Norv Turner won in his return to Oakland, LaDainian Tomlinson captured his second straight rushing title, and most importantly, the San Diego Chargers clinched the third seed in the AFC playoffs. After struggling at the start of the season, the Chargers have hit their stride heading into the postseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had already accomplished their primary goals in the regular season, so the AFC North champions entered the finale against the Baltimore Ravens with a different objective: Stay healthy. The Steelers sustained a few injuries in their 27-21 loss Sunday, but more important was the fact that several key players — including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines…
The Cleveland Browns finished an unforgettable regular season, then braced for overtime — about seven hours worth. Joshua Cribbs returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown, Jamal Lewis rushed for 128 yards and rookie quarterback Brady Quinn made his long-awaited NFL debut as the Browns beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-7 Sunday.
Baron Davis scored 28 points and Stephen Jackson added 23 to help Golden State beat the Nuggets 105-95 on Sunday night, ending a seven-game losing streak in Denver. Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets. Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith added 15 points each for the Nuggets, who saw their season-high seven-game winning streak snapped.
Sacramento’s Ron Artest could face possible surgery this week to remove chipped bone fragments in his right elbow, a team spokesman said. Artest missed his second straight game Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. The Kings are 2-7 without him in the lineup. He is averaging 19.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 19 games this season.
While Brandon Roy is Portland’s top scorer, the Trail Blazers look to Travis Outlaw in the fourth quarter. Outlaw, a reserve, was 1-for-7 from the floor for the first three quarters, but took over in the fourth as the Blazers went on a 21-0 run to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 97-72 on Sunday for their league-leading 13th straight win.
Pitt junior point guard Levance Fields will be out eight to 12 weeks after breaking a broken bone in his left foot to become the second Panthers starter knocked out of the lineup in as many games. Fields was hurt driving to the basket in No. 6 Pittsburgh’s (11-1) first defeat of the season, an 80-55 loss in Dayton on Saturday night.
Earlier this season, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak wasn’t sure if Andre’ Davis could be a kick returner in the NFL. Davis made a believer out of everyone Sunday. Davis returned two kickoffs for touchdowns to lead the Texans to a 42-28 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5), who rested many starters with their playoff spot secure.
Jon Gruden bristled at the suggestion that he may have set his Tampa Bay Buccaneers up for failure in the playoffs by taking a cautious approach to the last two weeks of the regular season. The Bucs (9-7) dropped their finale 31-23 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, resting most of their starters in hopes of opening the postseason next Sunday at 1 p.m.
Playing outdoor hockey is becoming old hat for Ryan Miller. Maybe this time it’ll be “new tuque.” Pulling a page from the Jose Theodore playbook, the Buffalo Sabres goalie is considering wearing a tuque — a knitted ski cap — on top of his mask during the Winter Classic on Tuesday at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
