Off the wire

FOOTBALL Lions let Cooter walk

The Detroit Lions are not renewing offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter’s contract after the team sputtered to a 6-10 season while quarterback Matthew Stafford struggled. The Lions announced their decision Tuesday, two days after finishing 6-10 in Coach Matt Patricia’s first season at the helm. Cooter was a holdover from Jim Caldwell’s staff, but his first season with Patricia did not go well. Only two teams in the NFC scored fewer points than Detroit’s 324. Rookie running back Kerryon Johnson gave the Lions’ running game a bit of a boost before he was lost for the season with a knee injury. Stafford took a step back, falling short of 4,000 yards passing for the first time since his injury-filled 2010 campaign. Detroit won its finale 31-0 over Green Bay, but that was the only time in its past 10 games that the Lions scored more than 22 points. Cooter was a quarterbacks coach for the Lions before taking over as offensive coordinator during the 2015 season. Stafford threw 21 touchdown passes, also his lowest mark since 2010, and his passer rating of 89.9 was his lowest since 2014.

Raiders sign Peterman

The Oakland Raiders signed quarterback Nathan Peterman to a reserve future contract. Oakland added Peterman to the practice squad last month and then gave him a contract Tuesday to compete for a backup spot this offseason. The Raiders also signed eight other players from their practice squad: receivers Saeed Blacknall and Rashard Davis; linebackers Cayson Collins and James Cowser; running backs James Butler and Ryan Yurachek, the son of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek; defensive back Makinton Dorleant; and tackle Jamar McGloster. Oakland also signed punter Drew Kaser, who played 36 games for the Chargers from 2016-2018. Peterman was a fifth-round pick by Buffalo in 2017 and began this season as the starter for the Bills. He has 12 interceptions, 3 TD passes and a 32.5 career passer rating.

Williams interviews

Gregg Williams had his interview Tuesday with the Cleveland

Browns, who were impressed by his leadership as coach in the second half this season. Williams went 5-3 as Cleveland’s interim coach after taking over when Hue Jackson was fired Oct. 29. The 60-year-old Williams is the first candidate to meet with General Manager John Dorsey. The Browns are looking for their ninth coach since 1999. But unlike previous years, the team has a promising future with quarterback Baker Mayfield, and Dorsey is determined to find the right person to lead his young team. Dorsey was eager to learn more about Williams’ long-term vision. Williams spent the past two seasons as Cleveland’s defensive coordinator, and his impressive run after replacing Jackson could lead to him coaching the Browns or another team. Dorsey has contacted as many as eight candidates. He’ll interview Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens,

who worked well with Mayfield in the final eight games after taking over for the fired Todd Haley.

BASKETBALL Lowry treats back

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has had pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory injections for his sore lower back. The team said Tuesday he was treated Friday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Coach Nick Nurse said Monday “things are progressing really well” and it “shouldn’t be too long” before Lowry returns. There is no specific timetable. The four-time All-Star has been dealing with back and hip ailments and has missed seven of the past eight games. He did not play in Tuesday’s home game against Utah. Toronto also said center Jonas Valanciunas had stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand Saturday. He’s expected to miss at least a few more weeks.

CYCLING Thomas, Froome in

Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome, the current and former Tour de France champions, are planning to compete in the 2019 edition of the race in what could be Team Sky’s final bid for cycling’s biggest prize. Froome will not defend his Giro d’Italia title as he targets a record-tying fifth win in the Tour, while Thomas is bidding for backto-back victories. Both British riders have said they want to deliver success on the road in order to help Team Sky secure new sponsorship, with its future uncertain after the decision of broadcaster Sky to end its investment in the sport after 2019.

TENNIS Venus outlasts foe

Venus Williams rallied from a break down in the third set to beat Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday in what she described as one of the toughest first-round matches of her career. That was saying something as the 38-year-old Williams has spent more than two decades on the WTA Tour. But it is rare that two former topranked players and Grand Slam winners meet in the first round of a relatively small tournament such as Auckland. Williams appeared in good form when she swept through the first set in 48 minutes, breaking Azarenka for 3-1 and, after dropping serve at 5-2, comfortably serving out the set. But the tide of the match changed in the second set. After holding her serve under pressure in the opening game, Azarenka broke for a 3-1 lead and broke again to take out the set in 34 minutes. Azarenka gained confidence as she broke Williams for an early lead in the third, clinching the break with a well-placed lob. But Williams immediately broke back and quickly capitalized. In other matches, defending champion and second-seeded Julia Goerges beat Khanna Larsson 6-0, 6-4. Third-seeded Su-Wei Hsieh beat Polona Hercog 6-2, 6-3, fifth-seeded Barbora Strycova beat Taylor Townsend 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, and seventh-seeded Kirsten Flipkens beat Sachia Vickery 6-2, 6-2.