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Jared Goff hadn’t even been in the NFL for a full year when he stood at a podium in the Coliseum and took responsibility for the latest in the Rams’ long line of miserable seasons.

”I promise you guys it will get fixed Margus Hunt Jersey ,” the 22-year-old quarterback said after Los Angeles blew a late lead against the woeful 49ers and dropped to 4-11 on Christmas Eve 2016 . ”(I’ll do) everything in my heart and soul to get it all fixed.”

Just look at him now. One year later, Goff has already made good on his word in spectacular fashion – albeit with the help of a new coaching staff, a new left tackle and a bunch of new receivers.

The Rams (11-5) are a team transformed as they head into the first playoff game in 13 years on Saturday night against Atlanta (10-6). Goff is leading the way after putting up 3,804 yards and 28 TD passes, but he claims to be only one part of a remarkable machine built by first-year coach Sean McVay.

With the defending NFC champions visiting the Coliseum on a short week of preparation, Goff and the Rams aren’t wasting time deciding who’s responsible for one of the most remarkable single-season resurgences in recent NFL history.

”We want to go out there and operate the same way we would weekly,” Goff said Tuesday. ”It makes no difference that we’re in the playoffs now. It is a little bit more meaning to it, but we want to treat it the same.”

The Rams already have secured their first winning season and division title since 2003. They’ve matched the franchise’s best record in LA since 1978 and improved by a whopping seven wins on last year’s total. They did it all even while resting their starters and essentially conceding a loss in last weekend’s regular season finale against San Francisco.

This franchise hasn’t hosted a playoff game in the Los Angeles area since Jan. 4, 1986 – nearly nine years before Goff was born, and 20 days before the 31-year-old McVay was born.

”Until you take a step back (to see) what this team has done such a nice job with, you can’t fully appreciate the journey,” McVay said. ”You try to, every now and then, enjoy it and not get so caught up in the moment that you can’t enjoy the experiences as you’re going on that journey.”

Goff is getting his first postseason experience this weekend when he faces Matt Ryan, the former MVP making his sixth postseason appearance in 10 years. After everything Goff has accomplished in the year since he vowed to fix the Rams, this latest challenge doesn’t appear to intimidate him.

”I think more than anything, it’s a big game,” Goff said. ”What’s what it boils down to, and I think we do have experience in that stuff. We played a big game in Seattle a couple of weeks ago. We played a big game two weeks ago against Tennessee. We played a big game against the Eagles. We played a big game against Minnesota, against New Orleans. … Every play has a little bit more meaning to it.”

Just six Rams have playoff experience, including left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who went six times with the Cincinnati Bengals. When asked about the importance of playoff experience, Whitworth only laughed Jonathan Drouin Jersey , saying he is ”0-fer” – or 0-6 in postseason games.

”Even when I was in Cincinnati, the big games throughout the season were what prepared us to go to the playoffs,” Whitworth said. ”As crazy an amount as this team has traveled, and the schedule we’ve gone through, I don’t see a scenario where I would in any way give us (excuses). Everywhere we have to go, we’ve gone and played well. We just need to go out and execute and play well.”

NOTES: Pro Bowl kick returner Pharoh Cooper missed practice after injuring his shoulder during last weekend’s loss to San Francisco. McVay isn’t overly worried: ”I think it’s going to take a lot to keep him out of this game. I anticipate him being able to go, unless there are some setbacks throughout the course of the week. … Backup DB Blake Countess also missed practice with a concussion, while LB Mark Barron was limited by his Achilles’ tendon injury.

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Stephen Curry backpedaled in pure joy. He skipped, hollered and let the ball fly from everywhere with that feeling he gets when there’s no way it will miss – unwavering even with a defender’s hand in his face.

Curry dazzled in outdueling LeBron James as the two superstars traded big shots and celebratory moves, hitting an NBA Finals-record nine 3-pointers and scoring 33 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 122-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night for 2-0 lead.

”Pretty special night,” Curry said, ”and hopefully some more special things happen and we get two more wins.”

Kevin Durant found his steady stroke to score 26 points to go with nine rebounds and seven assists while also handling a load of the defensive assignment against James. Klay Thompson added 20 points playing on a tender left leg to put the defending champions two wins from a repeat title they have talked about since the season began last fall.

James followed up his 51-point performance in Game 1 with 29 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in a far tamer finals sequel – and a much more lopsided one – minus the utter craziness of a drama-packed opener three days prior.

Game 3 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.

”We want to continue to be uncomfortable,” James said. ”Just because we’re going home doesn’t mean we can relax.”

Kevin Love had 22 points and 10 boards for the cold-shooting Cavs, who will now try to gain some momentum back home.

Curry had the shot of the night with 7:54 to play, making an off-balance swish from several feet behind the 3-point arc over Love as the shot clock wound down, then scooted backward in delight. Curry fell into the first row of fans with a baseline 3 again over Love and four-point play at the 5:44 mark of the fourth.

”He’s a big shot taker, big shot maker,” Draymond Green said. ”Tough shot taker, tough shot maker.”

The long shot over Love stood out to Curry’s Splash Brother, Thompson.

”About seven seconds on the clock he just kept going backward, I don’t know why, but he just threw it up and I didn’t think it had any chance of going in Youth Uchenna Nwosu Jersey ,” Thompson said. ”That was kind of like a dagger shot. It just gave us all the momentum back.”

The two-time MVP made 11 of 26 shots and was 9 for 17 from deep.

James pointed with both hands after his 3 with 11:04 remaining got his team within seven, before Curry answered from deep the next two trips down the floor.

”Those moments when you can come down and answer and keep the momentum on our side, it’s big,” Curry said. ”Keep the crowd into it.”

Curry and James had a tense moment in the third, too.

James became irate at the officials for a no-call on Curry, who ran beneath the Cavs star and didn’t let him land with 3:54 remaining in the quarter as James caught Love’s long pass and went out of bounds. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue was hit with a technical, saying afterward he didn’t say much but was on the court.

JaVale McGee scored 12 points, making all six of his shots in his first career NBA Finals start as Kerr made a lineup switch that proved spot on.

The typically efficient Durant connected on 10 of 14 shots after going just 8 for 22 – 1 of 7 on 3s – in the opener but still scoring 26 points.

Last year’s NBA Finals MVP made his initial five field goals Sunday, driving right at James on offense and doing all he could to fluster him on defense.

James hit a 3 over Durant’s outstretched arm midway through the third, then Tristan Thompson’s basket the next possession pulled the Cavs within 72-66. But they couldn’t contain Curry and the rest of the Warriors for extended stretches.

The Warriors vowed to make it harder for James to generate good looks after he shot 19 for 32 in the series opener, and James went 12:06 of game time between made baskets.

James went 10 for 20, showing few signs his shot was altered by a bloodshot left eye. He had been taking antibiotics and using drops after being poked in the eye by Green in the first half Thursday.

The Warriors earned a wacky 124-114 overtime win in Game 1 Thursday night – featuring J.R. Smith’s blunder when he grabbed an offensive rebound in the waning moments of regulation and dribbled back toward halfcourt rather than shooting for the victory, and an overturned charge call against James.

Smith received rousing cheers from the home fans during pregame introductions and ”M-V-P!” chants greeted him when he went to the foul line.

Thompson played after bruising his lower left leg when Smith slid into him in the first quarter Thursday. The Warriors All-Star has never missed a postseason game.

Kerr went with 7-foot big man McGee to start in place of Kevon Looney – McGee’s 10th career start in the postseason.

McGee scored the first four points as Golden State made its initial seven shots and 10 of 11.

Another key role player, Shaun Livingston, made his five field-goal tries for 10 points to give Golden State a lift in the first half after making all four of his shots Thursday.

”They’re a dangerous ballclub no matter what,” James said. ”It starts with those four guys, those four All-Stars. Everybody else just does their job and they don’t miss a beat when they put someone in or they take someone out.”

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: James’ first-half line: 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, two steals. His first points – the first for Cleveland – came on a goaltend by McGee. …