New York Wins Ugly in London

But in Super Bowl XLVI, Manning made a hero of himself

(NEWSER) - Last night's big game was intensely fought, undeniably exciting—and a little mystifying, thanks to Eli Manning's unusual brand of heroism. Analysts weigh in on the game's place in football history:

• Last night brought us "the most Eli Manning moment of Eli Manning’s career." During the game-winning touchdown, we saw "a hero shot in which the conqueror looks totally confused by his conquest," with "arms half-raised in quasi-triumph." His quiet humility was the polar opposite of Tom Brady's "aggro posture," but it remains "difficult to understand," writes Josh Levin at Slate .

Patriots top Bills, Saints crush Panthers, 49ers thump Rams

(NEWSER) - The New England Patriots overcame a 21-point deficit today with 49 unanswered points to rock the Buffalo Bills 49-21, the AP reports. The win earned the Pats home-field advantage and the AFC's top seed. Tom Brady threw for 338 yards and finished with the second-most passing yards in NFL history, 5,235—behind only Drew Brees, who threw for 5,486 this year with the New Orleans Saints. More»

Tampa, Chicago will play league's fifth regular-season game at Wembley

(AP) - With the lockout over, the NFL will return to London for a fifth straight year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 23 in the fifth regular-season game in the British capital. The game had been under threat because of negotiations over a new labor agreement between the league and its locked-out players. The two sides announced a 10-year labor deal yesterday to end the dispute. More»

Cops arrest ex-Giants star; he faces felony

(NEWSER) - Football great Lawrence Taylor was arrested today and charged with third-degree rape, after allegedly having sex with a16-year-old girl. Police say the incident took place earlier today at a hotel in Montebello, New York, the Daily News reports. Taylor is currently in jail, and will be arraigned this afternoon. More»

New England cruises past winless Tampa Bay, 35-7

(AP) - Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and had more than 300 yards as the Patriots (5-2) beat the winless (0-7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 35-7, today at Wembley Stadium in the NFL's third regular-season game at the iconic London venue. The game drew a sellout crowd of 84,254. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last week he envisions multiple regular-season games in Britain in coming years and the possibility of London having its own franchise. More»