The New York Giants lost the Manning Bowl to the Indianapolis Colts but their Big Apple rivals the Jets backed up their bold pre-match talk with a decisive victory over the New England Patriots.

The violence of gridiron football, with its macho culture and thunderous "hits" has long since helped the sport replace baseball as America's national pastime. But the suicide of a player from the University of Pennsylvania has raised a new fear – that the head injuries and concussions, now finally recognised as a major danger by the professional National Football League, are a big risk in hugely popular college and high school football as well.

Baltimore Ravens' Derrick Mason escapes the attention of the New York Jets defence to take a catch during his side's 10-9 victory over the Jets at their newly-refurbished Meadowlands home on Monday night.

The New Orleans Saints opened their Super Bowl title defence with a 14-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings that epitomised head coach Sean Payton's "back to business" mantra.

Minnesota Vikings veteran quarterback Brett Favre has confirmed he will return to the NFL for one more season to try to lead his team to the Super Bowl.

With everyone assuming Brett Favre was returning for a 20th NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings were enjoying a relatively calm and quiet training camp as they started preparations for another run at the Super Bowl. All that tranquillity, and certainty, is out of the window now.

American football legend Mike Singletary, a Hall Of Fame linebacker who now coaches the San Francisco 49ers, tells Chris McGrath in an exclusive interview that evangelism goes far beyond the pitch

Domestic game languishes in doldrums but global showpiece could revive passions of black majority

British viewers of Little House On The Prairie were probably unaware that Merlin Olsen, who played the huge bearded lumberjack Jonathan Garvey, was one of the greatest linemen in the history of America's National Football League (NFL). As the cornerstone of a four-man defensive front so intimidating it was known as the "Fearsome Foursome", Olsen enjoyed a 15-year career during which he never missed a game. He was named to the Pro Bowl all-star game a record 14 consecutive times and selected first-team all-pro six times. At 6ft 4in and 275lb, his quickness meant he could beat offensive linemen individually, while his massive strength allowed him to tie up multiple blockers, freeing his linemates, particularly his fellow Hall of Fame member Deacon Jones, to rush the opposing passer.

It doesn't take a lot to remind you that so much of English football is a wasteland of anarchic greed and utter disregard for the concept of fair competition. Unfortunately, this week of all weeks, the point could hardly have been made more emphatically had it been delivered by a flaming arrow.

Trying to second-guess what Stan Kroenke does next is never easy because "Silent Stanley" is aptly nicknamed, but his decision in the early hours of yesterday to make a full takeover bid for the St Louis Rams NFL team suggests he is no hurry to launch a similar buyout at Arsenal.

The Super Bowl holds a fascination for British viewers, even if most of us haven't a clue what's going on

The White Stripes say the Air Force Reserve used one of their songs without permission in an American football championship Super Bowl ad, and that they are insulted their song was used to encourage recruitment during a war they don't support.