NFL News & Blogs

The N.F.L. season kicks off with a rematch of the N.F.C. title game: Brett Favre and the Vikings visit the Saints at the Superdome on Thursday night.

Will the pure violence of football become something that -- like the Soviet Union and the joys of driving a gas guzzler -- will be hard to explain to future generations?

The compelling finale of HBO's "Hard Knocks'' last night was the Darrelle Revis Show, the agony and the ecstasy of the holdout who held the Jet summer hostage. The last, desperate drama begins with general manager Mike Tannenbaum, traveling back to the Roscoe Diner to meet with Revis' agents...

Entering their third NFL season, Detroit Lions offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus and running back Kevin Smith can't remember winning on the road. It's understandable. Both were still in college the last time it happened. Detroit has lost 20 straight games on the road, the fourth-longest losing skid in league history.

New England Patriots WR Wes Welker likes that NFL umpires will now be behind the offense instead of behind the defensive line, reports Christopher Price, of WEEI.com. Welker has been accused of using umpires as picks, working them to his advantage against defensive backs. While he said there have been times he has received picks from the umpire, he said he is excited about having them out of his way now and being able to work more of the field.

Brett Favre is back as the Vikings and the Saints open the N.F.L. season Thursday night.

As city employees in Camden, N.J., take a cut in pay and its residents face the padlocking of libraries, the Jets and the Giants can afford a new palace.

For all of its excitement, the N.F.L. also offers long stretches of boredom. Here's a numerical breakdown of what you can expect to see in a typical season.