It's Back

It all begins Thursday night. Heading into NFL Kickoff 2006, some of the elements that can give this season its uniqueness:

A NEW BALL: "The Duke" is back! The NFL will play with a new/old football this year -- "The Duke," the ball used by the league from 1941-69 that contained the nickname of the late New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. The ball will carry the signature of new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

THE SAINTS COME HOME: The new-look New Orleans Saints (Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush) will return to their refurbished Louisiana Superdome home on Monday night, September 25 for the first time in over a year. The game -- the conclusion to a whole day of re-opening festivities in the Crescent City -- will be a rejuvenation for the team and its city. "We can give New Orleans some stability, some hope," says Saints wide receiver Joe Horn.

NFL COMPETITIVENESS: Suspense? It seems ingrained in the NFL. Last year, 17 percent of games were decided in the final two minutes or overtime. Almost half the games (48 percent) were decided by one score (eight points or less) and almost a quarter (24 percent) by three or less points. The average margin of victory for all 256 games was 11.7 points.

"There is nothing predictable in the unpredictable NFL," says new Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman.