The Sports Report: During a lost season, Sean McVay talks about former Rams

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Remember Jared Goff? He led the Rams to one Super Bowl, then had a couple of not-as-good years before he was traded for Matthew Stafford. Well, Goff is thriving in Detroit this season, and Rams coach Sean McVay has noticed.

We also take a look at good news for the Clippers, the 2023 schedules for the Galaxy and LAFC, and the Kings and Ducks played each other Tuesday.

From Gary Klein: As the Rams’ lost season took yet another downward turn Tuesday — center Brian Allen and receiver Ben Skowronek will not play in the final three games because of calf injuries — coach Sean McVay looked around the NFL to see former Rams coaches and players flourishing.

Kevin O’Connell, the Rams’ offensive coordinator the previous two seasons, is enjoying success as coach of the Minnesota Vikings, and quarterback Jared Goff is playing well in his second season with the Detroit Lions.

“You’re always happy to see people that you care about go have success,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters. “Gives me a smile in spite of all the challenges we’ve been through.”

In January 2021, the Rams traded Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick to the Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford. It worked out well for the Rams: Stafford led them to a Super Bowl LVI title.

This season, Goff has passed for 23 touchdowns with seven interceptions for a Lions team that has won six of its last seven games to remain in contention for a playoff spot.

“He’s done a great job,” McVay said of Goff. “You can see he’s playing with confidence. [Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson has done an outstanding job of being able to kind of put them in good spots and then Jared ultimately brings it to life. … Jared’s playing at a very high level and he’s done outstanding.”

Stafford, meanwhile, remains on injured reserve and will not play again this season because of what McVay described as a spinal cord contusion. The 14^th year pro passed for 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions in nine games.

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USC FOOTBALL

From Ryan Kartje: At this time last year, coach Lincoln Riley and his new USC staff were in the final, torrid stretch of a full-on sprint, piecing together whatever recruiting class they could in less than a month’s time.

Now, with an 11-2 season under their belt and a full recruiting cycle to find their footing, the pace is less breakneck ahead of early signing day Wednesday. Most of the Trojans’ 2023 class was built before their breakout 2022 season began. There are still some additions that could be made Wednesday, while other top prospects might wait until February to decide. Another five-star player or two would probably push USC’s class into the top 10 nationally. Plus, there’s always more mining to do in the transfer portal, where the Trojans have been prolific under Riley.

So where do things stand for USC ahead of the early signing window, which starts Wednesday and ends Friday? Let’s answer some key questions you might have ahead of national signing day.

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UCLA FOOTBALL

From Ben Bolch: UCLA hauled in the big one, after taking extraordinary measures to put him back in the pool.

The surprise flipping of Dante Moore after the prized quarterback had initially committed to Oregon has drastically upgraded the Bruins’ recruiting class. Think going from last-row economy with no recline to first class with made-to-order hot fudge sundaes.

A five-star prospect from Detroit King High, Moore has boosted the Bruins’ class to No. 22 in the nation, according to 247Sports. He’s the highest-rated prospect coach Chip Kelly has ever brought in — including his four seasons at Oregon that ended in major bowl games — and was one of 14 players committed to UCLA as of Tuesday, the eve of early signing day Wednesday.

Here are five questions facing the Bruins going into early signing day:

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UCLA and USC football transfer portal tracker: Who is in and who is out?

UCLA BASKETBALL

Charisma Osborne and Gabriela Jaquez combined for 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting and No. 11 UCLA cruised past Fresno State 82-48 on Tuesday night.

Osborne had 16 points and Jaquez 15. Kiki Rice added 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block for the Bruins (12-1). UCLA made 9 of 10 shots in the fourth quarter, shot 62% in the second half and finished 35 of 64 (55%) for the game.

Yanina Todorova scored 13 points for the Bulldogs (7-6) and Imani Lacy added 12. Fresno State shot 36%, but was better from distance at 39% (7 of 18), was outrebounded 35-22 and had 23 turnovers.

CLIPPERS

From Andrew Greif: Nicolas Batum, as passionate a fan of France’s national soccer team as there is, said he tried recovering from Les Bleus’ World Cup final defeat by spending Sunday walking around Disneyland with his family.

When he arrived for practice Tuesday morning after a rare two-day break amid the Clippers’ jam-packed schedule, the 34-year-old wing saw something that could only have brightened his mood.

Everyone on the Clippers’ walking wounded roster was set to practice.

That includes point guard Reggie Jackson, who had been bothered by an Achilles tendon; wing Paul George and his once-sore left knee; backup guard Norman Powell, whose groin injury had sidelined him since Nov. 29; and center Ivica Zubac, who suffered a bone bruise in a knee last week.

It was believed to be the first time since the regular season began that the Clippers practiced at full strength.

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ANGELS

From Sarah Valenzuela: The Angels and free-agent utility man Brandon Drury reached a two-year agreement worth $17 million Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the deal but not authorized to speak about it because the deal has not been announced.

The Angels already have a full 40-man roster and will need to move someone to make room for Drury.

Drury was part of the San Diego Padres’ playoff push last season after being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline.

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LAFC

LAFC will open its push to repeat as MLS champions in the Los Angeles area.

After the first of three El Tráfico matchups with the rival Galaxy at the Rose Bowl on Feb. 25, LAFC will host Portland on March 4 and New England on March 12 at Banc of California Stadium.

MLS teams will take a break from July 15 to Aug. 20 to join Liga MX competing in the Leagues Cup. The teams will also be idle during October and November FIFA international windows.

2023 LAFC Schedule

FEBRUARY

25: vs. Galaxy at Rose Bowl, 6:30 p.m., Apple

MARCH

4: vs. Portland, 1:30 p.m., Fox; 12: vs. New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 18: at Seattle, noon, Fox; 25: vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

APRIL

1: at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., Apple; 8: vs. Austin, 4:30 p.m., Fox; 16: at Galaxy, 1:30 p.m., Fox; 22: at Nashville, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 29: vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

MAY

6: at San Jose, 4:30 p.m., Apple; 13: at Salt Lake, 6:30 p.m., Apple; 17: vs. Kansas City, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 20: vs. San Jose, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 31: vs. St. Louis, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

JUNE

3: vs. Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 10: at Houston, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 17: at Kansas City, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 21: vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 24: vs. Vancouver, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

JULY

1: at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 8: vs. San Jose, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 15: at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., Apple.

AUGUST

20: vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 26: at Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., Apple.

SEPTEMBER

2: vs. Inter Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 9: at Portland, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 16: vs. Galaxy, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 20: at St. Louis, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 23: at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., Apple.

OCTOBER

1: vs. Salt Lake, 5 p.m., FS1; 4: vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., FS1; 7: at Austin, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 21: at Vancouver, TBD, Apple.

GALAXY

The Galaxy, led by Mexican star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, will kick off their push for their sixth MLS Cup and first league title since 2014 on the road.

The 34-game schedule will run from late February through Oct. 21, with the Galaxy’s home opener against the Vancouver Whitecaps on March 18.

2023 Galaxy schedule

FEBRUARY

25: vs. LAFC at Rose Bowl, 6:30 p.m., Apple.

MARCH

4: at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 11: at Kansas City, 5:30p.m., Apple; 18: at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 25: at Portland, 1:30 p.m., Fox.

APRIL

1: vs. Seattle, 4:30 p.m., Fox; 8: at Houston, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 16: vs. LAFC, 1:30 p.m., Fox; 22: vs. Austin, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 29: at Orlando, 4:30 p.m., Apple.

MAY

6: vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 14: vs. San Jose, 6:30 p.m., FS1; 17: at Columbus, 4:30 p.m., Apple; 20: at D.C., 4:30 p.m., Apple; 27: vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 31: at Salt Lake, 6:30 p.m., Apple.

JUNE

11: at St. Louis, 10 a.m., Fox; 21: vs. Kansas City, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 24: at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., Apple.

JULY

1: at San Jose, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 4: vs. St. Louis, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 8: vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 15: at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

AUGUST

20: vs. Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 26: vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 30: at San Jose, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

SEPTEMBER

2: vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 16: at LAFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 20: vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 24: at Austin, 6:30 p.m., FS1; 30: vs. Portland, 7:30 p.m., Apple.

OCTOBER

4: at Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple; 7: at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., Apple; 21: vs. Dallas, TBD, Apple.

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Who is the best soccer player of all?

A debate arose on social media after Sunday’s World Cup final: Who is the best soccer player of all time, Messi, Diego Maradona or Pele? What do you say? Click here to vote in our poll.

KINGS VS. DUCKS

Alex Iafallo, Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala scored and the Kings beat the Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.

The Kings won three straight games for the second time this season, and Pheonix Copley made 23 saves and joined teammate Jonathan Quick in winning three consecutive starts. Quick’s wins came Nov. 5-10, during a four-game win streak.

Drew Doughty had a power-play goal, and Adrian Kempe had two assists as the Kings took opener of the three-game Freeway Faceoff rivalry series.

Frank Vatrano scored on the power play and Lukas Dostal allowed four goals on 41 shots as the Ducks failed in their bid to get their first three-game winning streak of the season.

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1891 — Dr. James Naismith introduces the first game of basketball. Based on 13 rules created by Naismith, the game is tested by 18 students at the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, Massachusetts. Using a soccer ball, two peach baskets and two teams of nine players each, the objective is to throw a round ball into a round basket attached to a balcony 10 feet above the floor.

1941 — The Chicago Bears win the NFL championship with a 37-9 rout of the New York Giants.

1975 — The Buffalo Sabres score eight goals in the third period of a 14-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Rick Martin scores four goals and Fred Stanfield gets three for Buffalo. The Sabres, who lead 6-2 after two periods, outshoot the Capitals 22-3 in the final period.

1981 — Doug Schloerner’s 15-foot jump shot with 1 second remaining in the seventh overtime gives Cincinnati a 75-73 victory over Bradley. The seven overtimes set an NCAA record.

1991 — Buffalo’s Alexander Mogilny matches an NHL record by scoring five seconds into the game as the Sabres beat Toronto 4-1.

1997 — Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions becomes the third player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season when he gains 184 in a 13-10 win over the New York Jets. Sanders finishes with 2,053 yards, second to Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 in 1984.

2001 — Dwayne DeRosario scores six minutes into overtime as the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Galaxy 2-1 to win their first MLS Cup.

2008 — Detroit becomes the first 0-15 team when it’s routed 42-7 by the New Orleans Saints. The Lions also break NFL records by being outscored by a combined 176 points at home and by an average of 22 points.

2008 — Cleveland’s Jamal Lewis becomes the 24th player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards in the Browns’ 14-0 loss to Cincinnati.

2008 — San Francisco’s Isaac Bruce becomes the fifth player to reach 1,000 catches on a 3-yard touchdown grab in the 49ers’ 17-16 win at St. Louis.

2009 — Martin Brodeur surpasses Terry Sawchuk’s 40-year-old NHL record with his 104th shutout, leading New Jersey to a 4-0 victory over Pittsburgh.

2010 — The No. 1-ranked Connecticut women’s basketball team tops the 88-game winning streak by John Wooden’s UCLA men’s team from 1971-74, beating No. 22 Florida State 93-62. Maya Moore has a double-double with a career-high 41 points and 10 rebounds and Bria Hartley adds 21 points for the Huskies, who hold the record for the longest winning streak in all of college basketball history.

2013 — Jared Roberts makes a 41-yard field goal as time expires and Colorado State overcomes a 22-point deficit to beat Washington State 48-45 in the New Mexico Bowl.

2014 — Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson has six receptions for 65 yards in the Texans’ 25-13 win against Baltimore to become the 10th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 catches.

2015 — Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are each banned for eight years by the FIFA ethics committee in a stunning removal of world soccer’s most powerful leaders. FIFA President Blatter and his one-time protege Platini are kicked out of the sport for conflict of interest and disloyalty to FIFA in a $2 million payment deal that is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.

2018 - Tennis Australia announces a 10-point tie break to be implemented in Australian Open when deciding set reaches 6-6.

Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally

A look at Barry Sanders’ 2,000-yard season. Watch and listen here.