KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs just keep winning, even if nothing has come easy for them this season. The Chiefs have struggled against some of the league's worst teams, and that continued on Sunday in Houston, when they trailed the one-win Texans at halftime and needed overtime to escape with the victory. It allowed the Chiefs to improve to 11-3 and clinch the AFC West for the seventh consecutive year, but it also left plenty of question marks as the playoffs approach. The biggest one is this: Can the Chiefs afford to play down to the level of the opposition and keep winning?
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A.J. Dillon ran for two scores, Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Aaron Jones and the Green Bay Packers kept their playoff hopes afloat with a 24-12 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Dillon put Green Bay ahead for good with an 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and also scored from 1 yard out in the third period. He left midway through the second half to be evaluated for a concussion. Rodgers went 22 of 30 for 229 yards with a touchdown and interception to win his ninth straight “Monday Night Football” start.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person with knowledge of the matter says Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered a sprained right shoulder and his status for Philadelphia’s game at Dallas is uncertain. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the injury. Hurts has led the Eagles to a 13-1 mark and the best record in the NFL. The 24-year-old has morphed into a serious NFL MVP candidate in his second season as a starter.
UNDATED (AP) — TCU’s Sonny Dykes is The Associated Press Coach of the Year after leading the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff in his first season with the school. Dykes received 37 of 46 first-place votes from AP Top 25 voters to become the second TCU coach to win the award. The first two were won by Gary Patterson, the coach Dykes replaced. TCU faces Michigan on Dec. 31 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal. Tulane coach Willie Fritz was second with two first-place votes, followed by Tennessee’s John Heupel and last year’s winner, Jim Harbaugh of Michigan.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — TCU quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan will head to the NFL draft after the College Football Playoff. Duggan has started 41 games during his four seasons at TCU. The senior could have returned for another season because all players were granted an extra year of eligibility after the 2020 season was altered by the pandemic. The Horned Frogs play Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31. The winner will play for the national championship.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas running back Bijan Robinson is skipping his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NFL draft and won’t play in the Alamo Bowl. Robinson earned All-America honors after rushing for 1,580 yards with 18 touchdowns. No. 21 Texas plays 12th-ranked Washington in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29. Robinson played three years but had two seasons of eligibility remaining because his freshman year was the COVID-19-altered 2020 season. Robinson is fourth on Texas' career rushing list. All three of the players ahead of him were top-five picks in the draft.
UNDATED (AP) — Purdue maintained its grasp on No. 1 in the AP men’s college basketball poll on Monday, receiving 40 of the 60 first-place votes from a national media panel after knocking off Davidson in its only game last week. That allowed the Boilermakers to hold the top spot for a second consecutive week. But after then-No. 2 Virginia lost to Houston, UConn leaped into second place and scooped up the remaining 20 first-place votes. The Huskies were unranked in the preseason. rest of the top five were Houston, Kansas and Arizona. Marquette entered the poll at No. 23 and Arizona State at No. 25.
UNDATED (AP) — St. John’s is ranked in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll for the first time since 2015. The Red Storm is No. 25 after winning its first 11 games to match a school record. South Carolina remains a unanimous No. 1, receiving all 28 first-place votes from a national media panel. The top five was unchanged with Stanford, Ohio State, Indiana and Notre Dame following the Gamecocks. North Carolina and North Carolina State are sixth and seventh. Virginia Tech, UConn and LSU round out the top 10.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Tom Browning, an All-Star pitcher who threw the only perfect game in Cincinnati Reds history and helped them win the 1990 World Series title, has died. He was 62. The Boone County Sheriff’s Office announced Browning’s death on Twitter, saying he died Monday at his home in Union, Kentucky. No cause was given. The Sheriff’s Office said foul play is not suspected. The Reds issued a statement mourning Browning after being in contact with a member of his family, team spokesman Rob Butcher said. Known as a colorful character, Browning retired all 27 batters he faced in a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium on Sept. 16, 1988. He also won Game 3 of the 1990 World Series in Oakland.
MONDAY SCORES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Green Bay 24 L.A. Rams 12
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Cleveland 122 Utah 99
Final OT Philadelphia 104 Toronto 101
Final Atlanta 126 Orlando 125
Final San Antonio 124 Houston 105
Final Minnesota 116 Dallas 106
Final Oklahoma City 123 Portland 121
Final Milwaukee 128 New Orleans 119
Final Phoenix 130 L.A. Lakers 104
Final Charlotte 125 Sacramento 119
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Dallas 2 Columbus 1
Final Boston 7 Florida 3
Final OT Washington 4 Detroit 3
Final OT Nashville 4 Edmonton 3
Final SO Colorado 1 N-Y Islanders 0
Final OT Montreal 3 Arizona 2
Final Buffalo 3 Vegas 2
Final St. Louis 5 Vancouver 1