Lions feeling like theyre playing as well as any team in the NFL.

NICE, France -- Two-time defending European champion Spain faces a seemingly comfortable road to defend its title at Euro 2016 after being drawn Sunday with Luxembourg, Macedonia, Belarus, Slovakia and Ukraine for the qualifiers. "Its not as easy a group as it might appear to some. We are facing emerging teams who are young and strong," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said of the Group C draw. "The cold conditions could play a role in the group because many of the trips will be to teams from the east." The Netherlands was drawn in a tougher-looking Group A and faces the Czech Republic, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Iceland and Latvia. "The Dutch are the favourites. Together with them, it will be us, Turkey and Iceland fighting to advance," Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech said. "We have to cope with it if we want to go to France." There will be eight groups of six teams and one of five, each playing home and away. The top two teams from the nine groups qualify, along with the best third-placed side. The eight remaining third-placed sides will contest play-offs with four spots at stake. Host France is the 24th team and automatically qualified. It will play matches in Group I, but no points will be awarded for their matches. UEFA made the change because host nations can struggle to arrange suitable friendlies while others focus on qualification. Germany, the runner-up to Spain at Euro 2008, is in Group D and has potentially awkward matches against the Republic of Ireland and Poland -- led by Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski -- with Gibraltar, Georgia and Scotland also in the group. "The matches against Scotland will be great occasions," Republic of Ireland manager Martin ONeill said. "It looks like a group, Germany apart, where teams might take points off each other." England will be pleased with what looks like a winnable Group E featuring Switzerland, San Marino, Lithuania, Estonia and Slovenia. "Im very satisfied, in particular for the fans. Weve had some quite tough trips to get to in recent years, but theres some good places to visit," England coach Roy Hodgson said. "The name Switzerland always brings a smile to my face because they were four fantastic years (as national team coach)." But Wales bid to qualify might mean going through the playoffs as Group B contains Eden Hazards Belgium and the attacking strength of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is completed by Andorra, Cyprus and Israel. "Im happy, positive," Wales coach Chris Coleman said. "We managed to get a point in Belgium (in World Cup qualifying) and were unlucky at home." Belgium coach Marc Wilmots was happy overall. "I am not going to say it is a beautiful draw, because every match is difficult," Wilmots said. "But I will return home feeling satisfied." Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed out on this years World Cup after Sweden was beaten by Portugal in a thrilling playoff, but the prolific Paris Saint-Germain forward should grace the fields of France in two years time. Sweden and Russia are likely to lead Group G, where Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro and Austria look to be up against it. Italy, runners-up to France in 2000 and Spain in 2012, will be confident of winning Group H, despite facing Croatia, Norway and Bulgaria. The other teams are Malta and Azerbaijan. "Its a very demanding group, we will have to prepare ourselves well," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "Were not facing Belgium or Switzerland but I dont think Croatia is inferior to them. Croatia and Bulgaria are potential group winners." Group F, however, seems to be the most open one and it is hard to call the top two from 2004 champion Greece, Finland, Romania, improving Northern Ireland and Hungary. All of them should take maximum points against perpetual minnow, the Faeroe Islands. Having guided Portugal to the World Cup with a brilliant playoff performance against Sweden -- outshining even Ibrahimovic -- Cristiano Ronaldo will need to find his scoring touch to keep Portugal ahead of Serbia and Denmark in Group I, and trips to Albania and Armenia are sometimes tricky. France completes Group I, although Didier Deschamps team has no bearing on the outcome. "Its pretty good to play a team like Portugal, they will be prestigious matches," Deschamps said. Wholesale Hurricanes Jerseys . The Oilers jumped into the free agent market early by signing defencemen Keith Aulie (six-foot-six, 228 pounds) and Mark Fayne (6-3, 210 pounds) and left-winger Benoit Pouliot (6-3, 197-pounds). Two days earlier MacTavish traded lightweight forward Sam Gagner to Tampa Bay for 6-3, 203-pound right winger Ted Purcell. Cheap Hurricanes Jerseys China . -- Felix Girard scored on the power play in the third period to lift the Baie-Comeau Drakkar past the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Friday. http://www.cheaphurricanesjerseys.com/ . What they did need, the Devils got from Patrik Elias. Elias scored a power-play goal 40 seconds into overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Cheap Hurricanes Jerseys Authentic . On Sunday, hell attempt to become the youngest driver to win a NASCAR Nationwide race on Iowas short track. The 20-year-old Blaney wont be the only kid pushing a podium finish. Cheap Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . Patton told The Baltimore Sun that he took an Adderall pill four days before the season finished, trying to improve his short-term focus. "I took one because I was stupid," Patton told The Sun.IRVING, Texas - Tony Romo took all but one snap for a regular-season finale that had little chance of meaning anything for the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys.DeMarco Murray got his 20th carry late in the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, not long after Dez Bryant made his final catch of the day.Sure enough, a 44-17 win over Washington didnt change Dallas post-season position. Not that coach Jason Garrett cares.We have been playing well as a football team the last few weeks and thats certainly an important part of it, Garrett said. But I think as much as anything else is to take advantage of an opportunity to get better as a football team. Guys embraced the opportunity to play. I think we saw that in the spirit and demeanour we played with.The team that couldnt win big games in December went 4-0 this time, zooming past Philadelphia to win the NFC East and earning a first-round home game against Detroit (11-5) on Sunday.Now the question is whether keeping to the routine over resting Romos surgically repaired back will make a difference against the Lions, or if matters that Murray missed a chance to ease up at the end of by far the NFL rushing leaders busiest season as a pro.Two things have already broken the Cowboys way.They got a Sunday playoff slot — and extra day for Romo after even he admitted that the much shorter Thanksgiving week was a problem. And Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who figured to be the most important player in trying to control Murray, will not play against the Cowboys after he was suspended for stepping on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers leg Sunday.Needless to say, players were on board with Garretts plan to play to win.I think everybody was serious and just to hear that come out of his mouth, it motivated us even more, Bryant said. We know what we have to do and we did exactly what we wanted to do. We just have to keep fighting, have to keep playing together.Here are some tangible things that Sundays dominating win did for Dallas:The Cowboys are one of five teams that tied for the best record in the NFL at 12-4. They averaged more than 40 points per game in their December victories and won four straight by double digits.dddddddddddd Dallas last did that in the first four games of 2007, finishing the season as the top seed in the NFC.This games about momentum and how you go into the playoffs, tight end Jason Witten said. We didnt want to come in here and get beat and then try to go into the playoffs and turn it on.Dallas last two trips to the playoffs offer glimpses of each approach. Seven years ago, they pulled the starters in an uninspiring loss at Washington to finish the regular season, then had the bye before losing to the New York Giants in the divisional round.Two years later, the Cowboys had to beat the Eagles in the finale to win the NFC East and secure a home game, then turned around and beat them again in the first round. Thats the only playoff win for Dallas since 1997.I dont think 07 really was (a comparison), just because we had the bye and worked hard to get to that position, Witten said. I know in 09 we played well, finished the season and then come back in the playoffs and kind of that momentum, you kind of ride that into the playoffs. I think thats good.If nothing else, the Cowboys get ready for the Lions feeling like theyre playing as well as any team in the NFL.I just think were gelling, said Murray, who finished with 1,845 yards rushing, broke all-time NFL leader Emmitt Smiths franchise record from 19 years ago and tied for the league lead in touchdowns rushing with 13. Were executing the pass game and running it well. I think were playing good, situational football. Our defence is playing good, our specials teams is playing well.Garrett simply didnt want any of that to change.NOTES: Garrett essentially ruled out DT Henry Melton against Detroit because of a right knee injury sustained against Washington. Garrett said it was not a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Melton tore the ACL in his left knee last year in Chicago, ending his season after three games.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler ' ' '