Although it may be relatively new to Ireland’s sporting vernacular, the notion of ‘paralysis by analysis’ has long since been a staple of the American discourse.

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.

Oklahoma’s last execution went so badly that the state tried to cancel it before it was over. With the inmate writhing while the lethal drugs seeped into his body, his executioners drew the viewing gallery curtains, concealing what the warden later described as “a bloody mess”.

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.

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.

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

As much of the US debates the use of lethal injections against a backdrop of drug scarcity and botched executions, Tennessee has found an alternative — the electric chair.

The weekend proved it again.

The New England Patriots claimed their 10th consecutive NFL season-opening win when Stephen Gostkowski hit a 35-yard field goal with five seconds left to beat the Buffalo Bills 23-21.

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.

Late field goals kept the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals undefeated while Houston won a rout to also stay perfect four weeks into the season.

Hours after his younger brother’s death in a motorcycle accident, Torrey Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and scored two touchdowns to spark Baltimore to a last-play 31-30 NFL win over New England.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a career-best 510 yards to lead the reigning Super Bowl champions to their first win of the NFL season on Sunday.

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.

Epsom runner-up Treasure Beach went one place better to give Aidan O’Brien his ninth victory in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, in which the Queen’s Carlton House finished only fourth.

BOOKMAKERS and punters were singing off the one hymn sheet after Fame And Glory had landed the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown last Sunday.

Kieren Fallon will have to wait until the morning to find out if he will be able to ride Recital in the Investec Derby after a day of drama at the High Court in London.

Tennessee is considering making it an offence to follow some versions of the Shariah Islamic code, in the most severe measure yet proposed by a national movement whose members believe extremist Muslims want the law to supersede the constitution.

SUPER Bowl champions The New York Giants shrugged off the latest publicity surrounding absent receiver Plaxico Burress to defeat Washington 23-7 on Sunday.

The son of a Democratic politician denied hacking into the email account of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin today.

BRETT FAVRE has returned to his record-setting ways with the New York Jets as Washington rocked old rivals Dallas in the NFL.

Irish Walker Cup star Jonny Caldwell claimed a tie for fourth place at the Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Florida, but his University of South Alabama team-mates could not follow suit.

HILLARY CLINTON and Barack Obama split the Democratic Party delegates yesterday as John McCain declared himself the front-runner in the Republican race after the biggest Super Tuesday in history.

SEASON-ENDING victories by the Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans advanced both teams into the NFL playoffs, with reserve quarterbacks named Collins leading each triumph.

WHILE New England try to complete the first undefeated NFL regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, Washington and Tennessee will attempt to simply reach the playoffs.

THE New England Patriots continued their historic charge on Sunday by overcoming a winter blast of snow to beat the New York Jets 20-10 and extend their season record to 14-0.

NEW ENGLAND preserved their perfect NFL season on Sunday, while Dallas, Green Bay and Seattle locked up divisional titles and Indianapolis booked their playoff berth.

PEYTON MANNING threw for four touchdowns and the Indianapolis Colts edged Jacksonville 28-25 to deny the Jaguars a share of the NFL AFC South division lead.

Tara Delaney turned the tables in Las Vegas as she recovered from an awkward start to land her best finish of the autumn for the Kent State University women’s golf team.

NEW ENGLAND’S Tom Brady threw a team-record six touchdown passes and Tennessee’s Rob Bironas kicked a NFL-record eight field goals to spark impressive triumphs on Sunday.

Campus threats forced lock-downs and evacuations at universities and schools in eight US states the day after a Virginia Tech student’s shooting rampage killed 32 people.

DETROIT shocked Dallas 39-31 to deny the Cowboys the NFC East title on the final day of the NFL’s regular season.

AMERICAN football’s National Football League regular season concludes with a mad dash for the playoffs this weekend, with 11 teams still chasing three postseason berths.

LADAINIAN TOMLINSON seized the NFL single-season record for touchdowns on Sunday as the San Diego Chargers captured the AFC West division crown.

THE Miami Dolphins stunned the Chicago Bears on Sunday, leaving the Indianapolis Colts to emerge from the day’s action as the lone unbeaten team in the NFL.

THREE touchdowns off six turnovers sparked Washington past Philadelphia 31-20 on Sunday, launching the Redskins into the NFL play-offs for the first time in six seasons.

WHILE Cincinnati and the New York Giants battled to key division victories in the NFL on Sunday, Indianapolis remained unbeaten and clinched a play-off berth.

THE Cowboys and the Jaguars worked overtime for NFL victories on Sunday.

WARRING team-mates Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens put aside their differences to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 42-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the early NFL games last night.

BRETT FAVRE and Green Bay are headed to the National Football League play-offs again, but the three-time Most Valuable Player lost his mantle of invincibility in the cold at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.