GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -New England cornerback Randall Gay returned to the Super Bowl in the second quarter after injuring his left arm early in the first quarter against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Gay was attempting a tackle on New York's Steve Smith when teammate Rodney Harrison knocked into him hard. Harrison made the tackle on Smith, who had an 8-yard catch on third-and-6 to keep an early drive by the Giants alive. Both Gay and Harrison were injured on the play and examined by trainers on the Patrio

NEW YORK (AP) -The Patriots weren't the only ones seeking history on Super Bowl Sunday.

Fox hoped New England's pursuit of an undefeated season, coupled with the underdog New York Giants, would break the record 94.08 million viewers who watched the 1996 Super Bowl.

To help its cause, Fox brought in a ringer: the network's other ratings monster, ``American Idol.''

Before the game, ``Idol'' host Ryan Seacrest rolled out a red carpet, ``Idol'' judge Paula Abdul performed her first new song in a decade, a

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Laurence Maroney's 1-yard run gave the New England Patriots a 7-3 halftime lead over the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

The Giants kept the heavily favored Patriots in check with a clock-chewing ground game and relentless pressure on New England quarterback Tom Brady, who was sacked three times and hit often.

The two teams combined for 73 points in their first meeting, a 38-35 New England victory in the Meadowlands on Dec. 29. The rematch didn't produce nearly as many offensiv

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Looking masterful in his Super Bowl debut, Eli Manning led a long opening drive to give the New York Giants a 3-0 lead over New England after the first quarter in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots responded with a long march of their own and had second-and-goal at New York's 1-yard line when the quarter ended. The key play came when New York linebacker Antonio Pierce was flagged for pass interference on Benjamin Watson in the end zone.

The Giants' march covered 63 yards in 16 plays and

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -New England cornerback Randall Gay's return to the Super Bowl was questionable Sunday after injuring his left arm early in the first quarter against the New York Giants.

Gay was attempting a tackle on New York's Steve Smith when teammate Rodney Harrison knocked into him hard. Harrison made the tackle on Smith, who had an 8-yard catch on third-and-6 to keep an early drive by the Giants alive. Both Gay and Harrison were injured on the play and examined by trainers on the Patriots' side

WASHINGTON (AP) -The Washington Redskins, entering the final stage of their coaching search, tentatively plan to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo on Tuesday, a person familiar with the selection process said.

The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Redskins have not publicly released the names of any candidates, also said Sunday that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is no longer in the running for the job.<