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DETROIT - Matthew Stafford led a victory-lap parade around the perimeter of Ford Field, high-fiving fans that have been waiting since 1999 for the Detroit Lions to make the playoffs. Martin Prado Diamondbacks Jersey . With the crowd chanting "Play-offs! Play-offs!" as the final few minutes ticked away, Detroit clinched a post-season spot thanks to Staffords three touchdown passes in a 38-10 win over the San Diego Chargers on Saturday. Stafford appeared to be touched by the face-to-face interaction with fans hanging over the railing to reach his raised right hand. "You could just get a sense of how much it meant to them," Stafford said. "It was fun to give them that kind of joy." The Lions (10-5) have won three straight after a seven-game slump to earn an NFC wild card, turning around the franchise after it was bad enough just three years ago to become the leagues only 0-16 team. It was coach Jim Schwartzs idea to reach out and touch the fans. "Theres going to be a time that we dont celebrate getting to the playoffs, but its not going to be tonight," Schwartz said. "Its been a long time coming." No one has been waiting longer than owner William Clay Ford. Ford, whose first season leading the franchise was in 1964, was handed a keepsake in the jubilant locker room. "We gave him the game ball," said centre Dominic Raiola, who endured a string of miserable seasons after Detroit drafted him in 2001. After Raiolas post-game news conference, he gave Stafford a bear hug. "Im excited for them, more than for myself and some of the other young guys," the 23-year-old Stafford said. Music blared in Detroits locker room, where players hugged teammates and anyone else who crossed their paths. Smiles mightve outnumbered beads of sweat after a lopsided win that ended San Diegos playoff hopes. According to the Chargers (7-8), they were eliminated from playoff contention. San Diego will miss the post-season for a second straight year after making it five times in a six-season stretch. And, that might cost coach Norv Turner his job. "Ive been concentrating every week as well as I can on getting this team ready to play and doing the things we need to do," Turner said. "We all know thats something thats discussed at the end of the year." San Diego stayed in playoff contention deep into December by winning three straight games, but couldnt overcome its mid-season losing streak. "When you lose six in a row in this league, youre probably not going to the post-season, but we fought our way back in it," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "Youre hanging your hat on running the table, and going to beat playoff teams on the road, its tough." Knowing they could move into the post-season simply by winning, the Lions held San Diego scoreless until midway through the third quarter, when Rivers threw an 11-yard pass to Malcom Floyd to make it 24-7. Detroit, though, closed strong to restore the rout. The Lions and Buffalo Bills started the season with the leagues longest playoff droughts at 11 seasons. Detroits wait is over because a decades-long search for a franchise quarterback ended with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. "Thats probably the key to a franchise is having a good quarterback and well hold onto him for a while," Schwartz said. Coming off the leagues only 0-16 season, Detroit selected Stafford and kept him healthy for the first time this season. Stafford was almost perfect in the first half against San Diego, completing 21 of 26 passes for 260 yards with three TDs. He capped the first drive with a 7-yard pass to Brandon Pettigrew, threw a 3-yarder to Kevin Smith in the second quarter and connected with Calvin Johnson from 14 yards just before halftime to give the Lions a 24-0 lead. "His numbers at halftime were outrageous," Raiola said. "Hes the real deal." Stafford finished with 373 yards passing to give him 4,518 this year, breaking Scott Mitchells single-season team record from 1995. Perhaps not coincidently, that season marked the last time the Lions had double digits in wins. The Lions will go for their 11th victory and try to improve their playoff positioning on Jan. 1 against Green Bay, a team they havent beaten on the road since 1991. The Chargers needed to extend their winning streak to four games to keep their post-season hopes alive, but the loss and Cincinnatis victory dashed them. They had chances to come back. Eric Weddle recovered an onside kick after San Diego finally scored in the third quarter, but the Chargers stalled inside the Lions 5. Cornerback Chris Houston broke up a pass in the end zone and the Chargers had to settle for Nick Novaks field goal and a 14-point deficit. Detroits potent offence quickly gained 48 yards on a third-quarter drive with passes to Nate Burleson and Johnson, setting up Smiths 6-yard TD and a 31-10 lead. The Chargers then drove to the Detroit 2 and turned over the ball on downs, firing up its sideline and the fans who have been waiting a long time for a season like this one. Its the first time the Lions have made the playoffs since Ford Field opened in 2002. "This is an accomplishment," Schwartz said. "Its a big step for our team and our organization." San Diego, meanwhile, has taken another step back. Rivers was 28 of 53 for 299 yards with a too-late TD and two interceptions, the second of which defensive end Cliff Avril snagged with his right hand and returned 4 yards to make it 38-10 late in the game. Antonio Gates had four receptions to give him 588 in his career, breaking the Chargers record of 586 set by Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner, in his hometown of Detroit in front of family and friends. "They were all here," Gates said. "Its just disappointing that we couldnt get a victory along with me crossing that milestone." NOTES: Johnson matched a single-season team record with 15 TD receptions. ... Chargers LB Nail Diggs, who had trouble defending Pettigrew, left the game in the third quarter with cramps in his right leg. Mark Trumbo Jersey . The Oilers have the third selection in Friday nights first round, a year after taking Darnell Nurse seventh and two years removed from a streak of three consecutive No.J.J. Putz Diamondbacks Jersey . Jones had to work hard against Korean skip Kim Jisun and didnt hold a lead until the seventh end. Jones, lead Dawn McEwen, second Jill Officer and third Kaitlyn Lawes were 8-0 going into the game and had already clinched a berth in the semifinals.PHOENIX -- Goran Dragic scored 40 points, his second career high in three games, and the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-104 Friday night, snapping a three-game losing streak. Dragic was a game-time decision because of a sore right ankle that had kept him out of Wednesdays loss at Utah, but played all but the last 10 seconds of the second half in the first 40-point game for a Phoenix player since Amare Stoudemires 44 on March 19, 2010. Anthony Davis, also a game-time decision because of a sprained left shoulder, matched his career high with 32 points for the Pelicans, who lost their sixth in a row. Markieff Morris added 18 points and twin brother Marcus 15 for Phoenix. Eric Gordon scored 21 for New Orleans. Dragic, who had expressed some doubt after the morning shootaround that he would be able to play, had a career-best 36 in the Suns loss to Houston on Sunday. He hurt his ankle in the home loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. He had 15 points in the first quarter and 13 in the fourth, surpassing 30 points in a game for the eighth time this season. Phoenix took control with a 17-1 fourth-quarter run. Dragic banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key, then sank an 18-footer to cap the outburst and put the Suns ahead 105-92 with 4:33 left. Phoenix looked to be in trouble late in the third quarter. The Pelicans used a 15-1 run to go up 77-67 on Austin Rivers two free throws with 2:59 left in the period. But Phoenix outscored the Pelicans 14-4 the rest of the quarterr. Diamondbacks Jersey. Marcus Morris scored the first seven in the run, Dragic sank a 3, then made a driving layup to tie it at 81-81 entering the fourth quarter. New Orleans took a four-point lead early in the fourth and was up 91-88 on Brian Roberts driving layup with 9:47 remaining. Phoenix, though, scored the next six. Dragic scored on a drive, then Markieff Morris made consecutive layups and the Suns led 94-91 with 8:13 left. Neither team led by more than seven points in a first half bereft of defence, with the Suns up 56-54 at the break. New Orleans shot 58 per cent in the half (22 of 38), Phoenix 56 per cent (20 of 36). In the second quarter, nobody led by more than four. Al-Farouq Aminus two free throws put the Pelicans up 50-47 with 2:14 left in the half, then the Suns scored seven straight, P.J. Tuckers 3-pointer giving Phoenix a 54-50 lead 52.9 seconds before the break. Gordons layup at the buzzer was ruled no good and the call was upheld on review, preserving Phoenixs two-point edge. NOTES: New Orleans Tyreke Evans was a late arrival after getting stuck in the hotel elevator. He arrived about an hour before the opening tip. ... The Suns Leandro Barbosa missed his fourth straight game with a sprained toe. ... Phoenix avoided matching its longest losing streak of the season at four games. ... Suns G Eric Bledsoe, coming back from knee surgery, participated in 3-on-3 drills and could resume full practice next week. ... The Pelicans longest losing streak of the season is seven games. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '