The only on-screen controls allow you to spin, juke, and sprint. And you'll need each one of those to elude your on-screen pursuers and rack up bonus points. There's also a Showboat button you can tap and hold to perform moves that Deion Sanders would find shamefully boastful, racking up further bonus points. And while the sportsman in me feels like I should tut-tut that feature, the game player in me gets a kick out of high-stepping into the end zone while my fallen foe watches helplessly.

Backbreaker features challenge and endurance modes at three difficulty levels to keep the gameplay fresh. It's not a flawless game--Backbreaker football uses far too many interstitial videos and replays for my tastes (though you're able to skip them). And this grumpy old man didn't much care for the hard-rock soundtrack that you can only turn down or override with your own iTunes library.

Still, Backbreaker Football is a terrific game for the iPhone and iPod touch. Should the action begin to wane on Sunday, it's the first app I'll be reaching for. And it's going to stay on my iPhone long into the off-season.

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