There's a certain level of comfort that comes with Week 4 in the NFL. After all, you have a solid idea of where your team is headed for the rest of the season. It's either going to be a long and ugly ride, or there's a chance they'll rack up the wins, provided of course they stay healthy, but more importantly...football is a habit for all of us once again.

Our Sundays are dedicated to the game, and our discussions with our football buddies are dominated by the game and every detail that we now pour over with the season back in full swing. There are games we simply cannot miss and we know they will have our complete attention for four quarters and with that in mind, here are the games that we believe will be downright fascinating and captivating come tomorrow. 

Normally you don't think to look at a game where a 1-2 team like Tennessee is facing off against a 2-1 team like the Texans, but suddenly Houston does not look as impressive on paper as they did two weeks ago. After all, the Patriots embarrassed them on Thursday Night Football, shutting out the vaunted offense, making Brock Osweiler look like a third string backup and to top it all off now, J.J. Watt is done for the rest of the season with a back issue. That means, the Titans have watched the game footage from last week, and know that the defense won't be the same without Watt, which means there is a good chance they are going to come out swinging and attack #17 and try to stun the Texans while they lick their wounds. The key to this game is what kind of adjustments Houston made to Osweiler's style of play and how they plan to attack on defense, and if they didn't make any adjustments, expect Tennessee to leave NRG Stadium with a big win. 

There are a couple of games that are looking to be a pair of powerhouse showdowns, and this is one of them. The Raiders are having a great start to the year at 2-1 and let's be honest, that loss against Atlanta could have been a win, considering how close that score was. As for the Ravens, they're enjoying a lovely 3-0 and have shown just how tough they are to beat. They came back from a big deficit to defeat the Browns and they utterly manhandled the Jaguars which means you know they're confident coming into this game against the Raiders. This one has the chance of becoming another offensive shootout for Oakland if they figure out how to get past the Baltimore defense, and quite frankly, I think they will. As for who wins this one, well, it's anybody's guess. But I suspect that fundamentals will be the key here and the team that executes those to a tee, gets the win.

On paper, this game looks awful. The Lions are 1-2. The Bears are 0-3, so why highlight it? Because this is a game with a lot on the line for both teams. Detroit is looking to make the playoffs this year and show that their faith in Jim Caldwell is warranted and the Bears, well they need to show they can do anything outside of disappoint their fans on a regular basis. John Fox was brought into town specifically to turn this squad around, so an 0-4 start would no doubt begin the firing talk in the Windy City and going 1-3 for the Lions, would start the same kind of discussions in the Motor City. This could be a game that sets in motion the fate of a couple of coaches as the season progresses, it may not be the most thrilling one to watch, but the stories hanging over this one are downright fascinating.

If I had to choose a game of the week, this would be the one. Both of these teams are 2-1, but each of them have separate goals. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to continue their trend of outright domination after taking down the Jets last week and with Jamaal Charles returning to the lineup, they know their run game will serve them well. Whereas the Steelers are looking for a rebound game to wipe the bad taste of that Philadelphia loss last week from their mouths which means...both teams will be chomping at the bit come game time. Expect Pittsburgh to play a little smarter this week and adjust as necessary to try and neutralize the KC offense and expect the Chiefs to replicate what Philly did on the field against Pittsburgh last week and wear that defense down. This should be one hell of a game, and it's only appropriate that it's the Sunday Night matchup.

Week 4 in the NFL, or the quarter mark as some refer to it, is an important one to say the least because so many teams more or less establish their identity at this point in the season. The tinkering ends, they realize what they have on offense and defense but that doesn't mean that the surprises will end. Some teams may still be facing an incredible collapse, some are still searching for that all important identity and others will rise to the occasion making for some exciting football, and some fascinating stories and here are the top ones we will be keeping an eye on this weekend in the NFL.

Who will lead the Texans Defense now that J.J. Watt is on Injured Reserve?
J.J. Watt is kind of a big deal down in Houston. He's their most decorated player and quite frankly the face of the franchise and the news that he is being shut down on IR, is equally as big of a deal. After all, this team, and its defense play and act differently when J.J. isn't on the field thanks to his leadership and well, it's time for someone to step up and try and fill that void, but do the Texans have anyone that can fulfill that all important leadership role? It's clear they expect Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing to handle the pass rush, but someone on this squad needs to inspire this defense and make these men believe they can achieve anything. That's one of Watt's biggest strengths so it's safe to say we can expect the Texans defense to play in adequate fashion until someone steps up and tries to fill that leadership void. 

Will the Los Angeles Offense continue to perform at a high level?
Last week was the moment every Rams fan was waiting for, since Case Keenum and Todd Gurley finally found the end zone as they helped sculpt a 37-32 win over Tampa Bay. But was that a fluke or is this offense for real? Truthfully, I think we are finally seeing the offense that Jeff Fisher envisioned from the get go, it just took a little while for this offense to find its proverbial footing. Todd Gurley is just a freakish talent at running back so it was only a matter of time before he lit it up and Case Keenum knows what's at stake. If he continued to play poorly, or continues going forward, at some point the rookie takes his job. Either way, expect a resurgent and confident Los Angeles to attack the surprisingly mediocre Cardinals defense this weekend and don't be shocked if the Rams walk away with the win.

Will the Miami Dolphins finally find their identity...and success this weekend?
There are a lot of question marks still surrounding the Miami Dolphins as they enter Week 4 and that's not necessarily a good thing. Newly minted Head Coach Adam Gase was supposed to be the offensive guru to finally get the most out of Ryan Tannehill and get a run game going as well, but that simply has not happened yet. Not to mention, the Miami defense is about as mediocre as ever. Which means the team is desperately struggling to find its identity and what better a time to do it, than on the road, in the Jungle against the Bengals? The Dolphins honestly need to open up the playbook, turn Tannehill loose and inspire this defense to dominate. As for whether or not the team can find an identity this weekend is up to the players. If they execute and pull off the win, they're on their way to finding it, if not...then perhaps Adam Gase will start making some changes to the lineup to help this team discover who they are and what they are made of.

Will the Buffalo Bills have another statement game against the ailing New England Patriots?
Rex Ryan, is a coaching conundrum. When he is focused, his teams are shockingly good. When he goes over the top with his bravado, his teams are shockingly bad. So...which team shows up against the Patriots this weekend? Because holy cow, the Bills were absolutely brilliant last week, utterly dismantling the Cardinals on their way to an incredibly important win to keep the season alive and this week, well they could make quite the statement against the Patriots since both of their quarterbacks are ailing and New England has yet to face a stout defense. My only concern was that he had the time to call into the Patriots press conference this week and do a little trolling, because that's more of that silly bravado that only Rex can employ, so my hope is that it was just a one off and the Buffalo Bills are ready and focused to take on a New England squad that refuses to lose, because if they are...then yes indeed they will make quite a statement against the Patriots and leave Foxboro with a win.

Will Carolina make a rebound and shake off their Super Bowl Hangover this weekend?
Let's face facts, the Panthers are a talented football team, but they're still reeling from their Super Bowl loss and if they want a chance to play in Super Bowl LI, they need to get their heads on straight and quickly. I say that, because allowing for Cam Newton to be sacked eight times and intercepted three more is outright embarrassing for the NFC Champions and this weekend is the wrong time to continue this meltdown with an NFC South divisional matchup waiting for them against a resurgent Atlanta Falcons. This is the kind of moment where coaching can no longer come into play, the players have to come together and put an end to this slide, and this game will be a grand test of Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly's leadership abilities and if they fail...get ready for a long season of struggles, and a new NFC Champion in 2016...

I'm not sure what it was in the air this weekend when it comes to the NFL, but so many of the games I watched had a special ferocity to them. It just seemed as though a good majority of players were giving it their all, doing their best to make a difference win or lose and that was simply stunning to see. It made for some memorable performances, some late game heroics and incredible stories that taught us plenty about every team in the NFL. So without further ado, let's look back at this intense weekend and discuss what we learned from Week 3 in the NFL. 

The New England Patriots are unstoppable so far.
It doesn't matter which player is under center or filling in on defense, this team just keeps on rolling. The Patriots are a shining example of the ferociousness that I made mention of a moment ago because holy cow, they dismantled the Houston Texans on Thursday Night in embarrassing fashion. Every play was aggressive on either side of the ball and they are simply imposing their will on other teams. Call it a revenge tour or whatever you like, but as of right now, this is a tough team to beat, and they still have Tom Brady's return to look forward to. At this point, the easy answer as to how to beat these guys, is to be as aggressive as they are, and it should be interesting to see which team decides to take up that challenge. Until then, get used to hearing about New England winning for quite some time.

Brock Osweiler has not lived up to expectations.
In the process of dismantling the Houston Texans in prime time, the Patriots also exposed Brock Osweiler to be what the Broncos were afraid he was going to be before he bolted Denver for a giant payday...a slightly above average QB that can execute an offense but has zero ability to adjust during a game. He looked confused and lost Thursday night, to the point where Houston started to rely on the run game alone and when all is said and done, should anyone be surprised that Brock is having issues? He only has a handful of starts, and while he may be able to prepare like Peyton Manning, he most certainly cannot read a defense like Peyton was able to do. He still needs more time and experience, but one has to wonder if the Texans executive brass isn't starting to think they have made a terrible mistake, because if Brock doesn't show progress later in the year...they just paid $18 million for a journeyman QB.

Trevor Siemian passed his biggest test in the NFL to date with flying colors.
The first quarter of the Broncos/Bengals game was quite frankly a little scary for Broncos fans. After all, the defense couldn't stop the run, and Trevor Siemian was once again just doing an adequate job at QB, and then suddenly, the young man turned it on. Four touchdowns later, two of which were long bombs that we had never seen before from #13, we learned that Siemian can outright play. He carved that Cincy defense up like a roast and never looked back, and for the first time in a long time, it was the offense that sealed the deal for the Denver Broncos and well, this has been Elway's vision all along, stifling defense that controls their opponents while the offense puts up enough points to secure the win and if this keeps up, the Broncos are looking at another incredible season.  

The Super Bowl Hangover is strong with the Panthers. 
There's no denying that the Carolina Panthers have been and will continue to be a team that rely on swagger as part of their game plan. They enjoy being cocky, imposing their will on a team and celebrating in doing so...except for this year. Their losses to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 and the season opener are clearly hanging over this team, because that swagger is gone and what's left is a team that knows they can be beaten and on Sunday, they got smacked around. Cam Newton was sacked eight times by the Vikings defense and he threw for three interceptions in their 22-10 loss to Minnesota and well, if they want to compete and defend their title as NFC Champions, it's time for this team to clear their heads and realize...it's a new year with new possibilities. The longer they hang on to last season, the longer this awful play will continue and it's up to the coaching staff and the leaders on this team to clear their heads and get this season back on track.

Stick a fork in Cleveland and Jacksonville, they're done.
Both of these teams are 0-3 and both of them keep losing in embarrassing fashion, so it's time for both of these teams to start looking forward to 2017 and beyond. Yes, I understand it's three weeks in. But let's be honest, it's the same old song from these squads. Jacksonville has a talented roster that isn't getting anything done which means there's a good chance Gus Bradley is coaching his last season for the team and Cleveland continues to rotate out quarterbacks for injury because the offensive line lets everything through. It's a coaching issue in Ohio as well, and there's a chance that Hue Jackson is another one of those coaches that is a brilliant coordinator, and sub par coach. Either way, it's going to be a long and ugly season for both teams, and we'll revisit them again at the end of the year to discuss a new head coach in Jacksonville, and who the Browns will take with another high level draft pick.

How about those Philadelphia Eagles?
A year ago, it was dark times for the Philadelphia Eagles. Chip Kelly had traded all of his talent away, they looked awful on the field and their record reflected that and after Kelly was shown the door and his 'dream team' roster was heavily revamped...here we are looking at the 3-0 Eagles, who by the way, dismantled the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and much of their success comes from one surprise decision...to start their rookie QB, Carson Wentz. The kid has looked like a polished pro in his first three starts, able to make all the big throws a QB needs to and he's able to read defenses well and any way you slice it, for the first time in a long time, things are looking up in Philly and the sky is the limit with this team, and it should be fun to see just how far they go this season.

Three weeks into the NFL season and the shine and polish of a new year and every team's ability to do as they please begins to diminish. There's enough tape on every quarterback and player now for opposing teams to handle them properly, as was evidenced by what the Patriots did to Brock Osweiler on Thursday Night.

It doesn't mean the games will suddenly lose any level of quality, it just means that things are about to get incredibly interesting. There will be adjustments that have to be made, at the player and coach level as gameplans change in the hopes of staying one step ahead of their opponent and because of that, we are in for some fascinating games tomorrow and here are the ones that we are keeping a close eye upon when kickoff rolls around. 

Now this game is a great example of how a team is going to have to find a way to win because Broncos QB Trevor Siemian is about to be in for the biggest test of his young career. He dealt with rookie cornerbacks in week one, a Colts secondary decimated to the point where they were ready to put in the waterboy in week two, but the Bengals...well they are healthy and raring to go against the defending champions. They've been studying everything Siemian has done the past two weeks and are no doubt ready to unleash a few surprises his way. Which means, we can expect the usual fierceness from the Denver D, but the offense, well they have to execute every play, avoid turnovers and hope that Siemian's calm and collect demeanor holds because the Bengals are going to throw everything at him but the kitchen sink.

This game is fascinating for several reasons, most of them on the Jaguars side of the ball. Specifically, the fact that the team has regressed this quickly into the season. They were their former selves last week against San Diego, playing like garbage and well...it feels like they all but gave up against the Chargers. Which means Baltimore, coming off of a huge comeback win against Cleveland will be looking for a way to keep Jacksonville rattled and in full mistake mode. That means we can expect a heavy run game when they're on offense to frustrate the Jags D and expect them to do everything they can to harass Blake Bortles and force a few turnovers from him as well. It will be up to Jacksonville to adjust accordingly and rise to the occasion, something we know they are capable of, but have yet to see them do. 

The Philadelphia Special is back this weekend as both teams from the Keystone State take the field and well, this game is out right fascinating simply because this may be a literal clash of the titans. The Eagles are rolling on the incredible play of their new QB Carson Wentz, while Pittsburgh's defense is playing some lights out football through the first two weeks. So what do you get when an immovable object and an unstoppable force square off? Quite possibly the best game of the week. The adjustments that will be made in this game to either figure out how to stop the Philly offense or wear out the Steeler defense are the key ones to look out for and it should be fun to see which team figures out the other one first, expect this one to come down to the wire. 

Now this game will be the epitome of adjustments and necessary ones at that. The Los Angeles Rams outright stink on offense. They can't get the run game going, the passing game is non existent, it's their defense that's been their saving grace so far. Which means if they want to win this game, they have to force Jameis Winston to turn over the ball, and hope to hell that Case Keenum and Todd Gurley have figured out where the end zone is. As for Tampa Bay, their key adjustments are to stay consistent, and not get flustered. Arizona clearly got into their head last week, forcing Winston to throw four interceptions. If Tampa Bay can stay the course this week and wear down the Rams defense, they'll secure the win, and honestly, considering how bad the Los Angeles offense is at this point in time, I think they have the best chance of victory in this matchup, it's more about progress for the Rams...who could be looking at a long and disappointing season.

We're only a mere three weeks into the 2016 NFL Season and already, we are getting a solid idea of which teams are going to rise to the occasion, and which teams will soon be preparing for 2017, meaning that there will be a little more intensity from this weekend's games as some teams try to salvage their season, and others...hope to solidify their standing as the cream of the crop. Either way, it's going to lead to some fascinating stories and here are the ones we are keeping an eye on for Week 3 in the NFL.

Will Jacoby Brissett be able to lead the Patriots to 3-0?
​It is already quite the wild season for the New England Patriots. Despite the fact that their All Pro quarterback is suspended for two more games, and their heir apparent left the Miami game injured, they have hung on to a 2-0 record. But with #10 most likely sitting out tonight's game all eyes are now upon the Rookie; Jacoby Brissett and everyone is wondering if the Patriots luck is about to run out with their third string QB taking over the reins under center. If I had to guess, the key to whether or not the Patriots win again, is based upon how much of the game will rest upon his shoulders and how well the offensive line and defense play. If the D can shut down the Texans offense, and the line can keep the rookie safe from J.J. Watt, he should be able to do enough to put some points on the board and leave NRG Stadium with the win, but if they fall behind, or Watt finds a way to rattle the kid...it may be a long night for New England.

The Buffalo Bills are in a must win situation.
There's a lot on the line for the Buffalo Bills come this Sunday. After all, they collapsed against the New York Jets last week defensively and punished the offense for it by firing Greg Roman as Offensive Coordinator and they will host the Arizona Cardinals, a team well known for carving opposing defenses up by land and by air. Which means, if this team wants to have any shot at a decent season, or the playoffs for that matter, they have to come out and stun the Cardinals with a win, and a big one at that. This is a team that is absolutely doubting itself right now and another painful loss means confidence will continue to slide and things will only unravel for them from there. I can't stress enough that Rex Ryan needs to demonstrate to the fans, ownership, and quite frankly himself why he deserves to be a head coach in this league and this is the time to do it.

Which Jacksonville Jaguars team will take the field this week?
Jacksonville has played two games and shown us two completely different football personalities. They showed us a tough team willing to grind it out to the end in week one and then last week, they showed us the Jaguars of old...a squad that was unprepared and unwilling to do anything but the bare minimum. So who will show up this week? Honestly, I have no clue. But considering the fact that they were blown out in San Diego during week two, there's a good chance the hope and potential we witnessed in week one is all but gone. To lose 38-14 shows that Head Coach Gus Bradley is having trouble getting this team to build upon their skill set and they face a Baltimore squad this week that demonstrated they will be patient and wait for their opponents to make mistakes, something Blake Bortles excels at. This may be the ugliest game of the week to watch, if the same old mediocre Jaguars take the field.

Can Minnesota keep this momentum going with so many devastating injuries to the offense?
Yes, Sam Bradford was tough as nails and the man last week against the Green Bay Packers. But the injuries continue to mount and their star tailback Adrian Peterson is going to be out of action this week and for the foreseeable future. Sure, they were able to win against the Packers without a run game, but this week they face the powerful Panthers defense, one known for punishing offenses that are one dimensional, which means the Vikings are going to have to pull off some miracles when they have the ball to neutralize the D. But that's no easy task and despite the fact that they signed the Broncos leading rusher in 2015, Ronnie Hillman, to the squad on Wednesday, I have a bad feeling that the Panthers are going to control the game on both sides of the ball, and walk away with the win.

Can Kirk Cousins redeem himself? 
The twenty million dollar man in Washington may be enjoying his paychecks, but he's most certainly doing it alone when it comes to the locker room. His poor play has his teammates turning their backs on him and if it continues, the fans are next and after that...it's time to ride the pine while Colt McCoy takes the snaps and well...now would be a good time for Kirk to show that he isn't in this for the money and that he's the same fiery quarterback who went viral for shouting 'YOU LIKE THAT!?' But the only way to do that, is to bring forth some quality play. He needs to make sure the ball reaches his wide receivers. He can't turn it over and he has to once again inspire his teammates to be better when they take the field. Whether he does that or not has yet to be seen, but...we know he's fully capable of doing it, because all of those actions...earned him every penny of that incredible paycheck. 

Normally Week 2 in the NFL is the settling in period. The games are fun and there's some excitement, but this is the time of year where football just feels familiar and comfortable and we enjoy its return. Well this year Week 2 decided to buck that trend, giving us some incredible comebacks and stunning moments and stories that still have us talking. So without further ado, here are the top storylines from the field and what we learned from the second week of football in the NFL.

​The Buffalo Bills are a mess. 
We are only two games into the season and things are looking ugly for the Bills and their fans. The loss on Thursday night to the Jets spoke volumes to one thing in particular, that Head Coach Rex Ryan is in over his head and has no clue what the heck he is doing. Case in point, he fired his Offensive Coordinator, Greg Roman shortly after this game and I have to ask, why? Roman's offense put up 31 points in this loss, yet the Defense allowed the Jets to score 37. In fact, the defense had trouble stopping anything and everything the Jets threw their way, but the Defensive Coordinator is safe. Well of course he is, because the DC is Rob Ryan, Rex's brother, so heaven forbid he be held accountable for a piss poor performance. Firing Roman was a boneheaded move to say the least, and it speaks volumes to the dysfunction up there in Buffalo and it's stunning that ownership would allow for someone else to take the fall for Rob and Rex's bad coaching. But quite frankly, until Rex is let go by the Pegula family,this kind of dysfunction will continue. So buckle up tight Buffalo fans, there's a good chance you're in for one long and frustrating ride.

The Denver Broncos are still trapped in 2015...and that's a good thing for this team.
Last year, the Denver Broncos experienced perhaps the strangest season in the history of the NFL. Their hall of fame QB had trouble finding the end zone, and had a knack for turning over the ball, but the strength of their defense carried this to team new heights and a Super Bowl victory and well...not much has changed in the Mile High City. New QB Trevor Siemian is showing flashes of Manning in his play. Once he gets his offense inside the 30, he struggles finding the end zone or turns over the ball, but the defense continues to impress, forcing turnovers, and scoring in the process and quite frankly, it's eerie how much this team resembles the 2015 Broncos and that's not necessarily a bad thing. At some point the 'meh' quarterback play will come back to haunt Denver, but in the here and now, there's nothing wrong with sticking to last year's formula, it worked out pretty darn well for the team and the fans.

Rookie Quarterback Carson Wentz is looking like a seasoned pro.
Rewind the clock two weeks ago, and it seemed that any quarterback taken in the first round of the 2016 draft was going to spend their year on the bench, learning their craft. Then came the Sam Bradford trade and Carson Wentz got the nod and well...holy cow is this kid good. There seems to be no learning curve needed for this young man, he's doing a fine job of reading defenses and coverages, adjusting plays as necessary, and making one beautiful throw after another. He carved up the Chicago defense with little effort and it's equally impressive that he has yet to turn over the ball. Philadelphia definitely made all the right moves at QB this season and while I'm sure struggles are ahead, as they always are for a rookie, I'm sure they won't last long for Wentz as he continues to rack up the yards and touchdowns...and impress all of us in the process.

What the heck happened to Kirk Cousins?
This time last year, everyone was talking about Kirk Cousins' potential as a quarterback as he did his best to lead the Washington Redskins and improve his play week in and week out. It was a promising 2015 for the young man, so much in fact that he was designated the team's franchise player in the offseason via the Franchise Tag. But a long term deal was never hammered out, and Cousins landed himself a $20 million payday and now...well now he looks awful. His throws are errant or short, the leadership he exhibited last year no longer seems to be there and there's even talk now that the locker room has had enough of him...so what the hell happened? Well, if one had to speculate, you can't help but wonder if that giant contract is part of the problem. Cousins struck at just the right time to get one incredible payday, more than he would have likely made under whatever offer Washington sent his way so in a sad way it seems as though Kirk Cousins has taken the money and run if you will, and while I hope that's not the case, we've seen it happen in the NFL before and if he doesn't buckle down and start improving, we'll know his payday was more important to him than the sport or his teammates.

The Cleveland Browns season has already gone from bad...to worse. 
Well...two weeks into the new season, and it's obvious that nothing much has changed in Cleveland. The defense is still a porous mess, the coaching is sub par and they can't keep a quarterback healthy in any form or fashion. Sure Josh McCown stayed in the game after suffering a nasty shoulder injury and demonstrated how tough he is, but he wasn't the same after it happened and his performance showed it. But the ugliness of this loss doesn't rest with just McCown, an offensive line that allowed their QB to be smacked around all day is partly to blame, and a defense that blew a 20 point lead shares some of it too. If anything, the best way to describe their Sunday is a team loss, since everyone contributed in the wrong kind of way and at this point, it's hard to say what Cleveland needs to do to right the ship. As of this moment, there's simply no leader to inspire anyone on this squad, and that applies to both the players and coaches, which is shocking considering how fiery Hue Jackson can be...so until someone steps up and demands more of this team, it's business as usual; losing games in ugly fashion, making the fans unhappy and maintaining the status quo of being the laughing stock of the NFL.

The temperature is beginning to cool, the leaves are starting to change and football is back on the air. It's every football fan's favorite time of year because every Sunday brings us the wonder of the gridiron, with incredible games that take our breath away.   

In fact, it seems as though every single year the games continue to become more competitive and already this year, we've seen some incredibly close and thrilling games, and Week 2 in the NFL kicked off in stunning fashion with a back and forth contest between Buffalo and the New York Jets where it seemed the victor was going to be anybody's guess...at least until the fourth quarter. Either way, tomorrow's slate of games should be equally as spectacular and here are the games that have our attention and should be the most fascinating ones to watch this Sunday.

This AFC North matchup ended up being the talk of the 2015 Playoffs when Cincinnati completely became unglued at the worst possible time, earning personal fouls and engaging in on the field scuffles that eventually put Pittsburgh in position to win the game and advance in the Playoffs. Which means that when it comes to tomorrow's matchup, who knows what will go down between these two teams. It's always bad blood between the Bengals and Steelers, but I get the funny feeling that Pittsburgh is going to do everything it can to provoke the Bengals into making more mistakes. Psychology is a big part of this game sometimes and the often cool and collect Steelers would enjoy nothing more than getting the best of their AFC North rivals so that Cincinnati can embarrass themselves on national television once again. 

This looks to perhaps be the most fascinating game of all to watch on Sunday because of the newfound rivalry between both of these teams, since the Colts have been enjoying quite the dominance over the Broncos these past few years, Spoiling Peyton Manning's return to Indy on both occasions and ending Denver's season in the playoffs once as well. They have always figured out a way to shut down Denver's vaunted defense and will no doubt use a similar offensive method to the one that Carolina did last week since the Panthers found a way to slow down the Broncos pass rush. But all of this doesn't necessarily mean that Denver is going to lose this game. The Colts have a porous defense as evidenced by last week's game in Detroit so if QB Trevor Siemian can pass effectively without turnovers this week and keep the ground game going, in addition to the Denver D getting to Andrew Luck...the Broncos may finally turn the tide against the Colts, meaning this one should be a fun one to watch.

Believe it or not, this game has the potential to feature the most points on the board of any game out of Week 2. Yes, I never thought I would write that when it comes to these two teams but the times they are a changing. Jacksonville showed they can score and score well against Green Bay last week, and in the process showed that they might actually turn out to be a tough team to play in 2016. The Chargers gave Kansas City quite the scare by coming out swinging in last week's game before the Chiefs finally settled down and found a way to beat them. But, despite the possibility of this one becoming a touchdown fiesta, it's going to come down to defense and if the Jaguars stay stout, and Jags QB Blake Bortles finds a way to slice up that Chargers D...Jacksonville might leave San Diego with a big time, confidence building win.

NFC North games are always a joy to watch, but this one looks to add a little something extra for the fans this week since as of press time, Sam Bradford will get his first start at Quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings come Sunday night and well...talk about a trial by fire. The Packers defense is about as tough as they come and Sam has only had a mere two weeks to assimilate the Vikings offensive playbook. If anything, his start this week will give everyone an idea of how well the man can absorb a new system and if he plays well, it may quell some of the talk that he's nothing more than a journeyman QB who will never be a franchise quarterback, but truth be told. I think we can expect a heavy dose of the Vikings run game in this contest and as for the Packers...well expect them to do what they do best, bring the heat with their pass rush, and score at will. 

Just like that ladies and gentlemen, we are back into the thick of football. With Kickoff Weekend now behind us, the regular season suddenly feels like home and everyone is anticipating the next slate of games that get underway tonight. But before tonight's prime time game between the Jets and the Bills, we thought we would take a moment and highlight some of the stories to keep an eye upon this weekend.

Just how long will Case Keenum remain the Rams Quarterback if he continues to be ineffective?
The Los Angeles Rams offense was present on the field against the San Francisco 49ers in their season opener...and that's about it. They couldn't get the running or passing games going against that stout defense and Case Keenum, who was minted the starter over first overall pick Jared Goff was outright awful, going 17/35 and throwing two interceptions as well. While Head Coach Jeff Fisher said that Keenum remains the starter and that there will be no changes at the position, one has to wonder just how long that edict is going to last. The Rams are now the home team of one of the biggest television markets out there...and losing simply won't do. Which means at some point, Fisher will have to make the tough call to send Keenum to the bench and if he plays as bad as he did on Monday night, that may just happen this weekend. 

Are the San Francisco 49ers as good as they appeared to be on Monday Night?
Speaking of that Monday night game, we need to talk about the San Francisco 49ers because holy cow, they looked like a squad transformed in their season opener. Gone was all the confusion and poor fundamental play we came to expect from them last year on defense. They harassed the Rams all night long, shutting them out completely and the offense was no slouch either, earning two touchdowns on the ground and one in the air. But...considering that Los Angeles was playing in sub par fashion, are the Niners really that much better under Chip Kelly? On defense, believe it or not, the answer is yes. Todd Gurley is a ridiculously talented tailback that finds ways to make plays, and they completely and utterly shut him down, holding him to a mere 47 yards. The offense on the other hand did face an exhausted and porous Rams defense, so the jury is still out if Blaine Gabbert is the answer there, but either way, this team gets one hell of a test and opportunity to show how good they really are when they take on Carolina come Sunday.

Will the Cleveland Browns be better or worse without Robert Griffin III?
Any way you slice it, the Browns are a rattled team right now. They just lost their starting quarterback to injured reserve after the season opener and well...they lost and lost big to the Philadelphia Eagles. But despite once again starting off the season facing ugly adversity, and changing quarterbacks again, you can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, Cleveland will be in a better position to win, with Josh McCown at the helm. While he was injury prone as well last year for this squad, he knows the system and has shown some severe flashes of brilliance while on the field. If he can stay healthy, manage the game well and get some points on the board, everyone may quickly forget about RG3 and McCown may finally be the leader under center the Browns have been waiting for...or, they could just lose horribly once again.

​Will the Dallas Cowboys be a more disciplined team this week?
There is one great equalizer in the sport of football, one so powerful that it doesn't matter how well the team plays, all will be forgotten as soon as someone on the squad commits, the mistake. Yes, this is a sport that is judged on physical prowess, but also upon mental prowess and unfortunately, a mental error potentially cost the Dallas Cowboys the game last week when Wide Receiver Terrance Williams had the opportunity to set up the Cowboys to possibly win the game with a field goal, had he stepped out of bounds.  But alas, he did not and the clock ran out and the rest as they say is history. That moment is incredibly important to this team because, you know it's hanging over Williams' head and well...the rest of the team as well. That's dangerous because doubt comes from mistakes like this and if doubt takes root this early, more mistakes will be made and things can spiral out of control which means that Dallas HAS to play with more discipline this week, but will they? I can't say yes for sure because it's dependent on a few factors. Head Coach Jason Garrett needs to be the primary person to make sure the big mistakes are corrected, but Dak Prescott and other team leaders need to step up and make sure their teammates are calm, cool and collect when they take the field Sunday and if not...well then get ready for more boneheaded plays. 

Will the Patriots come out of Week 2 1-1?
New England was a force to be reckoned with last week in Arizona and while it's clear they have plenty of depth to sustain them, every team has their kryptonite and for the Patriots, their weakness just so happens to be the Miami Dolphins. I say that, because on several occasions the Dolphins have played the spoiler for the Patriots, upsetting them at critical times and well, considering that they hung with the Seahawks and only lost by two, there's a good chance Head Coach Adam Gase is looking at this week's game as a grand opportunity for his new look Dolphins to make a statement and surprise the Patriots at home. Of course the big question is whether or not Miami can pull off such an upset, since this New England team was so damn good Sunday night, but I like the Dolphins chances, and we should be in for a solid AFC East matchup regardless.

What a glorious weekend of football, wasn't it? We saw some thrilling games that came down to the wire. We saw quarterbacks make incredible plays, but more importantly we all basked in the joy over the fact that football is back at last. It seems as though that every game this weekend had quite the story to tell its fans so without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories from the field from Week 1 in the NFL.

The NFL's Concussion Protocol, needs a lot of work.
Player safety has become quite the focus ever since CTE became known to the football world, leading the NFL to put together a fancy new concussion protocol to ensure that any players who happen to suffer from one, or potentially suffer one are properly evaluated and pulled from the game so they can properly heal from such an injury and well...not make it any worse. Unless of course you're the MVP of the league and the game is on the line, then the protocol goes out the window and well, I'm a touch stunned and angry over how things were handled with Cam Newton in the season opener. He took a hell of a shot to the head (and yes, Darian Stewart deserves a hefty fine for this) had trouble getting to his feet, looked dazed on national television...and stayed in the game. The protocol calls for any player who is slow getting to his feet to be pulled and evaluated and that flat out didn't happen and that's just awful. If the league truly values player safety, fines should be levied left and right for the spotters who didn't pull him or even suspensions if necessary. I don't care if the game was on the line, it's safety first, and for the league to preach that yet not practice it...is outright embarrassing. 

Things are already looking grim for the Cleveland Browns.
After an offseason roster purge, a new head coach in Hue Jackson and a draft that revolved around depth and development over need, one would have thought that the Cleveland Browns would be looking at a different style of play when they opened the season and perhaps win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately...it may be business as usual for this team. The new look defense could do nothing to stop the Eagles as they ran over them for 133 yards on the ground and they also let Rookie QB Carson Wentz carve them up like a Thanksgiving Turkey as he threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns in his debut. To make matters worse, RG3 was virtually ineffective at quarterback, completing only 46% of his passes, with no touchdowns and an INT. To make matters worse, a hard hit when he was scrambling led to a fracture in his shoulder and he's now on Injured Reserve, only after one game. It was simply a disaster of a game and one has to wonder if it's only going to get worse from here.

The AFC West might be the most competitive division in football this year.
For the past few years, Denver has been ruling the roost in the AFC West and the teams left in their wake have quietly been building a roster to remove the Division Champion title from the Mile High City and Sunday we saw just how well their work is paying off. Every single team not named the Broncos in the AFC West were incredibly competitive on the field. The Raiders were able to hold on until the end in their game until a gutsy call by Head Coach Jack Del Rio won them the game and the Chargers and the Chiefs battled it out the entire game before Kansas City sealed the deal in overtime. That means we may be looking at the fiercest division in football the way these teams are playing and it should be interesting to see what these squads do for the rest of the year, especially considering that every single one of them is gunning for Denver...provided they can get past that powerhouse defense...

The Patriots will be just fine without Tom Brady. 
All eyes were on Jimmy Garoppolo Sunday in Arizona to see if he would be able to handle the top job for the Patriots and while he didn't light it up and drop four touchdowns on the Cardinals defense, he turned out to be quite the game manager. With only a fumble to his name, Jimmy led the Pats up and down the field with ease and he had help from a resurgent Patriots defense as well, meaning one thing...this team will be fine with Brady on suspension and it speaks to the system that Bill Belichick has built in New England. Every player he brings in fits it just fine and this kind of execution is proof of that and if this stout defensive play continues and Jimmy keeps it up with not turning over the ball and puts the offense in a position to score, #12 may be returning to a team that is 4-0. 

​The Jacksonville Jaguars are finally looking like a competitive squad. 
Yes the Jaguars lost against the Green Bay Packers. Yes, that is par for the course for this team...but something was different this time. This go round, the Jaguars were actually a force to be reckoned with. The defense was finding ways to get to Aaron Rodgers, even recording a sack and QB Blake Bortles was able to put points on the board. But what matters most, is that the Jaguars kept it close for a change. With a final score of 27-23 in favor of Green Bay, they should be extremely proud of the fact they hung with the Packers the entire way and quite frankly, when Rodgers can throw a 30 yard touchdown strike while being pulled to the ground, it's simply not going to be your day, but it's clear now the Jaguars are improving and will be a team to watch this season.

The Broncos and Panthers kicked off the 2016 NFL season in stunning fashion on Thursday night, signaling that football fans everywhere are about to be treated to one incredible season to say the least.

Which means Sunday's slate of games should bring more incredible football thrills and chills as every single team brings their best to secure their first win of the season and here at Nerds That Geek, a handful of games have caught our eye for Sunday's docket and here are what we believe will be the most absolutely fascinating games to watch come tomorrow.

Oddly enough this game has my attention for a reason that few would expect...the Jaguars. We already know how awesome Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are and I'm fully expecting them to do all the incredible things they always do on the field come tomorrow. But the Jaguars, well they are quite the interesting team this year. After all, they went out and broke the bank on defense, stealing away Malik Jackson from the Denver Broncos and bolstering their secondary before adding more talent and depth through the draft. Which means there is a possibility that if Head Coach Gus Bradley finally has the roster as he has always envisioned it and his coaches have done their job, this might actually be a hell of a game between these two squads...or, it might be business as usual for the Jags, but either way, my curiosity is piqued and I have to see what the new look Jaguars can do.

This particular game is all about players and coaches that have something to prove. For Chicago the honeymoon period is over for Head Coach John Fox and fans expect this team to do something more, which means everyone wants to see Jay Cutler do some amazing things when he passes the ball and see a defense that is stout and punishing to opposing offenses. When it comes to the Texans, Head Coach Bill O'Brien needs to show the fans that this team was more than a fluke last year and their giant investment in Quarterback Brock Osweiler was worth every single penny. I can't say for sure if this will be a pretty game for either team since they are both still in discovery mode when it comes to their respective identities, but we can certainly expect there to be some gutsy play calls from both coaches as they try to prove that they can do wonders with quarterbacks surrounded by question marks. 

Speaking of quarterbacks, Sunday's game at Lincoln Financial Field features two QB's that everyone will be watching closely, and with good reason since Robert Griffin III is taking his first snaps under center for the Cleveland Browns and everyone wants to know as to whether or not he can revitalize his fledgling career under the tutelage of Head Coach Hue Jackson. In addition to that, the future is now in Philadelphia and it's here way ahead of schedule. It truly looked like Carson Wentz was going to get time to learn behind Sam Bradford for at least a year, but a trade with Minnesota puts the rookie front and center and now it's time for him to justify his second overall status in the draft. That means we may be in for quite the treat as both these Quarterbacks put a little extra oomph into their play to show the football world what they are made of and that could make for one incredible game. 

Of all the divisions in the NFL, the NFC East suddenly seems to be a touch more competitive than I ever remember it being. The games this division played against one another in 2015 were nasty and fierce and I have a feeling that such a style of play will continue this year as well, which means we are in for one incredible back and forth between the Cowboys and the Giants...but this game will have a little something extra on top of the usual competitive fire between these two teams. The New York Giants have a newly minted Head Coach in Ben McAdoo and want to come out swinging to show that last year's crap record was a fluke, while the Cowboys need to prove that they can win games without Tony Romo and they may have a chance now with young Dak Prescott at the helm. Expect one competitive game between these two teams and a close one at that.