Murray off to flying India proposes start with easy BCCI revamp win at Hopman Cup after scandals TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2016 15 16 Arsenal have right vibe to lift title: Wenger Page 19 GREEN BAY: Green Bay Packers’ Richard Rodgers gets into the end zone for a touchdown catch past Minnesota Vikings’ Harrison Smith (22) and Xavier Rhodes during the second half an NFL football game Sunday, in Green Bay, Wis. — AP Vikings beat Packers to clinch NFC North GREEN BAY: The Minnesota Vikings won the NFC North by TEXANS 30, JAGUARS 6 Walter Thurmond scored on an 83-yard fumble return in the 49ERS 19, RAMS 16 OT holding on for a 20-13 win Sunday night over the Green Bay J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus led the defense and third quarter and Philadelphia added to Coughlin’s season- Phil Dawson kicked a 23-yard field goal 11:33 into over- Packers. Adrian Peterson ran for a touchdown, cornerback Jonathan Grimes scored twice to help the Texans clinch the long frustrations. It was the third straight loss for the Giants time for his fourth of the game to lift San Francisco in Jim Captain Munnerlyn returned a fumble 55 yards for a score, AFC South. Houston will host Kansas City next weekend in (6-10) and finished a third straight losing season and a Tomsula’s last game as coach. Tomsula was fired after the and Minnesota (11-5) claimed its first division title since 2009. the a wild-card game. Grimes had a 12-yard touchdown fourth straight year out of the playoffs. After meeting with game. Dawson came through after Greg Zuerlein’s 48-yard The Vikings will host the Seattle Seahawks for a wild-card reception and added a 3-yard rushing score in the second Eagles interim coach Pat Shurmur at midfield, Coughlin field goal attempt was blocked by Dontae Johnson, giving playoff game next weekend. The Packers (10-6) will travel to quarter to help Houston take a 20-3 lead by halftime. walked off the field, waving to the crowd just before walk- San Francisco the ball back with 4:49 to play. Blaine Gabbert Washington after watching their four-year reign atop the NFC Kareem Jackson added a score on an interception return in ing into the tunnel. Coughlin, who led the Giants to two passed for 354 yards and a 33-yard touchdown for the 49ers North end. The upstart Vikings survived despite a shaky finish the fourth quarter to pad the lead. Watt, playing without a Super Bowl titles in his 12 seasons, has a year left on his con- (5-11), who avoided their worst finish since 4-12 in 2005. in hostile territory. The defense knocked away a desperation cast for the first time since breaking his left hand Dec. 9, had tract. His future is expected to be decided soon by co-own- Rams coach Jeff Fisher finished 7-9 for his fourth straight los- pass in the end zone from Aaron Rodgers on fourth down as had three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered another one ers John Mara and Steve Tisch. The 69-year-old might retire ing season running the team. — AP time expired. Packers kicker Mason Crosby forced a fumble to help the Texans (9-7) to their first division title and playoff and end his 20-year NFL head coaching career. on Cordarrelle Patterson’s potentially field-flipping 70-yard berth since 2012. Blake Bortles threw for 239 yards with two kickoff return with 5:21 left. But the Packers’ next drive ended interceptions for the Jaguars (5-11) REDSKINS 34, COWBOYS 23 with Rodgers’ pass being intercepted in the end zone by Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns before leaving Xavier Rhodes. BENGALS 24, RAVENS 16 late in the first half of a playoff tuneup. Cousins broke Jay AJ McCarron overcame a rough start and threw a pair of Shroeder’s franchise record for yards passing in a season, fin- BRONOS 27, CHARGERS 20 touchdown passes. The Bengals (12-4) matched the best ishing with 4,166. Had the game mattered, he might have Peyton Manning replaced Brock Osweiler in the third record in franchise history - they also won 12 games during threatened Sonny Jurgensen’s 48-year-old team record of 31 quarter Sunday and led the Broncos to a victory over San the 1981 and 1988 seasons when they reached the Super touchdown passes, instead settling for 29. The Redskins (9-7) Diego that wrapped up the top seed in the AFC playoffs for Bowl. Cincinnati will host Pittsburgh next weekend in a wild- won four straight to finish the season, their longest streak Denver. Combined with New England’s loss at Miami, the card game. The AFC North champions wasted a chance to since winning the last seven the last time they made the Broncos (12-4) secured the No. 1 seed even as they head into clinch the No. 2 seed when they lost in Denver 20-17 on playoffs in 2012. The NFC East champions will be the No. 4 the playoffs with a quarterback quandary on their hands. The Monday night. The Ravens finished 5-11. seed on wild-card weekend. Kellen Moore had 435 yards Chargers (4-12) wrapped up what might have been their final passing and three touchdowns after throwing an intercep- season representing San Diego as ownership tries to move PANTHERS 38, BUCCANEERS 10 tion and losing a fumble on a snap to help dig a quick 21-0 the team to LA. The Broncos were facing the possibility of Cam Newton ran for two touchdowns and threw for two hole for the Cowboys (4-12). tumbling into the wild-card round because of Kansas City’s more, and Carolina captured the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first 10th consecutive win, 23-17 over Oakland, when Manning time. Newton tied Steve Young’s NFL record for most career COLTS 30, TITANS 24 came to the rescue. TDs rushing by a quarterback with 43. Young took 15 sea- Recently signed Josh Freeman and Ryan Lindley each sons to reach that plateau; Newton did it in five. Newton threw a touchdown pass in the first half and Jerrell Freeman BILLS 22, JETS 17 completed 21 of 26 passes for 293 yards as Carolina (15-1) scored on a 23-yard interception in the second for the Colts. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw interceptions on each of New York’s overcame a slow start to build a 31-3 lead in the third quar- The Colts (8-8) won their last two games to avoid the first los- MADRID: Real Madrid’s new French coach final three drives and the Jets’ playoff hopes were dashed. ter. Rookie Devin Funchess had seven catches for 120 yards ing season since 2011, but didn’t get the help they needed - a Zinedine Zidane (left) poses with Real Madrid’s The Jets (10-6) would have made the postseason for the first and a touchdown and Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 44 yards Houston loss and seven other games to go the right way - to president Florentino Perez at the Santiago time since 2010 with a win, but the defeat combined with and a score as Carolina won its 11th straight home game. make the postseason. Josh Freeman was 15 of 28 for 149 Bernabeu stadium yesterday. — AFP Pittsburgh’s win at Cleveland ended those hopes. New York Jameis Winston was intercepted twice, and the Bucs (6-10) yards and one interception while running Indy’s regular had a five-game winning streak stopped, and the loss came finished last in the NFC South for the fourth time in five offense. Lindley ran the 2-minute offense and gave Indy a 20- against former Jets coach Rex Ryan - fired by New York and years. 14 halftime lead with an 18-yard TD pass. Tennessee (3-13) Real Madrid hired by the Bills (8-8) last January. Fitzpatrick, who had clinched the No. 1 draft pick by losing its fourth straight. thrown just one interception in the Jets’ winning streak, was CHIEFS 23, RAIDERS 17 Quarterback Zach Mettenberger fell to 0-10 as a starter. sack Benitez, picked off by Leodis McKelvin in the end zone early in the Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes, Kansas City fourth quarter with New York driving. The game was decided sacked Derek Carr six times, and the Chiefs collected a fran- SAINTS 20, FALCONS 17 appoint Zidane when Fitzpatrick’s side-arm pass over the middle was inter- chise-best 10th straight win. The Chiefs are headed to Jamarca Sanford’s interception at the Atlanta 25 with less cepted by A.J. Tarpley with 11 seconds remaining. Houston for a wild-card game next weekend after Denver than two minutes remaining set up Kai Forbath’s 30-yard MADRID: Real Madrid have sacked coach Rafa Benitez won the AFC West with its win over San Diego. Regardless, field goal as time expired. Sanford cut in front of Devonta after less than half a season in charge and promoted for- STEELERS 28, BROWNS 12 the Chiefs (11-5) are somehow in the dance after a 1-5 start. Freeman for the interception with 1:47 remaining. It was the mer France and Real great Zinedine Zidane from the B Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, The Raiders (7-9), who accounted for two of those victories, Saints’ sixth sweep of the season series with the Falcons in 10 team to replace him, president Florentino Perez said yes- Pittsburgh’s defense dominated and the Steelers slipped into had the ball with 1:34 left.