Brady-led Bucs top Lions 47-7 to end 13-year playoff drought
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Detroit. The Bucs (10-5) set a franchise record with 588 yards and snapped the NFL’s second-longest postseason drought behind Cleveland’s 18-year run that can end Sunday. “We’ve been scratching and clawing every single year to make the tournament," said receiver Mike Evans, who was drafted by Tampa Bay six years ago. Tampa Bay rested Brady ahead 34-0, its largest halftime lead in franchise history. Tampa Bay set team records in points (34) and yards (410) in the first half.
Rodgers-led Packers beat Lions 31-24, clinch NFC North title
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit. Rodgers ran for a tiebreaking score in the third quarter and threw three touchdown passes, lifting the Green Bay Packers to a 31-24 win over the the Detroit Lions to clinch the NFC North title. “To have the whole thing come through Green Bay is something we’ve talked about for a long time," Rodgers said. “That would definitely be in our favor with the weather that we have in Green Bay. Green Bay repeated as division champion with its win and Minnesota’s loss to Tampa Bay earlier in the day.
Lions place QB Matthew Stafford on Reserve/COVID-19 list
DETROIT – Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the second straight day the team gave a player the designation. Earlier in the day, Matt Patricia said there was no requirement to shut down the team’s training facility. Some NFL teams have closed their training centers after players and or staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Three months ago, the Lions removed Stafford from the COVID-19 list after saying he received a false positive test result. Kelly Stafford had plenty to say on her Instagram page in August after the false positive test, lashing out at the league for publicly putting her husband on the list.