r Super Bowl pick after their spectacular first quarter of the season. Pundits Dominique Easley Jersey , fans and other teams seem to be lining up to praise them.While they appreciate the respect, this is a profoundly weird experience for any Rams who were around even two years ago for the franchise's less-than-glorious return to LA after a decade of losing in St. Louis.This team doesn't have much experience in being the favorites for anything, and the Rams are wary of the role."I hate it," said Michael Brockers, who has been on the defensive line for seven years."I hate looking at 'SportsCenter' and they've got you at the top of the power rankings," Brockers added with a smile. "It's just like, you know, stop crowning us! For me, I'm a humble guy. I don't want to be crowned. I always want the attitude of being the hungry dog, being the underdog, because you almost seem to be more hungrier when you play like that."Nobody with any experience in the Rams' locker room has forgotten that this franchise is just one year removed from streaks of 13 consecutive losing seasons and 12 consecutive non-playoff seasons. Humility is relatively easy with that struggle still on their minds, according to the players and coaches who went through it.Jared Goff doesn't even turn 24 until next Sunday, but he remembers going 0-7 as a rookie starter for the hapless Rams of 2016."I don't think we're getting any bit caught up in anything," said Goff, who's second in the NFL with 1,406 yards passing after his outstanding effort against Minnesota. "I think a lot of people on this team, being part of that team two years ago, understand how easy it is to be on the other side of it Troy Hill Jersey , and you don't ever want to go back there. You understand the work that needs to be put in to stay where you're at."Receiver Robert Woods said it's "easy" to ignore the attention the Rams (4-0) are getting."It's just buzz," he said. "It's just noise. We've been on both sides. We've been not talked about, and now we're being talked about, but it's really just focus. We know how it goes. We had a great year last year and fell short, and I think this year the team is just focused. No outside distractions. Don't blink. Just focus on one goal."Los Angeles was revived last season by coach Sean McVay, going 11-5 and winning the NFC West before losing its playoff opener. This season's team appeared to be even stronger on paper — and through four games, that's exactly what it has been.The Rams lead the NFL with 468.5 yards per game of offense, increasing their total every week. Only five teams have allowed fewer points than the Rams, and their special teams have thrived despite losing two of their four Pro Bowl selections to injury.The rest of the football world can get excited about the Rams, but McVay reflexively downplays any idea that they're a Super Bowl favorite."I have no doubt that we have the right kind of guys in our locker room that know it's about earning it every single day," McVay said. "They are confident, but like we've said over and over, there's a humility that exists."Along with the respect they've garnered, the Rams' 15-5 record over the past 20 regular-season games has turned them into a target for opponents, who realize they're facing one of the NFL's best.The power shift in the NFC West could be cemented this weekend if the Rams can win in Seattle for the second straight season. The Seahawks had won eight division titles in 13 years before Los Angeles shoved past them last season, but the Rams only spoke of the Seahawks with immense respect Wednesday."Being hunted, I don't think that bothers us," Brockers said. "Because we've been underdogs for so long Michael Brockers Jersey , so our mentality isn't even that we're that good. We've won some games, but we know we can get better."Attention has even darker aspects for professional athletes: Woods' house was burglarized last Thursday while he was playing against the Minnesota Vikings. Police arrested four suspects Tuesday in connection with that crime and a series of planned heists at celebrities' homes."It's an unfortunate event, but I'm happy they caught them," said Woods, a native of the Los Angeles suburbs. "I'm happy nobody got hurt. I guess it's LA territory." THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — When the Los Angeles Rams‘ team bus rolled into their suburban training complex after a boisterous flight from New Orleans, the players and coaches were greeted by rowdy fans welcoming home the new NFC champions in the middle of the night.The Rams and their fans lost some sleep Sunday night — but not about that missed pass interference on Nickell Robey-Coleman that could have altered the outcome of Los Angeles’ 26-23 overtime victory in the NFC championship game.“I’m not going to sit here and say there clearly wasn’t a little bit of contact before that ball actually arrived,” Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday. “But whether he catches it or not, there’s a lot of things that go into that. … I feel bad for when it occurred in the framework of the game, but I thought (Saints coach) Sean (Payton) said it best: There’s a lot of other opportunities, and there’s a lot of things that do dictate and determine the outcome of the game.”And after watching the tape of their remarkable win, the Rams had a few questions of their own for the officiating crew.Specifically, the Rams couldn’t understand how the refs didn’t call Saints linebacker A.J. Klein’s apparent grab of Jared Goff’s facemask on the Rams’ previous drive. A penalty would have given a first down to the Rams at the New Orleans 1, putting them in prime position to take a 24-20 lead with a touchdown with 5:03 to play.“When you slow it down, clearly you can see some of the things that took place. If you want to do that on every single play, though, there’s a lot of instances. You want to slow some things down with a facemask on Goff, some different things Ethan Westbrooks Jersey ,” McVay said. “What we try to do a good job of understanding is that it is an imperfect game.”The Rams’ latest victory wasn’t perfect, but it was historic. This franchise is still deep in the years-long process of rebuilding its once-huge fan base in Southern California after 21 years away in St. Louis.A trip to the Super Bowl in just their third season back home is an awfully good way to send that process into warp speed.The Rams are headed to their first Super Bowl in 17 years. The Rams had only two winning seasons in between those Super Bowl runs, but McVay’s team has swiftly reversed years of failure and put the Rams on the brink of Los Angeles’ first NFL championship since the 1983 season, when the Raiders won it all.“We’ve been through a lot, and for us to go out there and grind through all this adversity just shows you how close we are in this room,” said guard Rodger Saffold, the longest-tenured Rams player in his ninth season. “The fans were excited for us to come back, and now, three years later, we’re on the biggest stage in sports. The city is electric for us.”Aside from the late-game theatrics and twists, the Rams’ victory was even more surprising because of the relatively small role played by their biggest offensive star.Todd Gurley touched the ball only five times, while backup C.J. Anderson led the Rams’ meager rushing game with 44 yards. Gurley was on the field for 32 snaps to Anderson’s 37, but last season’s Offensive Player of the Year didn’t look like himself.McVay on Monday reiterated his claim that Gurley is fully healthy even though the running back missed the Rams’ final two regular-season games with an injured knee.“He’s feeling good, and he sure looked pretty healthy on that touchdown run where he ran through guys and demonstrated some explosion,” McVay said. “More than anything, I’ve got to get him more opportunities.”