Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has warned that any of his players who disrespect the US flag will not play.

The Atlanta Falcons are going to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history after they thrashed the Green Bay Packers 44-21 in the NFC Championship game.

There will be a familiar feel to the NFL playoffs next weekend: Every divisional-round game will be a rematch from the regular season, the first time that’s happened in six years.

Aaron Rodgers has two NFL MVP awards and one Super Bowl ring, and he’s in his ninth season as the starter for Green Bay. Sam Bradford was never on a winning team over his first six years in the league. He had 15 days to learn Minnesota’s offence, then lost his Hall of Fame calibre running back to injury in the third quarter.

The Carolina Panthers withstood a furious second half comeback from the Seattle Seahawks last night to win 31-24 and set up a National Football Conference championship showdown against the Arizona Cardinals.

Tom Brady threw for two fourth-quarter touchdowns and notched a career rushing first, leading New England to a 30-23 win over the New York Jets that kept the Patriots unbeaten this NFL season.

Aaron Rodgers threw for two touchdowns to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 27-17 victory in an NFL grudge match against the Seattle Seahawks.

It’s almost a year now since this column fulfilled a near life-long sporting ambition with a trip to Chicago to see the Bears host the Green Bay Packers at the iconic Soldier Field.

If the Vegas oddsmakers are to be believed, there is no separating New England and Seattle.

NFL: Coach Pete Carroll said it was "belief in one another" that saw Seattle Seahawks complete a miracle comeback to reach the Super Bowl.

The Green Bay Packers will face the Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC title game after a thrilling weekend in the NFL play-offs.

There’s no knowing what 2015 will serve up but it will start with a bang tomorrow in the US.

High profile coaching casualties followed quick on the heels of the final day of the NFL’s regular season as the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets parted ways with their coaches yesterday.

The Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys booked their places in the play-offs after victories on Sunday while the New England Patriots earned a first round bye for the post-season.

The Dallas Cowboys blew a 21-0 lead before rallying to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-27 and move to 10-4, one game ahead of Philadelphia at the top of the NFC East standings.

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.

Chicago Bears’ defensive end Lamarr Houston will miss the rest of the season after a freak injury while celebrating a sack.

Peyton Manning broke Brett Favre’s all-time record for touchdown passes, leading Denver to a 42-17 rout of San Francisco to cap a scintillating Sunday in the NFL.

An embattled NFL, reeling from off-field brutality issues, received more bad news with numerous injuries to key players in the second week of an already tumultuous campaign.

The NFL play-off picture was completed on Sunday with a dramatic final series of regular season games delivering big results for the Green Bay Packers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Diego Chargers.

The Green Bay Packers needed their biggest comeback in history on Sunday to somehow keep their play-off hopes alive ahead of the long-awaited return of Aaron Rodgers from injury.

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.

The Denver Broncos will be sweating this week on the fitness of quarterback Peyton Manning, who led them to their eighth win of the season on Sunday but saw his injury-prone ankle targeted in the process.

The NFL play-offs continue tomorrow with four teams left vying for a spot in next month’s Super Bowl XLVII.

As the NFL heads into December, nearly every division race has an outright favourite.

Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes on Sunday to help Pittsburgh beat the New York Giants 24-20 in an NFL game played with Hurricane Sandy’s devastation as a backdrop.

Atlanta remained undefeated, Tom Brady won the battle of the marquee quarterbacks and Drew Brees had a record-setting day in week five of the National Football League season.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in all my years in football.”

Peyton Manning made a sparkling return after a year’s injury absence from the NFL, leading Denver to a 31-19 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in his Broncos debut.

THE New England Patriots secured the number one seed in the AFC and home advantage for the NFL play-offs as they came from three touchdowns down to hammer the Buffalo Bills.

THE Green Bay Packers suffered a shock 19-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, shattering their hopes of a perfect season as three more teams joined them in the National Football League (NFL) playoffs.

IN SPITE of the lockout cloud which overshadowed the off-season, the NFL machine cranks into gear this weekend, a little creaky but right on schedule.

WHEN Casey Stengel was fired by the New York Yankees just days after Bill Mazeroski’s game-winning home run secured a dramatic 1961 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the legendary manager was informed he was too old to continue in the post.

HE didn’t say much but Charles Woodson’s attempt at a half-time speech inspired his Green Bay Packers teammates to hold on for a gripping Super Bowl victory on Sunday night.

Pittsburgh 25 Green Bay 31

The Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, securing their fourth Vince Lombardi trophy in a dramatic showdown, writes John Riordan.

GREEN BAY PACKERS coach Mike McCarthy has pledged to bring the Vince Lombardi trophy “back where it belongs” tomorrow night.

A car salesman in suburban Chicago who was fired for refusing to remove a Green Bay Packers tie said he will not be coming back even though his former boss has relented.

PITTSBURGH native Mike McCarthy will come face-to-face with the city of his birth in the Super Bowl on Sunday week after the showdown so long desired by the purists became a reality on Sunday night.

THE NFL’s oldest rivalry will be played out on its greatest possible stage tomorrow evening as the Green Bay Packers visit the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game (8pm, Irish time).