 11 games before Garoppolo took over, and they still have holes throughout their roster. The path seems clear for the Rams, but they're not taking anything for granted. "We can control what we can control," Snead said. "I'll call the rest of the division the enemy. You can't necessarily control the enemy. The enemy is always going to have a say, no matter what turmoil they’re going through today. Guess what, they’re still going to show up next year to knock you off." But the Rams, coming off an 11-5 season in which they led the NFL in points, seem so far ahead at this point. Their offense will return almost entirely intact and should only grow in Sean McVay's second year as head coach and offensive play-caller. They'll face tough decisions with several defensive players, but there's little reason to believe they won't be as good or better with another year in Wade Phillips' scheme. The wild-card loss to the Falcons re-emphasized to McVay just how difficult it is to win in the NFL, and he wanted to make one point clear before the offseason. "You don't just show up and win games again," McVay said. "While we have a lot of confidence in the players that we'll have and guys that we can continue to build around, we know that it's going to take a lot of hard work. You've got to earn it every single day in this league." Snead hopes the season-ending loss will give his organization the necessary edge to stay on top in the NFC West. "I don’t think you’ll ever get over it," Snead said. "You just cope with it, and then use it as fuel."
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