The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched their NFL play-off place with a last-gasp win over the Baltimore Ravens - but reigning champions the Denver Broncos were dumped out and embarrassed by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The start of a new American Football season rekindled some old — and troubling — issues for the NFL.

An emotional Peyton Manning signed off from his 18-year NFL career with the words “God bless football” — and one final “Omaha”.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning refused to confirm if he is heading for retirement after his Super Bowl 50 victory, but he did promise a celebratory alcohol-filled night in San Francisco.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning refused to confirm if he is heading for retirement after his Super Bowl 50 victory, but he did promise a celebratory alcohol-filled night in San Francisco.

Thomas Davis knows all about pain and toughness.

Quarterback Cam Newton threw five touchdown passes to lead the Carolina Panthers to a 10th straight NFL victory on Sunday, a 44-16 pounding of the Washington Redskins.

The New England Patriots stretched their NFL season-opening win streak to nine games as Stephen Gostkowski’s field goal with one second left lifted them to a 27-26 win over the New York Giants.

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin has been sacked in the aftermath of their Wembley loss to AFC East rivals the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.

After earning 61 caps and scoring 14 goals for his country, Kevin Doyle has exceeded his own expectations but still believes he can contribute to the Irish cause in their time of need.

Former New Zealand lock Brad Thorn is retiring at the end of the season following a glittering 21-year career in which won the biggest prizes in rugby league and union.

American Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers came on strong in the fourth quarter on Sunday night for a 42-21 NFL triumph over Cincinnati that blew open the AFC North division race.

Tom Brady sparked the New England Patriots to their seventh consecutive victory in a 34-9 rout of Detroit, while Indianapolis receiver T.Y. Hilton scored a touchdown for his newborn daughter.

US federal agents conducted surprise inspections of National Football League team doctors and trainers on Sunday as part of an ongoing probe into painkiller drug abuse, the US media reported on Sunday.

Tom Brady won the battle of the marquee quarterbacks over Peyton Manning, while the Arizona Cardinals knocked off the Dallas Cowboys to claim the NFC’s best record.

Baltimore Ravens have released running back Ray Rice hours after a shocking video surfaced showing the NFL star punching his then-fiancee.

What a brilliant thing to do!

A Houston furniture store owner is out an estimated $7m (€5.1m) due to the Seattle Seahawks’ win in the Super Bowl on Sunday after losing a bet with customers who made hefty purchases at his stores.

The most highly anticipated Super Bowl in recent memory somehow also managed to be the biggest disappointment.

Floyd Mayweather Jr has denied reports that the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl victory cost him $10.4m (€7.7m), and claimed he didn’t even put a bet on the NFL showcase match.

Seattle Seahawks 43 Denver Broncos 8

The Seattle Seahawks produced one of the most dominant performances in Super Bowl history as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos were neutralised in a 43-8 humbling.

New York takes all the credit, talking a big game and laying on the hottest Super Bowl bashes.

“Jimmy; was it dead mother, blind father or blind mother, dead father?”

Musical leads faithful back to the future

Screened in over 200 countries, Super Bowl will be lapped up by well over 100 million Americans for whom it has become as symbolic of their country as Apple Pie.

With weather forecasts firming up to suggest that Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVIII may be spared the sort of intense snowstorms which have struck the New York area twice this month, both the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks arrived to their team hotels in Jersey City on Sunday ahead of a week of scrutiny.

It’s rare that the two best teams in the NFL make it through to the Super Bowl.

All eyes will be on Denver tomorrow as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady face each other for the 15th time.

The NFL couldn’t have scripted it much better heading into the last week of the regular season.

A win over divisional rivals Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening saw the Denver Broncos emerge from the toughest part of their NFL campaign relatively unscathed and in poll position in the AFC and will now retain home advantage throughout January’s play-offs.

In the small hours of Monday morning, just south of a bitterly cold Boston, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots finally overcame the Denver Broncos in an instant NFL classic that provided almost everything.

The great Noel Kelly retired from rugby league in 1970 after what Americans would call a Hall of Fame career and, 43 years later, the suburb of Goodna in the Queensland city of Ipswich honoured their famous son by naming a street after him.