AP Sports Summary for January 6th, 2025:
Lions beat Vikings 31-9, win NFC North and No. 1 seed, dropping division rivals to No. 5
DETROIT (AP) — Jahmyr Gibbs scored three of his franchise-record tying four touchdowns in the second half, and the Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 to win their second straight NFC North title and earn home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The Lions and Vikings could meet again in two weeks. Detroit will have a much-needed bye for its banged-up team during the first week of the playoffs while Minnesota plays at the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams next Monday night. Gibbs had 23 carries for 139 yards with a career-high three rushing touchdowns and caught five passes for 31 yards and another score.
Patriots fire coach Jerod Mayo shortly after beating Bills to finish his lone season at 4-13
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have fired coach Jerod Mayo after one season, beginning another reboot for the franchise just a year after it parted with longtime coach Bill Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft announced the firing in a statement shortly after New England closed its 4-13 season with a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills. Kraft called it "one of the hardest decisions" he's had to make. A former Patriots linebacker who worked as an assistant under Belichick, Mayo started the season with a strong endorsement from Kraft. But he struggled to get the most out of a young roster that included rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Lions secure NFC's No. 1 seed, Broncos and Buccaneers clinch the NFL's final two playoff spots
The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go through Motown. The Detroit Lions secured a No. 1 seed with a 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Jahmyr Gibbs scored four touchdowns to help the Lions clinch the NFC North, earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Vikings missed an opportunity to overtake Detroit for the top spot and ended up with the fifth seed. They'll play on the road against the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams next Monday night. The Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers captured the NFL's final two playoff spots in Week 18.
On Football: Aaron Rodgers proved in Week 18 he can still play at a high level if any team wants him
Aaron Rodgers showed the rest of the NFL in Week 18 that he can still play at a high level in case he wants to return for a 21st season. The four-time NFL MVP tossed four touchdown passes against a team that was playing to preserve slim playoff hopes, helping the New York Jets finish a miserable season on a winning note. Rodgers became the fifth player in NFL history to reach 500 career TD passes in New York's 32-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Now, Rodgers heads into an offseason of uncertainty. First, he must decide whether he's coming back or retiring. He doesn't even know if the Jets will want him after going 5-12 this season.
Jaguars return home after getting stuck on Indianapolis tarmac for 7 hours during storm
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are home after spending seven hours waiting through a winter storm on the tarmac at Indianapolis International Airport. The National Weather Service reported heavy snow — between 2 and 5 inches — freezing drizzle and wind gusts of up to 40 mph in central Indiana. The Jaguars had hoped to get out of Indy before the worst of it Sunday evening, but their game against the Colts went to overtime and caused enough of a delay that players, coaches and staff got stuck. The Jaguars lost 26-23. Their charter flight finally was cleared to leave at 1 a.m. EST and landed in Jacksonville two hours later.
Nix leads Broncos past Chiefs' reserves 38-0 and into playoffs for 1st time since 2015 season
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. They beat Kansas City's bevy of backups 38-0 for their 10th win, their most since that Super Bowl team. The Chiefs sat several starters, including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, because they had already secured the AFC's top seed and lone playoff bye. Because Mahomes last played on Christmas Day, it will be at least 24 days before he plays again in the divisional round Jan. 18 or 19. The Broncos head to No. 2 seed Buffalo.
Hideki Matsuyama has record-setting start to the PGA Tour season with victory at Kapalua
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Hideki Matsuyama is off to a record-breaking start to the new PGA Tour season. The Japanese star made an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole at The Sentry to break the tour's record to par. He finished at 35-under par, breaking by one the record set three years ago at Kapalua by Cameron Smith. Matsuyama also set the PGA Tour mark with 35 holes at birdie or better for a tournament. It added to a three-shot victory over Collin Morikawa. Matsuyama now has three big wins in the last 10 months. Kapalua is his 11th career PGA Tour title.
Buccaneers beat Saints 27-19 to clinch NFC South and wide receiver Mike Evans surpasses 1,000 yards
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield used his legs and arm to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers clinch their fourth straight NFC South title while putting Mike Evans over 1,000 yards receiving. Mayfield fired a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan for the go-ahead score and then scrambled 28 yards for a crucial first down on the next drive, leading the Buccaneers to a 27-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Evans caught a 9-yard pass on the final play of the game to surpass 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season, tying Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history.
Colts owner Jim Irsay says he's retaining GM Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay intends to bring back longtime general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen for another season. Irsay made the announcement in a letter to fans. Indy struggled late in the season and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight year, leading to speculation that both men could lose their jobs. The Colts finished 8-9. Fans chanted "Fire Ballard" during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 26-23 overtime victory over AFC South foe Jacksonville. Irsay says he understands fans were clamoring for changes but he believes Ballard and Steichen give the Colts the best chance of being successful next season.
Mike McCarthy 'absolutely' wants to return as Cowboys coach, owner Jerry Jones still not definitive
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike McCarthy says he absolutely wants to return as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has dropped multiple hints that McCarthy would be back, but the team owner was far from definitive about McCarthy's future after a 23-19 loss to Washington finished a 7-10 season. Jones says he hasn't yet decided on whether he will extend the coach's contract. The Cowboys were already out of playoff contention before the finale. McCarthy was on an expiring contract after five seasons, including going 12-5 and to the playoffs in each of the previous three years.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Oklahoma City 105 Boston 92
Final Cleveland 115 Charlotte 105
Final New Orleans 110 Washington 98
Final Utah 105 Orlando 92
Final Houston 119 L.A. Lakers 115
Final Sacramento 129 Golden State 99
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Rangers 6 Chicago 2
Final OT Carolina 4 Pittsburgh 3
Final OT N-Y Islanders 5 Boston 4
Final OT Toronto 3 Philadelphia 2
Final Anaheim 4 Tampa Bay 1
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final OT Carolina 44 Atlanta 38
Final Chicago 24 Green Bay 22
Final Houston 23 Tennessee 14
Final OT Indianapolis 26 Jacksonville 23
Final New England 23 Buffalo 16
Final Philadelphia 20 N-Y Giants 13
Final Tampa Bay 27 New Orleans 19
Final Washington 23 Dallas 19
Final Arizona 47 San Francisco 24
Final Denver 38 Kansas City 0
Final L.A. Chargers 34 Las Vegas 20
Final N-Y Jets 32 Miami 20
Final Seattle 30 L.A. Rams 25
Final Detroit 31 Minnesota 9
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (7)Kansas 99 UCF 48
Final (9)Oregon 83 Maryland 79
Final (11)UConn 87 Providence 84
Final (20)Purdue 79 Northwestern 61
Final (21)Memphis 68 North Texas 64
Final (22)Illinois 81 Washington 77
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Phoenix at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Portland at Detroit 7 p.m.
Indiana at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Orlando at New York 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at Memphis 8 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Minnesota 8 p.m.
San Antonio at Chicago 8 p.m.
Miami at Sacramento 10 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Washington at Buffalo 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Montreal 7:30 p.m.
Florida at Colorado 9 p.m.
New Jersey at Seattle 10 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
TCU at (14)Houston 9 p.m.
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