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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 10 december 2016

2 Texas teams on top of their divisions hit the road

BARRY WILNER and Co. don’t exactly rel-
AP Pro Football Writer ish facing Baltimore, which
Roaring out of Texas come has won four of five as its
the Dallas Cowboys, head- defense has become extra
ed to the Big Apple to grab stingy.
an NFL division crown and “They’re the first-rated de-
maybe more. fense in the league, so no
Crawling out of Texas one has done a better
come the Houston Texans, job over the course of the
headed to Indianapolis season than them,” Brady
for a first-place showdown says. “They don’t give you
with the Colts after blow- anything easy. You have
ing an exclusive AFC South to earn it.”
lead. Pittsburgh has won five
Yes, the Lone Star state has straight and nine of 10
two division leaders head- against the Buffalo Bills, in-
ing into Sunday. That’s cluding three straight at
about the only resem- Orchard Park.
blance. A victory on Sunday would
Dallas takes on the New be No. 100 for coach Mike
York Giants, the only team Tomlin.
to beat it. A Cowboys vic- Buffalo opens a three-
tory, their 12th straight, game homestand one win
gives them the NFC East short of 400 in franchise his-
title. They already own a tory. The Bills, led by LeSean
playoff berth, and if Detroit McCoy, have topped 150
and Seattle lose, they also yards rushing in five straight
could leave the Meadow- games; their team record
lands with home-field ad- is seven straight spanning
vantage for the NFC play- 1973-74.
offs. Dallas Cowboys free safety Byron Jones (31) celebrates in front of Minnesota Vikings tight end Impressively, this is the first
While the Cowboys insist Kyle Rudolph, right, after breaking up a pass in the end zone during the second half of an NFL year since the 1970 merger
this is just another game, football game Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Minneapolis. The Cowboys won 17-15. that three teams were per-
you know there has to be Associated Press fect on the road entering
some churning inside them. says. “They’re the only No matter who wins in In- The AFC North looks like Week 14: Dallas, the New
After all, the Giants are the blemish on our record, and dianapolis, the AFC South it won’t be decided until England Patriots, and the
reason Dak Prescott, Eze- just to be able to go up will be far from decided. A the end — the Baltimore Oakland Raiders. And then
kiel Elliott and company there at their place and Texans team that dominat- Ravens and Pittsburgh the Raiders stumbled in
aren’t perfect. be able to do what they ed the division early on has Steelers meet in Pittsburgh frigid Kansas City on Thurs-
New York won 20-19 in Dal- did to us (in) the first game, turned it into a three-team on Christmas — and both day, falling 21-13.
las in the season opener, we’re excited for the op- scramble by losing three in teams have difficult road Kansas City’s defense
and one has to believe the portunity.” a row. challenges this week. made life miserable for
Cowboys want payback. The Giants won six straight Plus, the Colts have An- The Ravens are at the Pa- Oakland quarterback Der-
And if not that, they cer- before falling in Pittsburgh drew Luck back after he triots, who can secure the ek Carr. The Chiefs moved
tainly don’t want to go into last weekend. They also lost missed one game with a AFC East title by winning into a first-place tie with
the playoffs wondering if their top pass rusher, Jason concussion. He returned or tying and having Mi- Oakland in the AFC West,
they can beat the Giants. Pierre-Paul, for the season. with a four-touchdown ami lose. They also have but hold the tiebreaker
“I’m looking forward to it But they’re the leader in passing show against the a shot at clinching a first- with two wins over their
a lot personally,” Prescott the NFC wild-card race. New York Jets. round bye. But Tom Brady longtime divisional rival.q