DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford led another crucial drive late in the fourth quarter, and Matt Praters kicking again helped Detroit to a tight victory over Minnesota.For the second time this month, the Lions edged the Vikings. This time, they didnt need overtime.Praters 40-yard field goal on the final play gave Detroit a 16-13 victory Thursday, moving the Lions a game ahead of Minnesota atop the NFC North. Darius Slay intercepted Sam Bradfords pass with 30 seconds remaining to set up the winning kick.On Nov. 6 at Minnesota, Stafford led the Lions into range for Praters 58-yard field at the end of regulation, and Detroit went on to win 22-16 in overtime . Now the Lions (7-4) have sole possession of first place after Thursdays victory.Obviously, were in decent position, but they dont hand out trophies and things of that nature after a few wins like weve had, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. But were happy that we were able to find a way to pull them out, thats for sure.The Vikings (6-5) were facing third down in the final minute when Slay stepped up in coverage and intercepted Bradford. His return gave the Lions the ball at the Minnesota 20, and although there was some initial question about whether Slay fumbled at the end of the play, the call was upheld. Detroit ran the clock down, and Praters kick won it.The Vikings led 13-10 and had the Lions pinned back at their own 2 with 5:02 remaining, but Stafford made a 29-yard pass to Anquan Boldin on a crucial third down, and Detroit was able to work its way into position for Praters 48-yard field goal that tied it with 1:45 to play.The Lions have won six of their last seven, and Minnesota has dropped five of six since starting the season 5-0. Now the Vikings will have to rally to win a division that once looked like theirs for the taking.You just keep moving forward. Obviously, theres a lot of football left to play and theres still five games left, Bradford said. All we can do is worry about who we have next week and thats Dallas. Obviously, its a really big game for us.Here are a few things we learned from Detroits big Thanksgiving victory:STANDINGSThe Lions havent won a division title since 1993, and this is certainly a big opportunity for them. Not only are they one game ahead of the Vikings, but they also have the tiebreaker, having swept the season series against Minnesota. And Green Bay (4-6) has fallen back with four straight losses.However, the Vikings could still be heard from down the stretch. Minnesota hosts Dallas next, but none of its final four opponents (Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Green Bay and Chicago) has a winning record at the moment.The Lions, meanwhile, still have road games against Dallas and the New York Giants.MOBILITYStafford is having a terrific season with his arm, but he also showed some effectiveness as a runner Thursday. He ended up with 30 yards on four carries, giving the offense a boost when little else was working.He always adds a couple in there for us. I do think hes a weapon in that regard, Caldwell said. Teams that play some man-to-man in those situations and turn their back on the ball, he finds a way to find a hole and skate through it. He makes good decisions in that regard and those runs are very, very important to us.NOT ENOUGHBradford is very accurate with quick, short passes , but thats not always enough to win. He went 31 of 37 but threw for only 224 yards, and the Vikings managed only one touchdown in the game.CLUTCHThe Lions can feel confident in their kicker in important spots. All 11 of Detroits games this season have been decided by seven points or fewer, and Prater has come up big.In his career, Prater has made 18 game-winning or game-tying field goals with under 4:00 to play in the fourth quarter or in overtime. Six of those kicks have come in 2016.The 40-yarder at the end Thursday was no problem.Its still a short enough kick where you should be making that kick 100 percent of the time, he said.TOUGH UP FRONTThe Vikings defense is still looking strong. After Detroit drove 75 yards for a touchdown on the games first possession, the Lions didnt reach the end zone again. Detroit managed only 90 yards in the second half.---For more NFL coverage:
http://www.pro32.ap.org and
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www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Johnny Unitas Colts Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court.
Margus Hunt Womens Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed.
http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro.com/Bobby-okereke-colts-jersey/ . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal.
Peyton Manning Youth Jersey . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1.
Kenny Moore Colts Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. HOUSTON -- Playing with a seven-man rotation, Arizona coach Sean Miller admitted his team wore down late against Texas A&M.The Wildcats had just enough left to fight off the Aggies on Saturday.Dusan Ristic tied a season-high with 18 points as No. 19 Arizona had to hold off a furious rally by Texas A&M for its fourth straight victory, 67-63.We have seven scholarship players, and we hit around that 10-minute, 8-minute mark and guys start missing shots and defense is not that easy as it once was, Miller said. That is why depth is so critical. . When they sensed we were running out of gas, they put it into overdrive.Ristic scored 14 of Arizonas first 24 points and finished 8 of 12 from the field for the Wildcats (10-2), who shot 40 percent from the field, including 48 percent in the first half.Lauri Markkanen added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Kobi Simmons chipped in 14 points for the Wildcats.We were fortunate to hold on, but I also think we deserved to win, Miller said.Tyler Davis had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Robert Williams added 15 points and Admon Gilder had 13 points for the Aggies, who shot 45 percent from the field, including 53 percent in the second half.Texas A&M (7-3) had its three-game winning streak snapped.The Aggies mounted a rally over the final 5 minutes, using an 18-0 run to close within 65-63 with 22 seconds left on a 3-pointer by DJ Hogg.It demonstrates that we have the ability if we show effort on both ends of the court to win games against really good teams, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. Arizona was better than us for the majority of the game.But Rawle Alkins hit two free throws with 15 seconds left to put the Wildcats up by four.After the first one, I felt comfortable, Alkins said. Coach trusted me and Lauri to make the play happen.Tonny Trocha-Morelos missed a 3-pointer, and Davis missed the ensuing putback, allowing Simmons to grab the rebound and dribble out the clock.Arizona ended the first half with a 9-0 run led by Alkins five points to take a 41-28 lead annd carried that momentum into the second half, pushing the lead to as many as 22 points with a 17-8 spurt over the first 10 minutes of the second half.ddddddddddddTexas A&M didnt hit a field goal over the last 5:17 of the first half and shot 3 of 10 with eight turnovers to start the second half.For a large portion of the game, that was our best effort because we were playing against a really good team as well, Miller said.BIG PICTUREArizona: The Wildcats have continued to play well since losing to No. 8 Gonzaga on Dec. 3. Arizona defended well, forcing 14 turnovers and converting them into 18 points. The Wildcats were aggressive and attacked the paint, scoring 32 points.Texas A&M: The Aggies are still looking for a marquee win after falling to 0-3 against the Pac-12 this season. The Aggies allowed Arizonas post players to control down low until the final 10 minutes and couldnt take advantage of 15 offensive rebounds, scoring 13 second-chance points.POLL IMPLICATIONSArizona: The Wildcats could move up a couple spots after their fourth straight win.Texas A&M: The Aggies, who were receiving votes to start the season, will likely remain without votes.JACKSON-CARTWRIGHT UPDATEArizona junior guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who missed his fifth straight game Saturday with a high ankle sprain, is closer to returning, Miller said.We are anxious to get him back, Miller said. He is moving in the direction of coming back. If we can have a couple good weeks, we might get him back a little more to the beginning of the conference season.UP NEXTArizona: Hosts New Mexico on Tuesday before taking 10 days off ahead of Pac-12 play, which starts Dec. 30 at California.Texas A&M: Hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday before an eight-day break ahead the start of SEC play Dec. 29 against Tennessee.---More AP college basketball:
www.collegebasketball.ap.org and
https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '
DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford led another crucial drive late in the fourth quarter, and Matt Praters kicking again helped Detroit to a tight victory over Minnesota.For the second time this month, the Lions edged the Vikings. This time, they didnt need overtime.Praters 40-yard field goal on the final play gave Detroit a 16-13 victory Thursday, moving the Lions a game ahead of Minnesota atop the NFC North. Darius Slay intercepted Sam Bradfords pass with 30 seconds remaining to set up the winning kick.On Nov. 6 at Minnesota, Stafford led the Lions into range for Praters 58-yard field at the end of regulation, and Detroit went on to win 22-16 in overtime . Now the Lions (7-4) have sole possession of first place after Thursdays victory.Obviously, were in decent position, but they dont hand out trophies and things of that nature after a few wins like weve had, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell said. But were happy that we were able to find a way to pull them out, thats for sure.The Vikings (6-5) were facing third down in the final minute when Slay stepped up in coverage and intercepted Bradford. His return gave the Lions the ball at the Minnesota 20, and although there was some initial question about whether Slay fumbled at the end of the play, the call was upheld. Detroit ran the clock down, and Praters kick won it.The Vikings led 13-10 and had the Lions pinned back at their own 2 with 5:02 remaining, but Stafford made a 29-yard pass to Anquan Boldin on a crucial third down, and Detroit was able to work its way into position for Praters 48-yard field goal that tied it with 1:45 to play.The Lions have won six of their last seven, and Minnesota has dropped five of six since starting the season 5-0. Now the Vikings will have to rally to win a division that once looked like theirs for the taking.You just keep moving forward. Obviously, theres a lot of football left to play and theres still five games left, Bradford said. All we can do is worry about who we have next week and thats Dallas. Obviously, its a really big game for us.Here are a few things we learned from Detroits big Thanksgiving victory:STANDINGSThe Lions havent won a division title since 1993, and this is certainly a big opportunity for them. Not only are they one game ahead of the Vikings, but they also have the tiebreaker, having swept the season series against Minnesota. And Green Bay (4-6) has fallen back with four straight losses.However, the Vikings could still be heard from down the stretch. Minnesota hosts Dallas next, but none of its final four opponents (Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Green Bay and Chicago) has a winning record at the moment.The Lions, meanwhile, still have road games against Dallas and the New York Giants.MOBILITYStafford is having a terrific season with his arm, but he also showed some effectiveness as a runner Thursday. He ended up with 30 yards on four carries, giving the offense a boost when little else was working.He always adds a couple in there for us. I do think hes a weapon in that regard, Caldwell said. Teams that play some man-to-man in those situations and turn their back on the ball, he finds a way to find a hole and skate through it. He makes good decisions in that regard and those runs are very, very important to us.NOT ENOUGHBradford is very accurate with quick, short passes , but thats not always enough to win. He went 31 of 37 but threw for only 224 yards, and the Vikings managed only one touchdown in the game.CLUTCHThe Lions can feel confident in their kicker in important spots. All 11 of Detroits games this season have been decided by seven points or fewer, and Prater has come up big.In his career, Prater has made 18 game-winning or game-tying field goals with under 4:00 to play in the fourth quarter or in overtime. Six of those kicks have come in 2016.The 40-yarder at the end Thursday was no problem.Its still a short enough kick where you should be making that kick 100 percent of the time, he said.TOUGH UP FRONTThe Vikings defense is still looking strong. After Detroit drove 75 yards for a touchdown on the games first possession, the Lions didnt reach the end zone again. Detroit managed only 90 yards in the second half.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL .---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Johnny Unitas Colts Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. Margus Hunt Womens Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. http://www.officialindianapoliscoltspro.com/Bobby-okereke-colts-jersey/ . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Peyton Manning Youth Jersey . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Kenny Moore Colts Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. HOUSTON -- Playing with a seven-man rotation, Arizona coach Sean Miller admitted his team wore down late against Texas A&M.The Wildcats had just enough left to fight off the Aggies on Saturday.Dusan Ristic tied a season-high with 18 points as No. 19 Arizona had to hold off a furious rally by Texas A&M for its fourth straight victory, 67-63.We have seven scholarship players, and we hit around that 10-minute, 8-minute mark and guys start missing shots and defense is not that easy as it once was, Miller said. That is why depth is so critical. . When they sensed we were running out of gas, they put it into overdrive.Ristic scored 14 of Arizonas first 24 points and finished 8 of 12 from the field for the Wildcats (10-2), who shot 40 percent from the field, including 48 percent in the first half.Lauri Markkanen added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Kobi Simmons chipped in 14 points for the Wildcats.We were fortunate to hold on, but I also think we deserved to win, Miller said.Tyler Davis had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Robert Williams added 15 points and Admon Gilder had 13 points for the Aggies, who shot 45 percent from the field, including 53 percent in the second half.Texas A&M (7-3) had its three-game winning streak snapped.The Aggies mounted a rally over the final 5 minutes, using an 18-0 run to close within 65-63 with 22 seconds left on a 3-pointer by DJ Hogg.It demonstrates that we have the ability if we show effort on both ends of the court to win games against really good teams, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. Arizona was better than us for the majority of the game.But Rawle Alkins hit two free throws with 15 seconds left to put the Wildcats up by four.After the first one, I felt comfortable, Alkins said. Coach trusted me and Lauri to make the play happen.Tonny Trocha-Morelos missed a 3-pointer, and Davis missed the ensuing putback, allowing Simmons to grab the rebound and dribble out the clock.Arizona ended the first half with a 9-0 run led by Alkins five points to take a 41-28 lead annd carried that momentum into the second half, pushing the lead to as many as 22 points with a 17-8 spurt over the first 10 minutes of the second half.ddddddddddddTexas A&M didnt hit a field goal over the last 5:17 of the first half and shot 3 of 10 with eight turnovers to start the second half.For a large portion of the game, that was our best effort because we were playing against a really good team as well, Miller said.BIG PICTUREArizona: The Wildcats have continued to play well since losing to No. 8 Gonzaga on Dec. 3. Arizona defended well, forcing 14 turnovers and converting them into 18 points. The Wildcats were aggressive and attacked the paint, scoring 32 points.Texas A&M: The Aggies are still looking for a marquee win after falling to 0-3 against the Pac-12 this season. The Aggies allowed Arizonas post players to control down low until the final 10 minutes and couldnt take advantage of 15 offensive rebounds, scoring 13 second-chance points.POLL IMPLICATIONSArizona: The Wildcats could move up a couple spots after their fourth straight win.Texas A&M: The Aggies, who were receiving votes to start the season, will likely remain without votes.JACKSON-CARTWRIGHT UPDATEArizona junior guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who missed his fifth straight game Saturday with a high ankle sprain, is closer to returning, Miller said.We are anxious to get him back, Miller said. He is moving in the direction of coming back. If we can have a couple good weeks, we might get him back a little more to the beginning of the conference season.UP NEXTArizona: Hosts New Mexico on Tuesday before taking 10 days off ahead of Pac-12 play, which starts Dec. 30 at California.Texas A&M: Hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday before an eight-day break ahead the start of SEC play Dec. 29 against Tennessee.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '