The Detroit Lions have a short week to prepare for a pivotal matchup against Minnesota, and they will not complain about that fact.
The winner will earn the NFC North title and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser will start the playoffs on the road as a fifth-seeded wild card.
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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) runs past Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) after a catch during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell yells from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) scores a rushing touchdown past San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) walks off the field after a win over the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
“You couldn’t write a better scenario,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said after a 40-34 win at San Francisco on Monday night. “You couldn’t come up with this. The fact that both teams are sitting at 14-2, and it’s for the division and the top seed, it just doesn’t get any better than this.”
The Lions arrived in the Motor City at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday and had a day of rest before getting ready for a marquee matchup on Sunday night at home against the Vikings.
“These are the types of games you dream of when you are growing up," All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell said. “These are the moments that you live for. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”
The Jared Goff-led offense.
“He’s playing at an ultimate level right now,” Campbell said. “You find me a quarterback that’s playing better than him in this league right now.”
Goff completed 77% of his passes against his hometown 49ers and set a franchise record by throwing three touchdown passes for the fourth game in a row.
He has connected on at least three-fourths of his passes for the eighth time this season, joining Tom Brady (2007) as the two players in league history to pull off the feat.
Detroit's defense. The banged-up unit has allowed 31 points or more in three of the past four games, setting up high-scoring matchups.
Kerby Joseph. After going five games without an interception, the safety picked off two passes against the 49ers to give him an NFL-high nine interceptions.
“He came up in a big way, not just that the picks,” Campbell said. “He had some critical tackles and just really showed up for us.”
Joseph is the first Detroit player with nine interceptions, including a pick-6, since Hall of Famer Lem Barney did it in 1967.
Za'Darius Smith. The veteran defensive end, acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline, played on 52% of Detroit's defensive snaps and was the only player on the unit to not have a tackle at San Francisco. Smith has been held without a sack for three straight games after he had a total of 2 1/2 sacks in consecutive games against Green Bay and Chicago.
Sewell went to the locker room at the end of the first half to have a thumb injury evaluated in San Francisco.
“Should be good,” Campbell said.
4 — David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are the first pair of running backs and receivers in league history to have each player gain 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
“We’ve got a good group and a very unselfish group, which is the best part of it,” Goff said. “Those guys want to see each other succeed.”
Rest and recover after playing on Monday night and flying across the country to prepare for perhaps the biggest game in the regular season in team history.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) runs past Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) after a catch during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell yells from the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) scores a rushing touchdown past San Francisco 49ers cornerback Renardo Green (0) during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) walks off the field after a win over the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — England ended an 18-match winless streak in Australia and beat the home side by four wickets in the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.
England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.
But England returned the favor by winning the MCG test Saturday inside two days, similar to Australia's opening win at Perth.
It was the first time the same series has had multiple two-day tests in 129 years.
The England winless streak had dated to the 2013-14 Ashes series, which Australia won 5-0. Since England convincingly won the 2010-11 Ashes 3-1, England had lost 16 matches and drawn the other two of their 18 tests Down Under over a period of nearly 15 years.
Needing 175 second-innings runs to win and 98 after the tea break, England reached its target at 178-6 to clinch the match and send thousands of its long-suffering but faithful “Barmy Army” fans into frenzied celebration.
England raced to 70-2 off the first 10 overs in its second innings, losing the wickets of Ben Duckett (34) and Brydon Carse (6). Scott Boland removed Zak Crawley (37) and Jacob Bethell (40), who both made valuable contributions.
Joe Root (15) and captain Ben Stokes (2) fell cheaply before Jamie Smith and Harry Brook guided the visiting side to a morale-boosting win ahead of the fifth and final test beginning Jan. 4 in Sydney.
Earlier Saturday, England bowled out Australia out for 132 in its second innings after lunch on Day 2. On an MCG pitch offering substantial sideways movement for pace bowlers, England successfully chased down a target of 175 to win after 30 wickets had fallen in 4 1-2 sessions.
The dismissal of opener Travis Head (46) was quickly followed by the departures of Usman Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4) in the next two overs as Australia slumped from 82-3 to 88-6 in the morning session.
Ben Stokes (3-24) claimed the important wicket of Cameron Green (19) after lunch, caught at second slip, and Brydon Carse sliced through the tail to finish with 4-34.
Australia held an overall lead of 46 Friday after scoring 152, running through England for 110 in a dramatic first day
Josh Tongue, named player of the match, claimed a career-best 5-45 to lead England’s bowling attack Friday before Michael Neser grabbed 4-45 for Australia.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said Saturday “short tests are bad for business," and said CA would consider a closer role in pitch preparation in the future.
“Historically we have taken a hands-off approach in all of our wicket preparation and allowed the staff and the conditions and those characteristics to be presented,” Greenberg told SEN Radio. ”But it’s hard not to get more involved when you see the impact on the sport, particularly commercially."
The attendance at the MCG on Saturday was 92,045, the second-highest test crowd in Australia, only behind Friday's opening-day crowd of 94,199.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Fans celebrate England's win over Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Fans celebrate England's win over Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Jamie Smith, left, Ben Stokes, second left, Harry Brook andJoe Root, right, shake hands after defeating Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Ben Stokes applauds the crowd after England defeated Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Scott Boland, center, successfully appeals for a LBW decision on England's Zak Crawley, right, on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Joe Root bats against Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Jamie Smith, left and Harry Brook touch bats near the end of their Ashes cricket test match against Australia in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Brydon Carse, left, grabs the ball for a caught and bowled on Australia's Michael Neser, right, on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Steve Smith watches the ball while batting against England on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Ben Duckett bats against Australia on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Ben Stokes, right, celebrates with teammates after taking Australia's final wicket of their second innings on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Brydon Carse celebrates the wicket of Australia's Mitchell Starc on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Fans of the England cricket team, known as the Barmy Army, wave flags on Day 2 of the Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Jake Weatherald his bowled by England's Ben Stokes on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Josh Tongue, second left, celebrates with teammates after the wicket of Australia Usman Khawaja on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Australia's Travis Head walks off after he is bowled by England's Brydon Carse on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
England's Josh Tongue, right, celebrates with teammate Jacob Bethell after the wicket of Australia Usman Khawaja on Day 2 of their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
