from John Riordan in New York
I NEVER knew where the term ‘braggadocio’ originally came from but I decided to look it up when DeSean Jackson ran himself into the record books.
A first in the history of the NFL, his game-ending punt-return in the dying seconds of an incredible Philadelphia Eagles rally rocked the New York Giants on their own patch.
It was a moment of magic that will have caused mixed feelings around the footballing fraternity in the US.
Jackson is the supreme exponent of arrogant joie de vivre in the NFL, if not American sport. And of course, that is some accomplishment.
A quick google told me that ‘Braggadocchio’ was a character in Edward Spenser's Faerie Queene (1590), a comic knight with a malevolent swagger. Jackson, meanwhile, isn’t evil, by any stretch, he’s just a young sports star trying to have fun with his awe-inspiring talent as a speedy wide receiver in a talented Eagles offense.
But he elicits no end of hatred and bile in a sport where tradition can often look down on its, shall-we-say, more flamboyant athletes.
The pacey Eagle has on occasion found himself falling foul of strict celebration rules during his NFL career. And it’s worth checking out some classic YouTube footage of him sabotaging his own touchdown in Cowboy Stadium by celebrating prematurely and throwing the ball away before crossing the line.
But yesterday, he backed up that ‘braggadocio’.
Having taunted the Giants punter Matt Dodge from afar as the latter lined up for his kick, Jackson then dropped what should have been an easy catch. The nation, in unison, smiled knowingly - Jackson had once again fallen victim to his own self-regard.
Then we watched incredulously as he picked the ball back up and ran 65 yards unchallenged to the end zone, all but clinching the NFC East division for the Eagles.
"I've never been around anything like this in my life," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. "It's about as empty as you get to feel in this business, right there."
Then there was Dan Connolly.
The 22-stone, 6'4", offensive lineman for the New England Patriots must have been watching the early game in preparation for the primetime kick-off at home to the Green Bay Packers last night.
With a depleted Green Bay causing big problems for the clear Super Bowl favourites during a gripping clash, Connolly improbably found himself in possession of a poorly struck kick-off.
He had no option but to run with the ball and to the delight of the home crowd he managed to gain 71 yards to set up the platform for a two-yard Tom Brady-to-Aaron Hernandez touchdown. The Patriots eventually closed out the victory on a 31-27 scoreline.
Connolly's feat is now an NFL record that could stand for a long time - no player in his position or carrying his weight could even dream of running up such a stat. It proved to be the catalyst for New England while the plucky Packers now face a tough battle to ensure a place in the play-offs - a chance they'll deserve should it come to pass.
The New York Jets had their own late drama to contend with but ended up on the right side of an exciting Pittsburgh Steelers drive that ultimately failed to overturn a 22-17 winning margin. It may not be enough to regain the AFC East divisional lead from the New England Patriots but it was a morale-boosting win after a traumatic week during which they had to suspend their strengths coach Sal Alosi indefinitely after his trip of Miami Dolphins player Nolan Carroll.
Elsewhere, on a crucial day, the Indianapolis Colts are right back in the play-off picture - inevitably Peyton Manning was the architect.
The four-time MVP threw two touchdown passes - both to Austin Collie - driving Indianapolis to a season-saving 34-24 victory over AFC South rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Both sides are 8-6 now but by virtue of two wins over the Jags, the Colts can win the division with two wins from their two remaining clashes.
The Baltimore Ravens shattered the six-game win-streak of the defending Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints with a crucial 30-24 home win. Ray Rice was the star, running for 153 yards, catching five passes for 80 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
This wasn't just a vital win to keep the pressure on the Steelers in the AFC North, but it was also a psychological boost for a side that had blown eight fourth-quarter leads. On this occasion, Baltimore scored the game's final six points after New Orleans had rallied from an early 14-point deficit.
Before they even got going yesterday, the Atlanta Falcons had clinched a play-off berth courtesy of the Giants capitulating in New Jersey. Their 34-18 win over the Seattle Seahawks just added to the good feeling in Georgia.
Matt Cassel, playing just 11 days after an emergency appendectomy, led the way in a 27-13 victory over the St Louis Rams.
The Detroit Lions won their first away game since October 2007 after 26 unsuccessful trips - an NFL record - with a 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have lost ground in the wild card chase as a result.
In the other games, the Oakland Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 39-23, Carolina Panthers inexplicably beat the Arizona Cardinals, 19-12, the Dallas Cowboys survived a Washington Redskins comeback to edge a 33-30 victory, the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Cleveland Browns 19-17, the Tennessee Titans overcame the Houston Texans, 31-17 and the Buffalo Bills beat the utterly erratic Miami Dolphins, 17-14.
On Thursday night, the San Diego Chargers hammered the San Francisco 49ers 34-7, while tonight the Chicago Bears travel to the University of Minnesota’s stadium as the Vikings’ Superdome continues to be unfit for use.
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