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Rams roundtable: Is shootout with Lions a bad idea for L.A. in wild-card game?

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Rams roundtable: Is shootout with Lions a bad idea for L.A. in wild-card game?

The Rams clinched the No. 6 seed with a win over the San Francisco 49ers and an NFC wild-card matchup at the No. 3 Detroit Lions. That also pits the Rams’ Matthew Stafford against the Lions’ Jared Goff, both quarterbacks playing against their former teams. Los Angeles Times Rams beat writer Gary Klein, NFL columnist Sam Farmer and columnist Dylan Hernández discuss what lies ahead:

What would you consider the No. 1 priority in game-planning against the Detroit Lions’ high-powered and versatile offense?

Hernández: The Rams sent Jared Goff to Detroit for a reason, and they have to force him to make the kinds of throws they didn’t think he could make. That starts with shutting down the Lions’ running game.

Klein: The Rams do know all of Jared Goff’s strengths and weaknesses. You can be sure that defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is going to attempt to bring immense pressure. In 2021, Goff and the Lions did a pretty good job offsetting the rush with effective screen passes. The Lions sustained a loss on Sunday when rookie tight end Sam LaPorta suffered a knee injury that could sideline him against the Rams.

Farmer: The Rams certainly need to put the clamps on Detroit’s running game and contain Jahmyr Gibbs, because that’s what sets up the Lions’ play-action passing attack. Dan Campbell wants to run that ball down your throat. Selling out to stop the run can leave opponents one-on-one with receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, and that’s a huge challenge. As Gary mentioned, that injury to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta really hurts the Lions.

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Even on the road, is Matthew Stafford and his receiver corps a better group than Jared Goff and his corps? How do they differ?

Hernández: Dan Campbell pulled a Brandon Staley, and now the Lions are without their record-setting rookie tight end in Sam LaPorta. The advantage here has to go to Stafford, who is the better quarterback with the better weapons.

Klein: Amon Ra-St. Brown is terrific and the Rams know all about Josh Reynolds but, yeah, if LaPorta can’t play the Lions’ passing game takes a hit. Regardless, the Rams feature playoff-tested Cooper Kupp, record-setting Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson along with tight end Tyler Higbee. The Rams have the edge.

Farmer: Rams receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are what longtime quarterback Jim Everett likes to call “sporks.” They’re both spoons and forks who can be used in all different ways — short, medium and long routes, jet sweeps as well as blocking. The Lions don’t ask quite as much from their receivers. As for Goff, he’s more of a see-it, throw-it quarterback, whereas the exceptional Stafford is more of a manipulator, moving defenses with his eyes.

The Rams need to know where the Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson (97) lines up on every play. The defensive end is disruptive against the run and pass and had 11.5 sacks this season.

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(Rick Osentoski / Associated Press)

What will be the Rams’ key to attack the Lions’ defense, which has a scary front?

Hernández: This is where the game has the potential to get ugly for the Rams. They can’t let Stafford get too beat up. Establishing Kyren Williams early would be a massive help.

Klein: The Rams will no doubt attempt to establish the rushing attack with Kyren Williams, who has been a key to the offense and has rushed for more than 100 yards six times this season. That would enable Stafford to effectively run play-action.

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Farmer: The Rams need to treat Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson the way opponents treat Aaron Donald; they need to know where Hutchinson is at all times. Detroit linebackers are super active, so that’s a problem too. That’s where Rams running back Kyren Williams doesn’t get enough credit. He’s an excellent runner, yes, but also an outstanding pass blocker. But if there’s a primary key, it’s neutralizing Hutchinson.

One Detroit newspaper already predicted both teams would score 30-something points in this NFC wild-card game. Do you see that happening?

Klein: Not necessarily. It’s the playoffs. Defenses should be better.

Farmer: Certainly could happen. The Lions have scored at least 30 points in six of their last nine games, winning all of those high-scoring affairs. The Rams had a run late in the season when they scored 37, 36, 31, 28 and 30. These teams can make the scoreboard look like a slot machine. Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris definitely doesn’t want that; he wants another chance to be a head coach.

Hernández: Agree, it’s certainly possible. The most critical points for the Rams might be the ones that are most taken for granted. After they let go of kicker Lucas Havrisik, they turned back to Brett Maher in their regular-season finale, and Maher promptly missed an extra point.

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Do you think the Rams would fare best against the Lions in a shootout or what kind of game?

Klein: The Rams want the ball in Matthew Stafford’s hands as much as possible. Given his experience and his record for engineering comebacks, the Rams would do well in a shootout. But the Rams would fare best if Kyren Williams is running the ball effectively and McVay is creating play-action opportunities for Stafford.

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‘Demon’ Finn Balor settles score with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 42

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‘Demon’ Finn Balor settles score with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 42

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Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.

As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.

Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.

The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.

Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.

JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42

Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.

The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.

Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.

As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.

Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.

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Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.

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Ryan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies

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Ryan Ward has a solid debut, but bullpen blows it again as Dodgers lose to Rockies

What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.

With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.

Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.

Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki gave up three runs on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings Sunday against the Rockies in Denver.

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(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.

“They both weren’t sharp,” said manager Dave Roberts, who had theories but not many answers — though he did have real concern, especially about Díaz, who recently had his right knee checked out by the medical staff.

Roberts said the closer wanted to pitch after nine days off, even though it wasn’t a save situation. But his velocity was slightly down (95.4 mph vs. 95.8) and so, “today was a tough evaluation,” the manager said.

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“It really was,” Roberts said. “Because, you know, I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”

And losing for the second time to the Rockies, who are now 9-13? Being in danger of losing their four-game series, after arriving in Denver without having lost to a National League opponent, against a club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2018?

It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet debut.

Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning, lining a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0 and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.

“When I was on first base, I got to see them all jumping around up there,” Ward said. “That was a pretty special moment.”

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He also singled in the sixth and swung on the first pitch in his first at-bat, a fly out in the third inning.

The Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead in the third. Alex Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim, and Shohei Ohtani doubled in Freeland — and extended his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers history.

Sasaki went 4-2/3 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the six-man rotation.

The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Mickey Moniak.

The result likely will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story years from now about getting the call after first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list.

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The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 on-base-plus-slugging percentage for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers this year.

Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks and get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.

“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he’s done all that,” Roberts said. “He’s improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That’s easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn’t done that.”

If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.

“I used it to keep going. ‘OK, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’

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“I used it as fire to keep working.”

That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.

In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).

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ESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd

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ESPN’s Stephen A Smith hears boos from WrestleMania 42 crowd

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Danhausen’s curse may be real after all – just ask Stephen A. Smith and the New York Mets.

While the latter dropped their 10th game in a row, Smith got his share of the curse on Saturday night during Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. Smith was in attendance for WWE’s premier event of the year and heard massive boos from the crowd.

Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

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Smith was sitting ringside to watch the action. The ESPN star appeared on the videoboard above the ring at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He appeared to embrace the reaction and smiled through it.

The boos came after Danhausen appeared on “First Take” on Friday – much to the chagrin of the sports pundit. Smith appeared perplexed by Danhausen’s appearance. Smith said he heard about Danhausen and called him a “bad luck charm.”

Danhausen said Smith had been “rude” to him and put the dreaded “curse” on the commentator.

WWE STAR DANHAUSEN SAYS METS ‘CURSE’ ISN’T EXACTLY LIFTED AS TEAM DROPS NINTH STRAIGHT GAME

Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)

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Smith is far from the only one dealing with the effects of the “curse.”

Danhausen agreed to “un-curse” the Mets during their losing streak. However, he told Fox News Digital earlier this week that there was a reason why the curse’s removal didn’t take full effect.

“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen said. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”

Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

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On “Friday Night SmackDown,” WWE stars like The Miz and Kit Wilson were also targets of Danhausen’s curse.

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