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The NFL (American Football) Super Bowl is contested each year by the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The first three championships in 1967-1969 were known as the ‘AFL-NFL World Championship Game.’ The first ‘Super Bowl’ was not played until 1970, a useful fact to have in mind should the issue come up in a game of trivia. Every member of the team that wins the Super Bowl receives an elaborate and high coveted jewel-encrusted ring.

Despite losing to the New Orleans Saints in their NFL preseason opener 17-7, the Cincinnati Bengals had a lot to be happy about. Most significantly, they were elated over the return of QB Carson Palmer after he’d missed most of the last NFL season with an elbow injury. Palmer’s play–133 yards on 7 of 11 passing–gave them even more to be happy about despite being on the wrong end of the final score. Of course Cincinnati has had very low standards for success lately, and it was more of a ’silver lining in a dark cloud’ situation than anything else.

In a NFL preseason game characterized by rainy weather, sloppy field conditions and a quick exit for both teams starters, the Miami Dolphins outlasted their in-state rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 12-9 score. Only one touchdown was scored in the game, which was a battle of field goal kickers until the third quarter. Miamis game winning score came on a 33 yard touchdown strike from Chad Henne to tight end Ernest Wilford.

The Detroit Lions nineteen game losing streak is over. On Sunday afternoon at Ford Field in Detroit the Lions held on for a 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins. The Lions hadn’t won a game since December 23, 2007 and had already tied the second longest losing streak in NFL history. Their run of futility included a 0-16 mark in 2008, the first winless season since the NFL expanded its schedule to sixteen games. It may not have been pretty, but the streak is now over and the Lions wont have to worry about comparisons to the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who lost a record 26 games in their first two seasons as an NFL expansion team.

The Cincinnati Bengals were able to withstand a last minute Green Bay Packers comeback bid, and held on to win their first game of the NFL regular season 31-24. The Packers last drive stalled on the Bengals ten yard line, the victim of a false start penalty in the waning seconds. Both Cincinnati and Denver evened their 2009 record at 1-1. Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco scored the eventual game winning points on a 13 yard pass from Carson Palmer.

After a horrible NFL preseason, the Denver Broncos have actually looked pretty good since starting the 2009 regular season campaign. On Sunday, the Broncos used a tough defense and QB Kyle Ortons efficient and mistake free play to top the Cleveland Browns 27-6.

The NFL couldn’t have scripted a better ending to the first nationally televised Monday Night Football contest of the preseason. New York Giants rookie Tommie Hill returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown with 0:00 on the clock to break a deadlocked game and give his team a 24-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers in NFL preseason action at The Meadowlands.

The Pittsburgh Steelers used a 17 point fourth quarter outburst to break open a close game and send the Arizona Cardinals to defeat by a 20-10 score in a NFL preseason rematch of this years Superbowl. The two teams traded first half field goals and played a scoreless third quarter before Pittsburgh turned up the offense late in the game.

Despite the early struggles of starting QB Kerry Collins, who threw two interceptions, the Tennessee Titans managed to prevail over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday by a 27-20 score. The victory ran Tennessee’s record to 2-0 in the NFL preseason, while the Bucs dropped their first exhibition contest. The Titans rallied behind the play of backup QB Vince Young, who threw for 131 yards and the game winning touchdown.

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a crucial factor in the teams 2-0 start, showing a poise and head for the game very rare for NFL newcomers. Still, there wasn’t much worry at the revelation that hes suffering from tendinitis in his right knee. The Jets announced Sanchez’s injury on Thursday, and hes listed as probable on the official NFL injury report. Every indication from Sanchez and the Jets’ staff suggests that he’ll be able to play.