staggering

ATLANTA — The Rams wanted to make the playoffs in the worst way.

Mission accomplished. They’re headed to the playoffs in the worst way imaginable.

Monday night’s 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons was an abomination — you could feel that vibe in the postgame locker room — but the Rams need to study it, even if it requires contraptions to pry open their eyes.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

“I think if we play the way that we did in the first half … we’re going to be at home watching everything go down in two weeks,” defensive tackle Kobie Turner said. “We’ve got to get our stuff together.”

This was one of only three times in Sean McVay’s nine seasons that his team was held scoreless in the first half, which is bad enough. But that the going-nowhere Falcons built a three-touchdown halftime lead is absurd. Not so long ago, Atlanta lost seven of eight.

The Rams looked nothing like the team that just about everyone had at the top of their power rankings for most of the season. Matthew Stafford had three interceptions. Fill-in left tackle D.J. Humphries had a pair of penalties that wiped out two huge receptions. And Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson would still be running now but decided to stop once he reached the end zone (after a 93-yard touchdown, mind you.)

Those Rams who started 9-2 (and should have won those games against Philadelphia and San Francisco) are a fading memory. Since, they have lost three of five.

Now, all the other NFC contenders are getting hot — Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago — and the Rams are shuddering in an emotional ice bath.

Suddenly, their erstwhile insignificant finale against Arizona on Sunday is vitally important. They need to rediscover their rhythm rather than hoping to do so in the first round of the playoffs. They can’t change their swing in the middle of this golf tournament. They need to work out the kinks on the practice range.

Getting receiver Davante Adams back is key, and he looked good in warmups, running as if his hamstring problems are behind him. But he’s desperately needed in the red zone, and that will lift some weight off the shoulders of Puka Nacua.

Just as important, the team needs left tackle Alaric Jackson and right guard Kevin Dotson back from injuries. The Rams are getting a taste of what the Chargers have been through all season, their offensive line going through a reshuffle every week.

And the defense should benefit greatly from the return of Quentin Lake, a quarterback on that side of the ball.

Regardless, good teams overcome the loss of key players and find ways to win with backups. Every team would love to be at full strength.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua pulls in a long pass over Atlanta Falcons cornerback C.J. Henderson in the first half Monday.

(Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)

And while the Rams should have been in position to kick the tying field goal down the stretch — there was an unflagged pass interference against Tutu Atwell, who made a good attempt to catch a deep ball with his hand that wasn’t being grabbed — they shouldn’t have been in that predicament in the first place.

As they watched their lead evaporate, the Falcons had to be having flashbacks to their catastrophic 25-point collapse to New England in the Super Bowl. After all, the Rams outscored them in the second half, 21-6.

But all of that was cold consolation to the visitors, who couldn’t close the deal.

The Rams have lost back-to-back games, and were looking for a boost after blowing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead in Seattle. Instead, they got a slap in the face.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford speaks to reporters after a 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

(Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)

It’s ultra-rare for a team to head into the playoffs on a down note yet still reach the mountaintop. The last franchise to do that was Baltimore in 2012, a club that lost four of its last five games — albeit missing a slew of injured stars — then beat in succession teams quarterbacked by Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and an in-his-prime Colin Kaepernick.

So it can be done. A bumbling team can find its way. And it looked for a moment Monday night as if the Rams had turned a corner.

Jared Verse blocked a Falcons field-goal attempt, recovered the bouncing ball and returned it for a 76-yard touchdown. As he tore past the Atlanta sideline, he glanced over and playfully raised his hand to form a G-rated gesture.

Unless a dramatic change is coming, it’s a message the rest of the playoff teams could be saying to the Rams.

Peace out.

Claudia Schiffer plays Carol, a single mother and the love interest for Liam Neeson’s character, widower Daniel, after he mentions she is his dream woman throughout the film

She might only have appeared on screen for 60 seconds but Claudia Schiffer was reportedly paid a truly blockbuster sum of money for her brief cameo in Love Actually. The supermodel plays the role of Carol who is a single mother and the love interest for Liam Neeson’s character, widower Daniel.

This comes after he mentions her as his dream woman throughout the entirety of the film is Claudia Schiffer. It has been reported that the star received quite the pay cheque despite only appearing for about a minute in total. Her appearance came back in 2003 and she is said have been paid around £275,000, or £4,500 ($6,100) per second for the job.

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Vogue reported that Andrew Holmes’s book How Much?!: The $1000 Omelette… and 1100 Other Astonishing Money Moments revealed the impressive amount. Now, 22 years on from when the movie was filmed, the pay cheque would be the equivalent of £458,000 ($616,000) or £7,633 ($10,274) per second.

Claudia’s short scene in the film comes after Daniel’s son, Sam (played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster), finishes playing the drums in his school play in a bid to impress his classmate Joanna.

Daniel then meets Sam backstage to congratulate him on her performance when Sam says that his plan to win his classmate over hasn’t worked and she was on her way to the airport to go back to the US.

However, this doesn’t stop them as they then make their way to the car to drive to the airport. But as Daniel turns around, he bumps into a school mum, Carol, who is played by Claudia.

Carol apologises as Daniel explained that it was his fault. Carol then goes on to ask if Daniel was Sam’s dad as he then confirms and the pair shake hands.

Daniel confessed that he hopes that they will meet again as Carol replies “I’ll make sure we do”. Claudia recently opened up about her personal life as she said her focus changed after she married Matthew Vaughn and they had their three children, Casper, now 22, Clementine, 21, and Cosima, 15.

She said she found that she became less “competitive” and that she is content with what she has achieved in her life despite knowing she could book more jobs if she wished.

The supermodel recently spoke to HELLO! magazine where she opened up about her career as well as her family life. She said: “When I was in my 20s, travelling around the world, my focus was on my career – working hard, being competitive and getting to the top.

“That changed when I had kids, and now, I feel lucky to have such a wonderful family. I’m proud of my children, they’re very down to earth and their well-being is mine and my husband’s priority.”

The Mirror has contacted Claudia’s reps for comment

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A SUPERMODEL was reportedly paid an astonishing amount to appear in one of the world’s most famous Christmas films.

Claudia Schiffer appears in the perennial festive favourite Love Actually for one minute  – and earned the equivalent of the average UK salary in just EIGHT seconds.

Richard Curtis, the film’s director, cast the supermodel in brief – but memorable – scenes alongside Liam Neeson’s character Daniel.

On several occasions in the 2003 film, Daniel, recently widowed, tells his love-sick step-son, Sam, played by Thomas Brodie Sangster, that the path of true love rarely runs smooth.

Daniel tells Sam that he need only look to his step-dad for proof after telling him several times he wants to date supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

The pay-off in the film – when it finally arrives – works a treat.

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In one memorable scene, Daniel hits it off with one of Sam’s classmates – played by the supermodel.

The pair then appear on screen loved-up near the end of the film.

Although her appearance is brief, her paycheck for the role in the film proves it was well worth turning up.

As reported by Vogue, in his book ‘How Much?!: The $1000 Omelette … and 1100 Other Astonishing Money Moments’, author Andrew Holmes revealed Schiffer was paid $350,000 for the role.

That works out at £275,000 for the entire screen time – or £4,500 per second.

In contrast, two-time Academy Award winner Emma Thompson, who plays Alan Rickman’s long-suffering wife Karen in the film, has stated she felt she was underpaid for her role.

Thompson’s fee has not been disclosed.

While on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Tutti Frutti actress said she no longer rewatches Love Actually,