DETROIT - Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions hope this December will be different. [url=http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/wholesale-adidas-nmd-xr1-china.html]A didas NMD XR1 For Sale[/url] .Stafford threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, and the Lions beat the Tampa Bay Bucc

DETROIT - Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions hope this December will be different. Adidas NMD XR1 For Sale .Stafford threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, and the Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-17 to keep pace in the NFCs post-season race. Detroit had lost nine straight December games before handling the Bucs with relative ease.The Lions had not won a December game since beating San Diego in 2011. That was the win that wrapped up a post-season spot for Detroit, its only playoff appearance since the 1999 season.The Lions lost six of their last seven games last season, wasting another good chance to make the playoffs.Were not the same team as last year, tight end Joseph Fauria said. Were a new Lions team and were going to keep on rolling. Our fates in our hands.Detroit (9-4) is a half-game behind NFC North-leading Green Bay, which plays Monday night. If Detroit wins its next two games — at home against Minnesota and at Chicago — the Lions would almost surely be in the playoffs.Its getting fun around here, centre Dominic Raiola said. The more we just worry about whats going on right now, handle the day, the better off were going to be.Tampa Bay (2-11) was technically still in the playoff picture until Sunday, when the Bucs were finally eliminated.This is one of the roughest years that Ive been a part of and the thing I can take out of it is the fact that our guys played hard, Tampa Bay receiver Vincent Jackson said. Guys are still fighting, nobodys pointing fingers in this locker room, this organization and thats saying something. Its the quality of men that we have here.Here are a few things we learned from Detroits victory:SHARP STAFFORD: The competition hasnt been great, but over his last two games against Chicago and Tampa Bay, Stafford has a passer rating of 123.4. With Johnson looking healthy and fellow receiver Golden Tate still contributing, the Lions have looked better offensively lately.SOFT STRETCH: Detroit has won two in a row — the Lions beat Chicago on Thanksgiving by the same 34-17 score. Detroit also figures to be favoured next weekend when it faces Minnesota in the Lions final home game of the regular season.Detroit would love to take care of business in that game, then beat the Bears again the following week. The Lions finish the regular season at Green Bay, where they have not won since 1991, so Detroit could be in trouble if it needs to win that game to make the playoffs.TOUGH TO HANDLE: The main bright spots for the Bucs were Jackson and Mike Evans. Jackson had 10 catches for 159 yards, while Evans caught two touchdown passes.LUCKY BOUNCE: Staffords fourth-quarter pass hit someone at the line of scrimmage — Tampa Bays Gerald McCoy was in the area — and bounced right back to running back Joique Bell, who grabbed it out of the air and ran in for a 5-yard touchdown.We were on the sidelines, we drew that up and we knew exactly what the D-line was doing, Bell joked. Matt knew if he threw the ball up that one of the D-linemen would tip it up and it was a designed play. We went out there and we executed the play.Bell was solid all day. He rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown.PRESSURE: Stafford was sacked four times, but it was Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown who took the brunt of the punishment. He was sacked six times, and that doesnt even count a number of other hits he took from Ndamukong Suh and the rest of Detroits pass rushers.They got too much pressure on the quarterback and we know that, Bucs coach Lovie Smith said. I think its reasonable to say that weve got to do something to give ourselves a chance. Offensively we couldnt protect the quarterback, we couldnt run the ball and didnt get anything going throughout.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Adidas NMD Human Race Cheap . The Toronto Argonauts (11-7) look for an opportunity to repeat as CFL champions when they host the surging Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10-8) on Sunday. Adidas NMD R1 Wholesale .C. - Blair Jones scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Abbotsford Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Barons 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Friday. http://www.cheapnmdonline.com/ . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday. MIAMI -- Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez heard a teammate yell and realized he had been caught by surprise. Desperate for a run, the Tampa Bay Rays were attempting a delayed steal. So Alvarez wheeled toward second base and threw yet another strike. The right-hander had good command all night long, needing only 88 pitches to toss an eight-hitter for his third shutout this year. He beat Tampa Bay 1-0 on Tuesday, sending the reeling Rays home after a winless eight-game trip. "Henderson took that game over," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "That was fun to watch." The only run scored when Christian Yelich walked on a 3-2 slider with two out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Alvarez (3-3) struck out five and walked none in his third consecutive scoreless outing, a stretch covering 19 innings. He retired his last five batters to close out the win in 2 hours, 10 minutes. "My sinker was working, and thankfully the batters were swinging early," Alvarez said through a translator. "That determines the brevity of the game. I was attacking the strike zone, and they were attacking as well." Alvarezs three shutouts lead the majors. He had been 0-5 in five previous career starts against the Rays, but this time he faced a team in a miserable slump. Kevin Kiermaier had the Rays only extra-base hit when he tripled with two out in the third. They went 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position and are hitless in their past 22 at-bats in those situations. Theyve scored six runs in their past six games. "Were just not able to find that hole," Evan Longoria said. "We just have to keep going, keep fighting, stay positive through the tough times." The Rays eight-game losing streak is their longest since 2009. Theyve lost 10 consecutive road games while being outscored 52-19. Tampa Bay hit into three double plays -- one on a sacrifice attempt -- and had two runners caught stealing, including Yunel Escobar on the delayed steal attempt in the fifth. He singled with one out and took off for second when Alvarez had the ball on the mound before the next batter stepped to the plate, prompting catcher Jeff Mathis to holler at his pitcher. "Escobar caught me by surprise," Allvarez said. Pharrell NMD Hu China. "What alerted me was Mathis scream. An easy out. A gift." Chris Archer (3-3) allowed only five hits in seven innings, but Rays starters remained winless in the past 16 games, mostly because of poor run support. Alvarezs past four victories have been shutouts, including a no-hitter on the final day of the 2013 season. He left his previous start last Wednesday after five innings because of a sore elbow, but he had only the Rays feeling any pain Tuesday. Alvarez said his arm felt fine, and he allayed any concerns with excellent velocity from start to finish. His final pitch was a 95 mph fastball. "We could tell early on that he had great stuff and was feeling good," Redmond said. Alvarez helped himself with six assists. The biggest came after a leadoff single in the eighth, when catcher Jose Molina bunted into a 1-6-3 double play. The Marlins needed three singles -- one by Alvarez -- and a walk to score the games only run. After they loaded the bases, Yelich fell behind 0-2 but got a walk when Archer missed with a 3-2 breaking ball. "A great at-bat by Yeli," Redmond said. "I dont know how he laid off a couple of those sliders. For a young kid like that, thats an amazing at-bat." Archer hopped off the mound in dismay at the call, but a TV replay showed the pitch was wide. "Instead of executing a pitch and letting him put it in play, I put it in the umpires hands, and it turns out he made a great call," Archer said. "I should have thrown it over the plate." The four-game, home-and-home series continues with two games in St. Petersburg beginning Wednesday. The Rays play 18 of their next 21 games at home. NOTES: After the game, the Marlins optioned 2B Derek Dietrich to Triple-A New Orleans. ... Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton broke hit bat when he lined out in the fourth inning, and the barrel sailed into the Marlins on-deck circle and hit Casey McGehee in the stomach. He wasnt hurt. ... RHP Kevin Gregg passed his physical and signed a minor league deal with the Marlins. ... Molina turned 39 Tuesday. ... RHP Tom Koehler (4-5, 3.18 ERA) is scheduled to start Wednesday for Miami against LHP David Price (4-4, 4.27 ERA). ' ' '