From Gary Klein: The Rams already knew they will be on the road for the playoffs, a difficult assignment for any team.
It’s trending toward becoming one especially tough for the Rams, who only a few weeks ago appeared to be the class of the NFC, if not the NFL.
Not anymore.
On Monday night, the Rams for much of their game against the Atlanta Falcons, looked like a team on the road to nowhere. Or one more interested in limping through the end of the regular season before turning it on for the playoffs.
They overcame a 21-point deficit to tie the score, but Zane Gonzalez’s 51-yard field goal with 21 seconds left sent the Rams to a 27-24 defeat at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It was the Rams’ second loss in a row, both coming on the road.
“Here we are again in a disappointing situation,” coach Sean McVay said.
The loss dropped the Rams to 11-5 going into Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
MORE RAMS:
What happened to Rams? Why Sean McVay’s team is staggering as rest of NFC heats up
Lincoln Riley takes aim at Notre Dame before Holiday Bowl
Before facing TCU in the Alamo Bowl, USC coach Lincoln Riley called out Notre Dame for turning down a chance to renew its series with the Trojans.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
From Ryan Kartje: The century-old rivalry series between USC and Notre Dame is taking a few years off, and as far as Lincoln Riley is concerned, that’s the fault of the Irish.
In his first public comments since the series was officially put on hiatus, the USC coach put the blame squarely on Notre Dame for not accepting USC’s most recent offer to continue the rivalry, which would have moved the 2026 game, usually scheduled in November, to the very beginning of the season.
“It’s pretty simple,” Riley said Monday, ahead of USC’s bowl matchup with Texas Christian. “We both worked for months to try to find a solution. Notre Dame was very vocal about the fact that they would play us anytime, anywhere.
“Jen Cohen, our AD, went back to Notre Dame roughly a couple of weeks ago with a scenario and a proposal that would extend the series for the next two years. We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime, anywhere. That proposal was rejected.
“Not only was it rejected, but five minutes after we got the call, it was announced they scheduled another opponent, which I’ll give them credit, that might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history.”
MORE USC FOOTBALL
USC vs. TCU: What to watch during Alamo Bowl as D’Anton Lynn coaches his last game for Trojans
USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn takes Penn State defensive coordinator job
No. 17 USC rallies, hands Nebraska its first loss
USC guard Londynn Jones drives around Nebraska’s Britt Prince to score during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday in Lincoln, Neb.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
From the Associated Press: Londynn Jones scored all 13 of her points in a pivotal third quarter to help rally No. 17 USC to a 74-66 victory over previously unbeaten Nebraska on Monday in Big Ten play.
Jones, who took just one shot in the first half and missed it, buried three straight three-pointers after teammate Jazzy Davidson grabbed a rebound and scored to begin the third quarter. The Trojans (10-3, 2-0) used an 11-0 run to turn a two-point halftime deficit into a 47-38 lead in less than two minutes.
The Cornhuskers (12-1, 1-1) trailed 65-52 after three quarters but whittled the deficit to 69-65 on a rebound basket by Britt Prince with 2:42 left. Kara Dunn answered with a basket and then made one of two free throws with 59 seconds left to help USC prevail.
No. 4 UCLA defeats No. 19 Ohio State
UCLA guard Kiki Rice, center, shoots between Ohio State guard Kylee Kitts, left, and UCLA forward Angela Dugalic during the first half of the Bruins’ 82-75 win.
(Paul Vernon / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Lauren Betts had 18 points and 16 rebounds as No. 4 UCLA extended its winning streak to six games with an 82-75 win over No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday.
Kiki Rice added 16 points and Angela Dugalic scored 15 as UCLA (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten) beat the Buckeyes for the fourth straight time, dating to December 2023.
Jaloni Cambridge led all scorers with 28 points, and Elsa Lemmila added 13 points and seven rebounds for Ohio State (11-2, 1-1), which had its nine-game winning streak halted in its conference home opener.
Women’s college basketball scores
LeBron James turns 41 and remains key for Lakers
Lakers forward Lebron James looks on during a win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
(Jessie Alcheh / Associated Press)
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: JJ Redick called his players out. The Lakers answered.
The Lakers responded to three blowout losses and a spirited team meeting by playing one of their most complete games of the season Sunday to earn a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. For the first time this year, the Lakers (20-10) outscored their opponent in every quarter with Luka Doncic (34 points) and LeBron James (24 points) leading the way despite Austin Reaves’ absence.
“Hopefully,” forward Jake LaRavia said, “this is the first of a mini win streak.”
Kings can’t keep up with Avalance
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, left, stops a shot by Kings forward Adrian Kempe in the first period of L.A.’s 5-2 loss Monday night.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Nathan MacKinnon scored the 399th goal of his career, Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist, and the surging Colorado Avalanche won their eighth in a row 5-2 over the Kings on Monday night.
MacKinnon added an assist to go with his NHL-leading 32nd goal this season. Jack Drury, Cale Makar and Martin Necas also scored for the Avalanche, who have won 14 in a row at home.
Colorado has points in 28 of their last 29 games and are 10-0-1 in their last 11 to continue their historic start to the season. Colorado reached 65 points in 38 games, second all time to the 1929-30 Boston Bruins.
Ducks pick up another loss
Sharks left wing Igor Chernyshov, right, scores past Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal during the Ducks’ 5-4 loss Monday night at Honda Center.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Macklin Celebrini became the third player with 60 points this season with a goal and two assists in the San José Sharks’ 5-4 victory over the Ducks on Monday night.
Mario Ferraro, Igor Chernyshov, William Eklund and Zach Ostapchuk also scored for the Sharks, who earned their second win since the holiday break despite getting outshot 43-13. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves.
Troy Terry scored two goals, Cutter Gauthier got his 19th goal and Pavel Mintyukov also scored for the Ducks, who have lost three straight and seven of nine while falling out of first place in the Pacific Division. Lukas Dostal allowed four goals on nine shots before Petr
This day in sports history
1956 — The New York Giants win the NFL title with a 47-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.
1962 — The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants 16-7 to win the NFL title for the second straight year.
1973 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-10 to win the NFC championship.
1973 — The Miami Dolphins, behind 266 yards rushing, beat the Oakland Raiders 27-10 for an unprecedented third straight AFC title.
1981 — In the 39th game of the season, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, including his 50th into an empty net, to lead the Oilers to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Gretzy betters the mark of 50 goals in 50 games held by Maurice Richard and Mike Bossy.
1990 — Orlando point guard Scott Skiles dishes out an NBA-record 30 assists in a 155-116 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Skiles breaks the record of 29 assists set by the Nets’ Kevin Porter in 1978.
2000 — Nebraska ends a disappointing season by setting a bowl record for points in a 66-17 victory over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl.
2002 — TCU sets an NCAA record for fewest points allowed when the Lady Frogs beat Texas Southern 76-16. The 16 points allowed breaks the Division I record for fewest points. Prairie View scored 19 points against Jackson State in 1983.
2007 — Drew Brees sets an NFL record with 443 completions, passing the previous mark of 418 set by Rich Gannon in 2002. Brees completes 35 of 60 passes for 320 yards with three TD passes in New Orleans’ 33-25 loss to Chicago.
2008 — NFL head coach Mike Shanahan is fired by the Denver Broncos.
2010 — Top-ranked Connecticut’s record 90-game winning streak in women’s basketball ends when No. 9 Stanford outplays the Huskies from the start in a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion — where the Cardinal have their own streak going. Stanford hasn’t lost in 52 games at home. The Cardinal took an early 13-point lead, never trailed and didn’t let the mighty Huskies back in it.
2016 — Isaiah Thomas scores 29 of his career-high 52 points in the fourth quarter, setting a club record for points in a period and leading Boston to a 117-114 victory over the Miami Heat.
2017 — Alex Hornibrook throws four touchdown passes, three of them to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin caps off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl. Jonathan Taylor finishes his record-setting freshman season with 130 rushing yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1). Taylor finishes the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards.
2018 — Patrick Mahomes becomes only the 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns during KC Chiefs’ 35-3 win over Oakland Raiders; achieves both marks with 3rd quarter 89-yard TD pass to Demarcus Robinson.
2020 — San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon becomes first female to coach an NBA team after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is ejected in a 121-107 loss to the Lakers
Until next time …
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