Pirate Galaxy » lor won its 170th consecutive home game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- There is an argument to be made that the AFC West is the best division in the NFL.There is little argument to be made that the Chiefs are the class of it.After dispatching the Raiders on a frigid night at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs are tied with them for the lead at 10-3 with three games left in the regular season. But they hold the tiebreaker thanks to two head-to-head wins over Oakland, which could loom large down the stretch.For the division title, sure. But also for a first-round bye in the playoffs.Every division game has got to be a playoff game. Its going to be something more, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said after the 21-13 victory on Thursday night, especially with a team like Oakland thats at the top of the charts on offense and defense.Well, they had been at the top of the charts heading into the showdown.The Chiefs knocked them down a peg.It was their fifth straight win against the Raiders and their ninth consecutive victory over division foes, the third-longest streak in franchise history. Along the way are not only the two wins over Oakland this year, but also a win in Denver -- the other divisional team in the thick of the postseason hunt heading into the Broncos game Sunday at Tennessee.The Broncos visit Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas night.Its all about us. Its not about who we play, said star pass rusher Justin Houston, whose return from offseason knee surgery has given the Kansas City defense a big midseason lift.We just need to stay focused, he said. This win means a lot to us, but the seasons not over. We need to put this game behind us, stay focused, and finish the rest of the season strong.Thats because there is still plenty on the horizon.The Chiefs havent won the AFC West since 2010, when they finished 10-6 in a division that it seemed nobody wanted to win. Their many deficiencies showed when they were routed 30-7 by Baltimore in their first playoff game, which they hosted because of their division title.Their last two playoff trips have started on the road as wild cards.Three years ago, they went to Indianapolis and built a big early lead before their defense melted down in the second half. And last year, they went to Houston and came away with their first playoff victory in more than two decades, only to lose at New England the following week.So to say that a first-round bye and a home playoff game in the second round are crucial would be an understatement. They are more like necessities for a team dreaming of a Super Bowl.Its good right now, Chiefs running back Spencer Ware said, but we cant get comfortable. Weve got to keep our eyes on the prize and stay focused on the main goal.That goal became a little more challenging when the Chiefs lost Derrick Johnson, their veteran linebacker, to a ruptured Achilles tendon in his left leg. Johnson went down untouched late in the first half Sunday and, it seemed, knew right away his season was over.Still, the Chiefs rallied around their fallen leader. Their defense repelled Oakland throughout the second half, even when their own offense was stumbling, and did enough to keep Derek Carr and Co. out of the end zone late in the game to preserve the critical victory.The result? The Chiefs assured themselves a second straight 10-win season, something the club has only accomplished two other times in franchise history. And that nine-game win streak of division foes is currently the best in the NFL, though Houston can match it with a win over Indianapolis on Sunday.But the Texans are only 6-6 overall. The Chiefs are 10-3 and barreling toward bigger things, their future looking the brightest it has all season after their Thursday night win over Oakland.Were trying to get to our ultimate goal, Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters said, so we have to win, individually, each game. So were going to prepare for our next opponent and just keep moving on.Game notesChiefs coach Andy Reid said Friday that general manager John Dorsey is poring through options to replace Johnson, but no decisions have been made. We know we have a few guys that can play, Reid said. We havent made any decisions, dont have anybody coming in as of yet. ... Reid didnt have any update on DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who left with back spasms, or DE Kendall Reyes, who sprained his wrist.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLConnor McGovern Jersey . Argentina winger Ezequiel Lavezzi and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi scored, with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic setting up both despite having a poor game by his high standards. Forward Eduardo gave Ajaccio the lead in the sixth minute after being set up by right winger Benjamin Andre, and the Corsican side looked comfortable in the first half, with the lively Johan Cavalli causing problems with his probing runs from midfield. DeMarcus Ware Jersey . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. http://www.shoptheofficialcowboys.com/Elite-Darren-Woodson-Cowboys-Jersey/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Chuck Howley Youth Jersey . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Charles Haley Cowboys Jersey . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford.WACO, Texas -- Baylor coach Kim Mulkey never paid attention to the scoreboard. That was never going to be a concern for her second-ranked team against an overmatched opponent.Instead, the Lady Bears worked on improving themselves three days after their loss at third-ranked UConn.Beatrice Mompremier had 11 points and 15 rebounds while playing only 15 minutes and Baylor overwhelmed Mississippi Valley State 101-36 on Sunday, when the Lady Bears worked on conditioning by pressing throughout the game and got to play against a zone defense like they will see throughout the season.Its very obvious that there are going to be games in non-conference that were going to be better than. But youve got to get better, Mulkey said. Were coming off of a very hard loss to swallow after watching the film for three hours against UConn, and just saw glaring things that we control and weve got to get better. Youve got to come into this game and never look at the scoreboard.The Lady Bears (3-1) scored the first seven points in the game and had a 17-point lead by the end of the first quarter. They were up 49-19 at halftime.Nina Davis scored 15 points for the Lady Bears, and the preseason AP All-American became only the sixth Baylor player to surpass 2,000 career points. The senior forward now has 2,001.Its definitely a blessing, of course, but it doesnt really mean much if I dont win a championship this year or we dont get to the Final Four, said Davis, whose first three seasons have all ended in the Elite Eight. Its a great milestone, but I want more.Alexis Prince added 11 points for Baylor and freshmen Natalie Chou and Juicy Landrum each had 10. Kalani Brown had 12 rebounds.Lauren Elliot had 11 points to lead Mississippi Valley State (1-2), which had 28 turnovers that led to 35 Baylor points.Going from midway into the third and the entire fourth quarter, all my upperclassmen fouled out, Deviletttes coach Jessica Kern said.dddddddddddd So, I had five freshmen on the floor, and Im biting every nail I had left. Please get it over halfcourt.BIG PICTUREMiss. Valley St.: Already overmatched, Valley had two of its starters foul out of the game. The Devilettes shot only 24 percent from the field (14 of 58) and were only 1 of 12 on 3-pointers.Baylor: Three days after the 72-61 loss at UConn, the Lady Bears had the expected lopsided victory and won their 44th consecutive home game. Playing the first of five games in an eight-day stretch, nobody played more than 22 minutes and 12 of the 13 players who got in the game scored.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Lady Bears likely will drop at least one spot in the new poll Monday, since UConn was just behind them in the last Top 25.EXTENDED STREAKSBaylor won its 170th consecutive home games against non-ranked opponents since losing to Auburn in the WNIT final in Waco on April 4, 2003, and 155th straight home game vs. non-conference opponents in that same span. The Lady Bears have won their last 44 home games overall.MOTIVATED NINADavis was held scoreless against UConn, the only game she has ever played for Baylor without a point. I was very motivated, but its really not about me. Its about the overall team, Davis said. UConn loss, it was a tough one to swallow, but we cant think about the past. ... So, we just wanted to come out today and play more aggressive, play with more energy and just help everybody get a flow going. UP NEXTMississippi Valley State started a five-game road trip, but have a few days before playing Friday at Northwestern State in Louisiana.Baylor is home again Tuesday against Southeastern Louisiana, and then heads to Florida to play three straight days in the Gulf Coast Showcase next weekend. ' ' '