From Gary Klein: It was a busy Sunday, even for can’t-sit-still Sean McVay.
In the afternoon, he coached the Rams into the playoffs with a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions. McVay then immediately left SoFi Stadium for the impending arrival of his and his wife’s second child. And he no doubt began game-planning on some level for a Thursday night showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s good stress,” McVay quipped before departing the stadium.
Apparently, McVay was attempting to demonstrate to his players a spin on the mantra he has repeated to them since training camp.
“We’re built for it,” tight end Colby Parkinson said.
“We’re built the right way,” defensive lineman Kobie Turner said.
This much is clear: The team that general manager Les Snead and McVay constructed the last few years is showing why it is regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford started slow and then outdueled Jared Goff, Puka Nacua continued his torrid receiving pace and the Rams’ defense shut down the Lions in the second half as the Rams improved to 11-3 and clinched a playoff spot.
CHARGERS ELIMINATE CHIEFS
From Sam Farmer: On a day when the Chargers took a big step toward the postseason, the Kansas City Chiefs lost their most important player.
What started in balmy Brazil ended Sunday in the bitter cold of Arrowhead Stadium. The Chargers completed a season sweep of AFC West bully Kansas City with a 16-13 victory that ultimately knocked the Chiefs out of playoff contention for the first time in 11 years.
It was the third-coldest game in Chargers history — 15 degrees at kickoff — and showcased a red-hot defense that paved the way to wins over Philadelphia and Kansas City, last season’s Super Bowl teams, in consecutive weeks.
“This is a ball team,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said, gleeful after his team won for the sixth time in seven games. “A real ball team.”
This Chargers season, which began with a 27-21 victory over the Chiefs in São Paulo, is just the second in the last 13 years in which they beat their division rival twice.
Harbaugh began his postgame remarks on a somber note, wishing the best for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who left the game late in the fourth quarter after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee when he was hit by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.
LAKERS WIN PHYSICAL CONTEST
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: JJ Redick is a self-proclaimed “basketball sicko.” So naturally the Lakers coach would find beauty in the chaos of his team building a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, losing it in a maze of turnovers and missed shots, then clawing out a 116-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday behind clutch free throws from LeBron James.
“It’s gonna sound sick: I love winning games like this,” Redick said with a slight smile. “… Winning ugly is actually really fun because it means you got in the trenches and you fought.”
Ugly was only one way to describe the win that featured five technicals, one ejection and a late 20-point lead that evaporated into a one-point deficit with 12.2 seconds remaining when Dillon Brooks hit what looked like a dagger three-pointer over James.
Brooks, known as one of the NBA’s top antagonists, then bumped chests with James, resulting in a technical foul. Brooks had been jawing with James since the first quarter and was ejected for his second technical. James, who also picked up a technical reacting to Brooks in the third quarter, stepped to the line to shoot the potential tying free throw.
JACOB COFFIE LEADS USC TO WIN
From Steve Galluzzo: Before Sunday’s game against Washington State, USC men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman told Jacob Cofie to be aggressive and look for his shot.
The 6-foot-10 sophomore forward did what he was told, scoring his team’s first four baskets and finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the Trojans’ 68-61 nonconference victory at Galen Center.
USC led by as many as 16 points in the first half but were ahead by only three with five minutes remaining before outscoring the Cougars 13-9 down the stretch to notch their second straight win and improve to 10-1.
“We needed more from him in the Washington and San Diego games, so we needed him to bounce back,” Musselman said of Cofie, who has started every game. “We made a conscious effort to go to him. He was much more aggressive at the rim and was great on the glass.”
Chad Baker-Mazara added 19 points, six rebounds and five assists and blocked a layup with 1:15 left that kept USC ahead by five and allowed Cofie and Ezra Ausar to ice the game at the foul line.
THE MUSIC MAN
From Bill Plaschke: Proving yet again that nobody combines excitement and entertainment like these guys, this week the Dodgers made baseball’s most important winter deal.
They acquired Timmy Trumpet.
In real life he’s an Australian impresario who, surprise, plays the trumpet. But in the breathtaking world of ninth-inning baseball, he’s the game’s most popular soundtrack.
It is Timmy Trumpet who plays the chillingly inspiring solo from “Narco” that accompanies closer Edwin Díaz from the bullpen to the mound. For the seven seasons Díaz played for the New York Mets, it was the coolest entrance song in the big leagues, creating the most intimidating scene in any ballpark anywhere.
From the late great organist Nancy Bea Hefley playing “Master of the House” for Orel Hershiser … to Kenley Jansen revving up the crowd with “California Love” … there is a rich history of Dodgers being identified by their accompanying music.
This team is no different, with several songs reaching iconic status simply based on the splendid feats that spring from their chords.
One man’s nine best songs, in order of impact:
UCLA GYMNASTICS PREVIEW
From Kara Alexander: The UCLA gymnastics team offered fans a sneak peek of what can be expected during the 2026 season at its annual Meet the Bruins event Saturday.
The Bruins are coming off a runner-up finish at the NCAA championships and a sweep of the Big Ten regular season and conference titles.
Bar routines have been an area of growth for UCLA during the past season, and the team is shaping up to have better depth. The gymnasts have been pushing each other to improve, and UCLA coach Janelle McDonald is pleased with the progress.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1925 — The first NHL game is played at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Americans score first, but the Montreal Canadiens prevail 3-1, before 17,000 in attendance.
1929 — The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 in their first game at Chicago Stadium. Vic Ripley scores twice in 35 seconds during the second period to the delight of the 14,212 fans in attendance.
1935 — Detroit Lions win NFL championship with a 26-7 win over the New York Giants.
1946 — Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 24-14 at the Polo Grounds for the NFL championship. A record crowd of 58,326 attend the game. Sid Luckman’s 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth puts the Bears ahead 21-14. Before the game, New York’s star fulback Merles Hapes is declared ineligible by NFL commissioner Bert Bell for not reporting bribe attempt to throw the game. New York police phone taps produced conversations with gambler Alvin J. Paris and Hapes. The Bears were 10-point favorites.
1964 — San Francisco’s Wilt Chamberlain scores 58 points, including nine in overtime, to give the Warriors a 134-132 victory over the New York Knicks.
1970 — Glenn Hall of the St. Louis Blues becomes the second goaltender in NHL history to reach 400 victories. Hall makes 38 saves in a 2-1 win against the Minnesota North Stars. Hall joins Terry Sawchuk in the 400-win club.
1973 — Tennessee beats Temple 11-6 in the lowest scoring NCAA basketball game since 1938. With 11:44 left in the first half and Tennessee leading 7-5, Temple holds onto the ball without a shot. Tennessee doesn’t take a shot in the second half, but manages four free throws by John Snow.
1973 — Sandy Hawley becomes the first jockey in history to win 500 races in a single year, riding Charlie Jr. to victory in the third race at Laurel Race Course.
1974 — Oakland’s Jim “Catfish” Hunter is ruled a free agent by arbitrator Peter Seitz when A’s owner Charles O. Finley fails to live up to the terms of Hunter’s contract.
1984 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky has five goals and an assist to lead the Oilers to an 8-2 triumph over the St. Louis Blues.
1995 — The Vancouver Grizzlies avoid tying the NBA record for consecutive losses in a season by snapping a 19-game losing streak with a 104-100 overtime victory over Portland.
2000 — Georgia Southern beats Montana 27-25 for a second-straight Division I-AA championship and its a record sixth championship.
2012 — Matt Scott throws two touchdown passes in the final 46 seconds and college bowl season starts with a wild one when Arizona rallies to beat Nevada 49-48 in the New Mexico Bowl. Arizona trails 45-28 entering the final quarter. The teams combine for 1,237 total yards, the second most of any bowl game.
2013 — Jamaal Charles ties a franchise record with five touchdowns in a game as the Kansas City Chiefs beat Oakland 56-31. The Chiefs become the fourth team ever to make the playoffs a year after losing at least 14 games.
2016 — In the biggest Division I women’s basketball rout ever, No. 3 Baylor overwhelms Winthrop 140-32. The 108-point margin of victory surpasses the 102 set by Grambling when it beat Jarvis Christian College 139-37 in 1986.
2017 — Mount Union wins its 13th Division III football national championship with a 12-0 victory over defending champion Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Purple Raiders (15-0) limit Mary Hardin-Baylor to 144 yards. The Crusaders (14-1) had not trailed all season and had their 29-game winning streak snapped.
2019 — Raiders play their final NFL game in Oakland conceding 17 unanswered second-half points to go down 20-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars; team to play out of Las Vegas in 2020
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.