LA Rams make long-awaited playoff return vs. Falcons
LOS ANGELES » Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons visited the Coliseum late last season on their path to the Super Bowl, and they easily racked up a blowout victory over the woebegone Los Angeles Rams.
When they return on Saturday night for their NFC wild-card playoff opener, they might hardly recognize the guys in the horned helmets on the other sideline.
That 42-14 loss to the Falcons was a catalyst in the Rams’ transformation from LA laughingstocks into NFC West champions, because coach Jeff Fisher was fired thenext day. Onemonth later, SeanMcVaywas hiredto lead the most incredible one-year turnaround in recent NFL history.
“People are excited, and that was our goal when we came back here,” McVay said. “We wanted to be able to provide a good football product that our fans can be proud of, and they want
Rams running back Todd Gurley, left, and QB Jared Goff chat on the sidelines during Week 17.
to come out and support.”
Led by the 31-year-oldMcVay, who grew up near Atlanta, and a roster of playmakers including Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald, the Rams (11-5) are in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The NFC’s third seed drew a tough matchup with 2016 league MVP Ryan and the Falcons (10-6).
But theRams expect to feed off the excitement of a city hosting its first playoff game since the LARaiders’ last postseason trip 24 years ago.
“It’s definitely a cool thing,” Goffsaid. “After football has been gone fromhere for so long, and we come back in Year 2 and are able tobringaplayoffgame to the Coliseum, that’s very cool.”
Goff, the second-year pro coming off a transformative 3,804-yard season, is eager to face offwith Ryan, who is in the playoffs for the sixth time in 10 years.
Both teams have awealth of offensive playmakers, from Rams MVP candidate Gurley to star Falcons receiver Julio Jones.