EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – The New York Giants crushed the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in an ominous sign of their intentions to defend their Super Bowl title.

The Giants (4-2) made light work of the 49ers (4-2), the team that beat in last year’s NFC Conference final, to win 26-3, while last season’s AFC champions, the New England Patriots, suffered a surprise loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – There was no miracle comeback for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday as they were thrashed 35-9 by a New York Jets team that are showing flashes of their top form from seasons past.

A week after drawing praise for engineering a game-winning drive during the final minute for an upset win over the Green Bay Packers, Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck was unable to duplicate the feat against a fired-up Jets team.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) – The red-hot Atlanta Falcons won a thriller with the Oakland Raiders on Sunday to remain perfect on the NFL season while the Cleveland Browns finally registered their first victory.

The Baltimore Ravens survived a nail-biter with the Dallas Cowboys for their fourth straight win while the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins all won on another unpredictable day in the National Football League.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter fractured his ankle and was ruled out of the rest of the Major League Baseball playoffs after a freak accident on Saturday.

Jeter was carried off Yankee Stadium in agony when he slipped and fell while fielding a ball in his team’s American League Championship opener against the Detroit Tigers.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lance Armstrong’s former manager, Johan Bruyneel, fell on his sword Friday as the fallout from the latest revelations about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional cycling intensified.

Armstrong spent the day in hiding, cancelling a scheduled public appearance in Chicago, as lawyers from all sides were sifting through the mountain of allegations and plotting their next moves.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Unrepentant and seemingly unconcerned, Lance Armstrong was going about his business as usual on Thursday as the cycling world was left reeling by the revelations about his alleged role as a doping ringleader.

Five of his former team mates who confessed to using performance enhancing drugs were formally banned by USA Cycling on Thursday while Spanish authorities were reviewing the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) documentation after three of their nationals were implicated.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The five American cyclists who testified against Lance Armstrong have all been formally banned for six months after confessing to using performance enhancing drugs, USA Cycling said on Thursday.

Tom Danielson, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie all agreed to serve six-month suspensions as part of a plea bargain to provide sworn testimony to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

NEW YORK, Oct 11 (Reuters) – The five American cyclists who testified against Lance Armstrong have all been formally banned for six months after confessing to using performance enhancing drugs, USA Cycling said on Thursday.

Tom Danielson, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie all agreed to serve six-month suspensions as part of a plea bargain to provide sworn testimony to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

NEW YORK, Oct 10 (Reuters) – If the United States Anti-Doping Agency is right, then Lance Armstrong cheated his way to the top of the cycling world through an elaborate doping scheme never seen before in the sport.

Hotel rooms were transformed into blood banks as riders were given late-night transfusions, doctors were paid off and competitors were warned about tests in advance, said the anti-doping agency, or USADA.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong cheated his way to the top of the cycling world through the most sophisticated doping program ever seen in the sports world, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said on Wednesday.

Evidence linking Armstrong to the use of performance-enhancing drugs included financial payments, emails, scientific data, laboratory test results, and testimony from 11 former teammates, the agency said in a long-awaited report.