LOS ANGELES (AP) — he Los Angeles Rams way back in the bad old days of 2016.The No. 1 pick’s first season with this franchise also was its homecoming season in California. That first year was a prolonged nightmare on the field for the Rams with a 4-12 record Jared Goff Jersey , coach Jeff Fisher’s late-season firing, and Goff’s seven winless games as a rookie starter.And while those dismal times clearly weren’t long ago, it’s simply stunning to compare those hapless Rams with the proficient machine currently carving its way through the regular season toward January.The Rams are hitting their bye week as a 10-1 Super Bowl contender less than two years after those 2016 Rams endured the franchise’s 13th straight non-winning season and 12th straight non-playoff season. They’ve gone 21-7 — including a playoff loss — in the two seasons since that homecoming flop and the subsequent arrival of coach Sean McVay, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and a string of high-profile players from Ndamukong Suh and Marcus Peters to Andrew Whitworth and Brandin Cooks.But Goff, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and many key Rams were around in 2016. Even amid the frenzied excitement of their remarkable 54-51 win over the Kansas City Chiefs last Monday night, they still realize how fortunate they are to be on this rocket to the top.“We’ve learned teams sometimes know how to lose, and some teams know how to win,” Goff said. “And we’re starting to learn how to win, and how to win in different ways, whether it’s on the ground, through the air, defense having a shutout, (punter) Johnny (Hekker) punting one down to the 1 like he did. It really brings the whole team together when we can rely on each other in every phase of the game and be that complete team.”The Rams’ efforts to recapture the love and attention of the nation’s second-largest city are getting an enormous boost from McVay’s success, as the fanatical Coliseum crowd attested against the Chiefs. When the Rams open their multi-billion-dollar stadium complex in Inglewood in 21 months Samson Ebukam Jersey , they’ll ride a wave of season ticket sales and corporate interest generated by this burgeoning powerhouse.“You always want to continually do things that make people want to come out and support us, and put out a good product and a team that’s exciting and fun to watch,” McVay said. “I think that’s what these guys are doing. … I think that’s a credit to the fans coming out and supporting us, and obviously the players delivering and making people want to say, ‘That’s pretty fun to watch those guys play, and whenever they’re going at home, let’s go check them out.'”The 32-year-old coach immediately turned one of the NFL’s worst offenses into one of its best last year, and he has only honed and improved it this season. Gurley is the NFL’s leader in several statistical categories, while Goff has secured his status as an elite quarterback after putting up the second 400-yard game of his career against Kansas City.The Rams have scored at least 30 points in nine of their 11 games, and they’re coming off the third-highest scoring game in franchise history. McVay’s schemes are an enticing spectacle both for fans in Los Angeles and around the nation.The Rams’ defense has taken some lumps, as every defense does in the modern NFL. But the unit has playmakers who created five takeaways against the Chiefs and did just enough to win, which is all McVay really asks.“I know (high scoring) is what everyone wants to see, but as a defender in this league, we get paid to defend touchdowns,” safety Lamarcus Joyner said after the Rams gave up 51 points and still won. “And we just have to do a better job of that Josh Reynolds Jersey , if we want to be honest with ourselves.”Gurley and Goff are racking up formidable statistics, but Donald’s achievements might be even greater.He leads the NFL with 14 ½ sacks after dropping Patrick Mahomes twice, forcing fumbles both times. Donald’s impact on opponents’ game plans is remarkable, given that he draws double-team blocking on well more than half of each game’s snaps — and yet he still gets to quarterbacks with incredible regularity.“I think he was well-deserving of Defensive Player of the Year last year, and I think he’s even playing better this year,” McVay said. “I think he’s truly taken his game to a different level. You feel him every single snap. The impact that he makes on the game (is) in so many different ways that maybe don’t even show up on the stat sheet, even though he is putting up these eye-popping numbers where he’s leading the league in sacks and he’s forcing fumbles.”Donald is in striking distance of the NFL record of 22 ½ sacks by Michael Strahan in 2001.The Rams will chase a first-round bye over the final five weeks of the regular season, starting with road trips to Detroit and Chicago. In another sign of this franchise’s incredible progress, the Rams could clinch their first back-to-back NFC West titles since 1978-79 if the Carolina Panthers beat Seattle this weekend.McVay is using the Rams’ bye week to recharge, but he never gets too far from his job. He plans to spend his Sunday watching football, and he’ll pay particular attention to the game in Charlotte.“We can only control what we can control,” McVay said. “But I wouldn’t be upset if the Panthers came away with a big win this weekend.”TRANSCRIPT: Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley September 25 press conference Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff(On what he takes away from playing the Vikings last year and what he sees on film)”Yeah, they’re obviously a great defense, have been for a long time. The stuff they do presents challenges and gave us a lot of fits last year when we went to their place and had to deal with that. They brought back a lot of the same guys and are going to bring the same type of stuff defensively John Johnson Jersey , so we’re going to have to deal with it again. It’s a challenge for us and every team they play, it really is challenging and we’re going to be ready for it.”(On what it feels like when everything starts to click offensively and if he’s ever been a part of anything like it before)”Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. I think whenever you can prepare the right way and do everything the right way in practice and then see it carry over into the game is always so satisfying. We’ve been able to do that in the first three games – just moving the ball and finishing drives. Still with that being said, though, there’s so much stuff that we can improve on and be better at, as far as taking care of the ball and like I said, finishing drives. But, it’s been great, and no, I don’t think I’ve been a part of a team that’s so good on all three phases this early in the season. Like I said, we’ve been doing a lot of great things, but lot of work to do. Lot of good teams coming our way and by no means are we at our peak or satisfied with anything that’s going on.”(On cramming everything into the short week for Thursday night)”Yeah, we’ve obviously adjusted practice a little bit and changed some of the things we’re doing, as I’m sure they are and every team that plays on Thursday night. So, we’ve got to do a little bit of adjusting there. But Gerald Everett Jersey , we’re getting ready and preparing just like we would in a regular week. Just trying to shorten everything up and get it all crammed in, like you said. Feel like we’ll be ready.”(On if he thought they would be where they are as the only team undefeated in the NFC and what he thinks they can still improve on)”Yeah, of course you always expect to win. I don’t think we came in thinking we’d be 0-3. Yeah, we expect to win and do our best to try to put our best foot forward every week. At this point, we are 3-0 and feel good about what we’ve done, but like I said, we’ve got a lot of stuff we can work on – myself, taking care of the football little bit better. Just continuing to finish drives, like I’ve talked about in the red zone and a bunch of other things that we can always work on or continue to work on.”(On how he would attribute finding a rhythm in the game and only having one three-and-out this season)”Yeah, just executing the play call. I think (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) has been doing a great job getting the plays in and having a great plan. A lot of good design, but just executing and being out there and staying on schedule. You don’t want to be in second-and-long too often. We’ve converted some third downs – some crucial third downs. But, I think just staying on schedule, staying in good play calls and just continuing to execute.”(On what he learned after losing on the road to the Vikings last season, but then winning all other road games the rest of the season)”Yeah, well I think you learn so much about their defense by just playing them in their stadium where it is so loud. We won’t have to deal with that this week being in the Coliseum John Kelly Jersey , but they’ll still present the same challenges defensively with what they do and all their different packages and everything they can do with their safeties and their blitzes and everything. They obviously can do so much and are such a great defense for so long. That defense is still coming even though the noise and the crowd isn’t, their defense and everything they do still comes.”(On how much more comfortable he has gotten going off schedule since his experience in the NFL)”Yeah, feel good. Continuing to get comfortable with that. I think that’s just part of growing and getting better – just getting better at throwing the ball on the run and being more comfortable in the pocket when things break down. Just trying to keep my eyes downfield.”(On if it’s exciting playing in the national spotlight and what he wants the country to take away from getting a close look at the Rams)”Yeah, it’s exciting. I think any time you play in a national televised game, you get a chance to showcase yourself in front of the whole league. It’s exciting. What do I want people to take away? I don’t know. Hopefully, we got out there and play well and hopefully win the game and continue to execute and do the right things on all three phases. But, we’ll see how it goes.”RB Todd Gurley(On it being a short week and how he’s feeling)”I’m good, my body’s feeling good. I’m ready to go in two days.”(On losing CB Aqib Talib for this game and how it impacts the team to lose a player like him)”It has a lot of impact but, I mean football, when one person goes down you don’t even really think about it honestly. It’s just part of the game and that’s just how it is. One man got to step up whether whoever goes down. Just kind of got to move forward.”(On if there’s anything based off last year’s game against Minnesota that he learned personally that he wanted to do differently or better)”You know, we just got to go out there and execute. Obviously, (Head) Coach (Sean) McVay is are going to put us in some good situations and we just got to go out there and play our game, honestly.”(On starting out the season 3-0 and if he’s happy with his performance through the first quarter of the season and how he keeps going)”Just keep doing what we’ve been doing every week. Keep stacking them and try to get a win every week and just go from there. Don’t think too far ahead. Just focus day-by-day and week-by-week.”