AP Sportlight

December 26, 2020 GMT

Dec. 27

1953 — The Detroit Lions edge the Cleveland Browns 17-16 for the NFL championship, winning on a 33-yeard scoring pass and Doak Walker’s extra point.

1959 — The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 31-16 in the NFL title game. Three field goals by Pat Summerall give the Giants a 9-7 lead after three periods, but Baltimore makes three interceptions resulting in scores.

1964 — The Cleveland Browns break out after a scoreless first half with 17 points in the third quarter and defeat the Baltimore Colts 27-0 for the NFL title.

1974 — Ohio State junior running back Archie Griffin wins the Heisman Trophy.

1987 — Steve Largent of Seattle becomes the NFL’s all-time receptions leader in the Seahawks’ 41-20 loss to Kansas City. Largent’s six catches give him 752, surpassing the 750 by San Diego’s Charlie Joiner. Gayle Sierens announcing the game for NBC becomes the NFL’s first female play-by-play announcer.

1999 — Joe Sakic scores his 1,000th career point on a second-period assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche down the St. Louis Blues 5-1.

2000 — Mario Lemieux makes a remarkable comeback after 3½ years of retirement. He scores a goal and assists on two others — one on his first pass on his first shift — and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-0.

2005 — Rudy Carpenter passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns, and Arizona State holds off Rutgers for a 45-40 victory in the Insight Bowl. Both teams combine for 1,210 yards, a record for any bowl.

2008 — Pat White, the most prolific running quarterback in college football history, has the best passing game of his career to lead West Virginia to a 31-30 victory over North Carolina in the Meineke Bowl. The senior is voted MVP of a bowl for the third straight year and finishes 4-0 in postseason games, the first quarterback to do so.

2009 — Brad Smith returns the second-half kickoff 106 yards in the New York Jets’ 29-15 win over Indianapolis. The Jets end the Colts’ pursuit of perfection and their NFL-record 23-game winning streak. Peyton Manning was 14 of 21 for 192 yards for the Colts, playing long enough to join Brett Favre, Dan Marino and John Elway as the only members of the 50,000-yard club.

2010 — Niklas Kronwall scores with 1:18 remaining in overtime, and Chris Osgood stops a season-high 46 shots in the Detroit Red Wings’ 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche to become the 10th NHL goalie to reach 400 wins.

2015 — Carolina’s bid for an undefeated season ends when Julio Jones’ 70-yard touchdown reception powers the Atlanta Falcons to a 20-13 victory over Cam Newton and the Panthers, who drop to 14-1.

2015 — Kansas City beat Cleveland 17-13 for its ninth consecutive victory and clinches a playoff spot when Pittsburgh loses to Baltimore. The Chiefs and 1986 Jets are the only NFL teams with a nine-game win streak and five-game losing streak in the same season.

2018 — Jonathan Taylor rushes for 205 yards and a touchdown and tops the 2,000-yard season mark to help Wisconsin rout Miami 35-3 in the Pinstripe Bowl. The sophomore has runs of 39 and 41 yards and combines with a defense that forces five turnovers to help Wisconsin to its fifth straight bowl victory.

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