Defending-Champ Steelers Work OT to Beat Titans

And so did the fourth-quarter television ratings

(NEWSER) - This might just be a weird coincidence, or Tim Tebow's dramatic defeat of the Steelers last night may have been a miracle in more ways than one. The polarizing Denver quarterback wound up throwing for 316 yards, which, if you toss in a colon in the right spot, mirrors the call number of a famous bible verse, John 3:16. That's a verse Tebow occasionally wrote on his face while playing at the University of Florida, Fox News reports. More»

Broncos advance, will meet New England on Saturday

(AP) - They'll be Tebowing in Denver tonight: Tim Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime and the Broncos defeated the stunned Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 in the AFC wild-card game. Thomas hauled in a high play-action pass at the Denver 38, stiff-armed Ike Taylor and then outraced Ryan Mundy to the end zone. Tebow knelt in his own end zone, pounding a fist in triumph before taking a victory lap in jubilation. More»

Troy Polamalu wanted to let her know he was OK

(NEWSER) - The NFL isn't making exceptions about its policy that players stay unplugged during games: It fined Troy Polamalu of the Steelers $10,000 for making a call from the bench during last Sunday's game, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Polamalu, though, wasn't showboating or looking for some digital advantage—he borrowed a trainer's phone to call his wife and let her know he was OK after leaving the game with concussion symptoms. More»

From comedy to coffee, here's how players are getting by

(NEWSER) - With the NFL lockout dragging on, a lot of players might just be looking for work. Thankfully, Bleacher Report is here to help. Here are some gigs that top players are trying out:

• Comedian—You don’t need to do years of standup to get a comedy gig; you just need to be a well-known pro football player. DeSean Jackson and Thomas Jones, for example, are “working” for Jimmy Kimmel. (See videos.)
• Major League Soccer player—Chad Ochocinco tried out for the Kansas City Wizards. He didn’t wind up making the team, but he is now an “honorary member.”
• Boxer—Hey, NFL players are already good at hitting people. Tom Zbikowski of the Ravens has jumped into the ring, and so far he’s 4-0.

111 million tuned in for big game: Nielsen

(AP) - For the second year in a row, the Super Bowl has set a new record for American television viewing. The Nielsen Co. said today that an estimated 111 million people watched the Green Bay Packers outlast the Pittsburgh Steelers in football's ultimate game. That tops the 106.5 million who watched the 2010 game between New Orleans and Indianapolis, and pushes the series finale of M-A-S-H, which had held the title of the most-watched TV show in the United States for 27 years, to No. 3. "We're excited about the fan reaction," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today. More»