Every game in the NFL is a special event.  It is sixty minutes of perfection with only one chance for players to head home with their heads held high, or hang them in defeat.  Before Week 4 Kicks off tonight, I thought it was time we revisited the top stories from Week 3 before new stories are given life.  So without further ado, here is what we learned last week in the NFL, and oddly enough these stories revolve around quarterbacks. 

1. Kirk Cousins is already making his case in Washington.  Sure, Washington lost last week, simply because it's defense fell to pieces.  But during that game came an amazing bright spot, #8.  He made some impressive throws.  I mean, hey he only threw for 427 yards, completed 63% of his passes and threw for three touchdowns.  The more he plays like that, the more one of two things will happen. Either Washington sticks with Kirk as the starter and perhaps we see the end of RG3 or, they send him off in a trade.  After all, there are some teams in need of quarterbacks, for example...

2. Miami is in need of a franchise quarterback.  Ryan Tannehill is just not getting the job done.  While he has shown flashes of brilliance, the average or sub standard throws and game management make the case that he is just not the guy in Miami.  In fact, he has done enough to start the controversy in Miami since Head Coach Joe Philbin made a point of not committing to Tannehill as the starter this week in a timely fashion.  Don't be surprised if you see Matt Moore taking the snaps with the first team soon, and this team is not the only one in the AFC East that should be concerned about the future...

3. The New York Jets are also in need of a franchise quarterback.  I found the Geno Smith pick puzzling to begin with a few years ago because well, he was a so so player in college and he continues to be a so so player in the NFL.  Geno has real trouble reading NFL defenses and some of his throws are extremely questionable.  It's only going to get worse for him, for with every bad throw, Michael Vick is watching and waiting.  I think Smith  is on borrowed time and Vick will be in the starting line up pretty soon here. 

4. Something is wrong with Tom Brady.  I dare say this because well, the proof is in the pudding, but I think Brady is in decline. He is no longer the elite monster he used to be.  Granted he is a serviceable quarterback and can still play, but the domination and fear that he used to impose over opposing defenses seems to be gone.  The great quarterbacks always manage to make their receivers better, Brady isn't doing much of that these days and that should be cause for concern in New England.  

5. Something is also wrong with the Denver Broncos offense.  So it turns out, the Defense is not the concern after all, they're just playing exhausted.  The run game has barely worked in Denver, and quite frankly, what I'm not seeing this year that I saw last year is sheer dominance from the Denver offense.  They would score at will and leave the other team stunned and demoralized. It seems like this year the plan is to get a comfortable lead and let the defense do the rest and well, that's stupid. Hopefully when Denver returns from the bye week, they return to playing cutthroat offense, I mean you have Peyton Manning, turn him loose.  

It was another incredible week in the NFL.  Plenty of exciting games, some devastating losses and of course the injury bug arrived once again to leave all of us holding our breath in the hopes that a player would be okay.  One of those injuries we will spend a little time on today as we look at the top five stories that came out of this weekend's games and what they taught us.  

1. The Buffalo Bills continue to impress.  There are teams every year you instantly write off and the Bills are one of those.  Except for this year. These guys are playing some solid football right now and if they can continue to execute the way they have been, this is a team that is looking at a great season and potentially a playoff run.  

2. This was a weekend of redemption for some teams. Chicago, Dallas and New England pulled off some impressive wins this weekend after opening the season in embarrassing fashion.  Whether or not they can keep it going is another thing. It took Chicago a full half of football to finally come alive and New England took a shot to the jaw from Minnesota before buckling down and playing some solid football and Dallas played Tennessee, so enough said there.  Either way, these teams still have question marks around them, but for now a win cures all.  

3. The Philadelphia Eagles look amazing.  Speaking of teams that continue to impress, the Eagles are simply on fire.  Right now there seems to be little stopping them and everyone who plays them this year needs to take them seriously. Nick Foles is playing some solid football as are his teammates.  Sure the defense has let through quite a few points, but they are finishing games and once they figure out how to dominate, this is going to be a scary squad. 

4. Denver is still trying to find its identity.  I'm one of the many Broncos fans out there who didn't quite feel as good about the win over Kansas City this week.  But, after taking a moment to realize oh yeah, we are 2-0, I keep forgetting that this defense has been completely revamped in the offseason and we are only two weeks in. These guys are still trying to figure out how to play as a unit and while that may cost us a game or two now, once they do unite we can expect some big things here, and we have seen flashes of brilliance already.  Much like Philadelphia, they are finishing games and collecting the win and that's all that matters.  

5. Robert Griffin III could be done in Washington. Now I've never been much of a Griffin fan, or the read option quarterback as a whole, but I think I'm not alone in saying the fan base in Washington has been waiting patiently for this QB to deliver...something. Let's be honest, Griffin has been about as inconsistent as it gets. Injuries have come into play often as well so if Kirk Cousins plays some lights out football, I think we will see a changing of the guard for this squad and that may not be a bad thing.  

There's some big games ahead this upcoming weekend, and thankfully we only have to wait until Thursday before Week 3 gets underway, until then my fellow fans! 

September is a wonderful time of month. The heat from a sweltering summer begins to fade, the colors come alive as the trees begin to change in preparation for the winter that awaits us, and most importantly...the NFL season returns.  

Yes the regular season has arrived at last and I couldn't be happier, especially since every single NFL game provides an incredible story of its own.  So I thought today would be a good opportunity to take a look at some of the more important story lines from Kickoff Weekend, so without further ado, here is what we learned from Week 1. 

1. The Seattle Seahawks are still REALLY good. They made the Packers look like a practice squad on opening night and that's a big deal for the rest of the league. Their offense is still as potent as ever with Wilson at QB and Lynch at RB and the defense looked just as stout.  There's a good chance they will have another great year, and every team that goes up against them will need to bring their A game. 

2. The Dallas Cowboys are still REALLY bad. This was just ugly to watch. Tony Romo is clearly not quite back from his injury and it shows. He made many a throw that seemed to lack power and that's a sign he has more healing to do.  But more importantly, their defense is going to cost them a lot of games.  It looks like it is going to be another looooooong year for Cowboys fans.  

3. The Denver Broncos are already running away with the AFC West.  Sure it's only been one game, but the Raiders, Chiefs and Chargers all suffered losses this weekend.  While it will take a few more wins to officially hand Denver the AFC West crown, there are reasons it's looking pretty good.  The Raiders still look lost and certainly are by no means settled at Quarterback, the Chiefs basically imploded and the Chargers completely melted down on Monday night, if any of these squads plan to take the division, they have a lot of work to do.  

4. The Buffalo Bills may have a solid season. Have to admit, this was the surprise story of the week, seeing as how Buffalo is often written off at the start of every single season.  But instead they came in and shocked the Chicago Bears by pulling out the win and well...they did it with some impressive football. One has to wonder if this is just the beginning and maybe just maybe, the Bills can have a year to be proud of.  

5. The New England Patriots might be in decline. It's rare that one has to write about a Patriots squad, that just did not look that great.  Tom Brady only threw a single touchdown and only managed to complete 52% of his passes.  But he was not the only problem for New England. The defense was porous and let Knowshon Moreno run wild and the offensive line was cause for concern as well.  It really has been a long time since I've seen the Patriots look so average and one has to wonder if this is a one off, or a hint of things to come. 

Either way my friends football is back and already there is plenty of intrigue to keep me hooked, I can't wait to see what happens in Week 2 and we'll be here to discuss it all next Tuesday. 

I have to admit that I am by no means a hardcore gamer. Don't get me wrong, I have my console of choice, I have my collection of games but I only sit down to play when I truly have the time.  So in order for me to be hooked on a game, to make time for it, it has to completely and utterly captivate me. 

For many years the only game that has managed to do this is the Madden franchise.  I love my football, that's for sure and I've always enjoyed being able to sit down and control the fate of my favorite team and live out those wonderful moments of glory that are sometimes robbed from all of us football fans.  

But since moving to next generation consoles, Madden has found itself under fire. Complaints about gameplay, glitches and some of it is indeed warranted. My chief complaint has been how gameplay has slowed down over the years, especially after last year's edition with the amount of time you spent upgrading players after each game. 

But Madden 15 has done what matters most, bring back the fun.  We can go on and on about the new physics design and the emphasis on defense, but that's not the key to whether or not someone should want to play this game.  It really is a matter of whether or not you'll enjoy it and I most certainly have.  What I have enjoyed the most about this year's edition, are the upgrades to Owner Mode in Connected Franchise.  I love that they addressed the slow burn between games with the new Game Prep mode.  It gets the job done fast to get you into the game and at long last XP mode has been redesigned to be quick and efficient. 

For the casual gamer who has always wanted to enjoy this game but has not one clue about football and how it works, this game is also open to those fans. With drills that take time to teach you how to play, along with explanations of football terms and explanations in game as to why one should call a certain play based on the situation.  

It really makes this game a blast once again.  It seemed for a while that this franchise was headed toward an MMO/RPG style of play, which while there is nothing wrong with those games, it doesn't quite work for football.  This is a sport about the wonder of a split second decision and the thrill of playing a game that relies on perfection.  Madden 15 signals a positive direction for the franchise and makes this game worth your time.  Pick it up, strap on those virtual pads and settle in for the same reason you watch the game on Sundays...to have a good time.