AP Sports SummaryBrief at 11:41 p.m. EST

By The Associated Press

Ahkello Witherspoon makes last-minute interception to preserve Rams’ 13-9 win over Arizona

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Ahkello Witherspoon made a diving interception on a deflected pass in the end zone with 37 seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Rams barely maintained command of the NFC West race with a 13-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Puka Nacua had 129 yards receiving and Kyren Williams scored the only touchdown for the Rams (10-6), who grinded through a difficult offensive night and survived a hair-raising fourth quarter for their fifth consecutive victory. The Rams host Seattle (9-7) in their regular-season finale next weekend, but they could already have coach Sean McVay’s fourth division title clinched before then. The Rams narrowly avoided a winner-take-all finale against Seattle by holding off the Cardinals.

Burrow throws 3-yard TD pass to Higgins in OT as the Bengals beat the Broncos 30-24

CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow threw his third touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with 1:07 left in overtime, and the Cincinnati Bengals kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a wild 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos. Following a Broncos punt, Burrow completed a 31-yard pass to Higgins to the Denver 3, then went back to the lanky receiver for the game-ending play. Higgins finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards. Cade York had a chance to win it for the Bengals with about three minutes left in overtime, but his 33-yard field goal bounced off the left upright. Denver then went three-and-out, including a Bo Nix incompletion on third down, handing the ball right back to Cincinnati.

Herbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with tAshe San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home.

Snoop’s game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his name

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State’s sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name.

Brawl mars end of Miltary Bowl as in-state rivals East Carolina and NC State square off

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — East Carolina and NC State began brawling near the end of ECU’s 26-21 victory in the Military Bowl. And the teams won’t have to wait long to see each other again. They face off to open next season. Emotions were understandably high for this matchup. NC State and East Carolina are about 80 miles apart. They don’t play every season, but they’ve been on each other’s schedule plenty over the years. An interception gave East Carolina the ball with 44 seconds left, needing only to run out the clock. After a run up the middle, the fight broke out around the hash marks closer to the ECU sideline.

Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani’s teammates and his fans.

Doug Christie hopes to bring stability to Kings after firing of Mike Brown

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Doug Christie doesn’t plan on making sweeping changes in his new position as interim coach of the Sacramento Kings. After a whirlwind 24 hours following the firing of Mike Brown, Christie hopes to try to galvanize the reeling Kings, who have lost five straight headed into their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. Christie said he has not spoken to Brown since his dismissal, which has sparked pointed criticism from other head coaches around the NBA.

Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl.

Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins.

No. 18 Iowa State wins 11 games for 1st time, tops No. 15 Miami 42-41 in Pop-Tarts Bowl

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Rocco Becht scored from a yard out on fourth-and-goal with 56 seconds remaining and No. 18 Iowa State capped the best season in school history by rallying past No. 15 Miami 42-41 in the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday. Becht finished with 270 yards passing and three touchdowns for Iowa State (11-2), a program that entered this season never having won more than nine games in a year. Cam Ward threw for 190 yards and three touchdowns for Miami in his college finale.