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National Sports Headlines (1/2/17)

Sports

January 2nd, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Pack take division, Lions extend season…Chiefs win division…Falcons get a bye

DETROIT (AP) — The Green Bay Packers won the NFC North with their sixth straight win as Aaron Rodgers threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-24 victory at Detroit. Davante Adams hauled in two TD passes to help the Packers end up 10-6. Matthew Stafford passed for 347 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions who clinched an NFC playoff berth when the Giants knocked off Washington, 19-10.

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City clinched the AFC West title with a 37-27 victory at San Diego and Oakland’s 24-6 loss at Denver. Alex Smith threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Chiefs finished 12-4. Rookie Tyreek Hill padded the lead with a 95-yard punt return for a TD in the third quarter.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have earned themselves a week off as they clinched a first-round bye with a 38-32 victory against New Orleans. Matt Ryan was 27 of 36 for 331 yards and four touchdowns, leaving him with a franchise-record 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions for the 11-5 Falcons. Saints quarterback Drew Brees (breez) became the first player in league history to throw for 5,000 yards five times.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers have fired coach Mike McCoy following a second straight last-place finish. McCoy was 27-37 in four seasons at the helm, missing the playoffs the last three years. The announcement came after the team played what may have been its final game in San Diego, two weeks before the team must decide whether to head back to the Los Angeles area.

DENVER (AP) — Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak told his team after the game that he was stepping down, saying the grind of coaching was taking too big of a toll on his health. Kubiak missed one game this season because of health reasons after suffering a mini-stroke while coaching the Houston Texans in 2013. The 55-year-old Kubiak leaves with two years left on his contract and one year after guiding Denver to a Super Bowl win over Carolina.