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Page 4B SPORTS East Oregonian Saturday, January 6, 2018 NFL Playoff Previews Rams make long-awaited playoff return vs. Falcons By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer 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’ trans- formation from LA laughingstocks into NFC West champions, because coach Jeff Fisher was fi red the next day. One month later, Sean McVay was hired to lead the most incred- ible 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 to come out and support.” Led by the 31-year-old McVay, 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 fi rst time in 13 years. The NFC’s third seed drew a tough matchup with 2016 league MVP Ryan and the Falcons (10-6), AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill who appear capable of making Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley, left, and quarterback another conference run. Goff chat on the sidelines during the fi rst half of an NFL foot- But the Rams expect to feed off Jared ball game against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 31, 2017. the excitement of a city hosting its fi rst playoff game since the LA receiver Julio Jones. Chiefs, Titans meet to Raiders’ last postseason trip 24 The Falcons are back for their years ago. fi rst postseason game since that end years of futility “It’s defi nitely a cool thing,” memorable Super Bowl collapse Saturday, 1:20 p.m., ABC Goff said. “After football has been against New England. That loss KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — gone from here for so long, and could have broken weaker teams, Chiefs linebacker Reggie Ragland we come back in Year 2 and are but coach Dan Quinn kept this bunch was in swaddling blankets the able to bring a playoff game to the together — and now they’re the only previous time Kansas City won a Coliseum, that’s very cool.” group in the six-team NFC fi eld that home playoff game. Goff, the second-year pro also made the playoffs last season. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill was coming off a transformative 3,804- “I love the resiliency and the nestled comfortably in the womb. yard season , is eager to face off toughness of this team,” Quinn It was January 1994, Joe with Ryan, who is in the playoffs said. “When you’ve been through Montana was the quarterback and for the sixth time in 10 years. Both some of the fi re together and you the Chiefs beat the Steelers on an teams have a wealth of offensive come out the other side stronger overtime fi eld goal by Nick Lowery playmakers, from Rams MVP as a brotherhood, we’re certainly to advance. candidate Gurley to star Falcons improved.” And it’s hard to believe anybody packed inside Arrowhead Stadium that day imagined a quarter century would pass without another home playoff win. “It would be nice to break that,” Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said, “but you can’t add any extra motivation once you get to this stage. This is all the work we’ve been putting in as this team from day-one — this team. When we were putting in our goals and talking about that. “It’s tough to add any more motivation with historic streaks or things like that.” Besides, the Titans (9-7) are trying to end their own maddening stretch of playoff futility. Tennessee rumbles into Kansas City for the wild-card round Saturday in its fi rst postseason trip since 2008, when the Titans were the AFC’s top seed. If they can waltz out with a win, as they did in 2016, it would be their fi rst playoff victory since January 2004. Panthers hoping playoff experience pays off Sunday, 1:40 p.m., FOX CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — When it comes to the playoffs, the Carolina Panthers have been there, done that. The Panthers are unquestion- ably the most battle-tested team in the NFC playoffs with a roster consisting of players who have participated in 187 career post- season games. That’s quite a few more than the Atlanta Falcons (143), and more than double that of Carolina’s fi rst-round opponent, the New Orleans Saints (90). Philadelphia players have played in 74 playoff games and Minne- sota’s 69, while the Los Angeles Rams are the least experienced NFC playoff team with 21. Whether or not that experience pays off for the Panthers (11-5) remains to be seen. Carolina enters Sunday’s game at New Orleans having lost both previous regular season matchups to the Saints (11-5) by a combined 31 points. But 37-year-old defensive end Julius Peppers believes Carolina’s experience can only help. “We’ve had guys who have been there before, so I feel like we should be ready and more prepared,” Peppers said. “I feel like guys have been around and know how to approach this thing. I think it will help us keep our poise a little bit too.” Jaguars’ D concerned with rash of big plays Sunday, 10:05 a.m., CBS JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville’s vaunted defense suddenly seems vulnerable to big plays. The Jaguars (10-6) have allowed nine scoring plays of 25 or more yards — and several more that led to points — in the last six games. It’s a negligible but noticeable nuance for a unit that is among the NFL leaders in nearly every defensive category. “We’re really good in the red zone, so we try to give up the long ones,” defensive coordinator Todd Wash joked Thursday. “We’re excelling at that.” Wash actually sounded more concerned than his players, pointing the fi nger at himself for trying to get the defense in the “perfect call” and giving his players too much to think about before and after the snap. “There are some things we’ve got to get cleaned up,” Wash said. “We’ve got to just let them play. I think the other team gets paid, too. I know we’re not the only team in the league that gets paid. You’ve got to give credit to them also, but we need to eliminate the long plays and just get them down. “If there’s a blade of grass, we have to do a good job of defending it.” Jacksonville’s recent defensive trend has been problematic. The Jags limp into Sunday’s wild-card game against Buffalo (9-7) having dropped consecutive games for the fi rst time all season and three of their last six. Junior Hockey U.S. juniors take bronze with 9-3 win over Czech Republic By JOHN WAWROW Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. — Trent Frederic scored four times in leading the United States to a 9-3 victory over the Czech Republic in the world junior championship bronze-medal game Friday. Kieffer Bellows scored twice, including once on a penalty shot, and added an assist. U.S. captain Joey Anderson and Patrick Harper had a goal and assist each, and Ryan Poehling also scored. Jake Oettinger fi nished with 28 saves, and stopped the fi rst 13 shots he faced before giving up two goals on three shots in the fi rst 2:11 of the third period. The defending champion Americans bounced back from a 4-2 loss to Sweden in the semifi nal a day earlier, to earn a medal for a third straight year to mark the nation’s longest streak since in tournament history. The U.S. also fi nished third in 2016. Team USA upped its medal total to 11 (four gold, one silver and six bronze), with two of the third-place fi nishes coming in Buffalo, where the tournament was also held in 2010-11. Radovan Pavlik had a goal and assist, and Martin Kaut Daniel Kurovsky also scored for the Czech Republic. Despite the loss, the fourth- place fi nish was the nation’s best since winning bronze in 2005. Goalie Josef Korenar allowed three goals 16 shots before being pulled after Brady Tkachuk’s centering pass banked in off AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes United States teammates celebrate a goal during the second period in the bronze medal game of the world junior hockey championships against the Czech Re- public Friday in Buffalo, N.Y. Anderson’s skate 4:18 into the second period. Korenar then returned for the start of the third period and stopped nine more shots after backup Jakub Skarek allowed four goals on 12 shots. Sweden faced 16-time champion Canada in the gold-medal game Friday night. Frederic plays at Wisconsin and was selected by the Boston Bruins in the fi rst-round of the 2016 draft. His four goals were one short of matching a U.S. single-game record at the world juniors. Wally Chapman scored fi ve times against Switzerland in 1984 and Chris Bourque had fi ve against Norway in 2005. The Americans took control by building a 2-0 lead after Frederic and Poehling scored short-handed goals 13-seconds apart spanning the fi rst intermission. Frederic opened the scoring by stripping the puck from Martin Kaut at the U.S. blue line and then beat Korenar through the legs on a break- away with 4 seconds left in the fi rst period. Off the second-pe- riod-opening faceoff, U.S. defenseman Scott Perunovich fi red the puck into the Czech Republic zone, where Anderson stripped the puck from Martin Necas behind the net. Anderson came around the left side and fed Poehling alone in front. The Americans’ special teams bounced back a day after giving up a pair of short-handed goals over a 38-second span in the third period against Sweden. Bellows made it 5-0 by scoring on a penalty shot in which he drove in off the left wing, cut across the front of the crease before beating Skarek inside the left post. Bellows then scored his tournament-leading ninth goal with 59 seconds left in the second period to put the U.S. up 7-0. EASTERN OREGON marketplace Place classified ads online at www.eastoregonmarketplace.com or call 1-800-962-2819 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours, leave a voicemail and we’ll confirm your ad the next business day. Email us at classifieds@ east oregonian.com or fax: 541-278-2680 East Oregonian Deadline is 3 p.m. the day before publication 211 S.E. Byers Ave. 333 E. Main St. We accept: Pendleton, OR 97801 Hermiston, OR 97838 See www.eastoregonmarketplace.com for classified ads from all over Eastern Oregon EAST OREGONIAN • HERMISTON HERALD • BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE • WALLOWA COUNTY CHIEFTAIN 104 Special Notices CLASSIFIED LINE AD DEADLINES East Oregonian 3pm the day prior to publication Hermiston Herald 10am Tuesday 104 Special Notices PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD ON THE FIRST DAY OF PUBLICATION. While we are happy to make any necessary corrections, we can not be responsible for errors appearing for mul- tiple days. 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