Resident Evil 6 - Review

A mere 3 years ago, Capcom presented fans with what was widely expected to be the final Resident Evil game, Resident Evil 5. In the finale, the last remnants of Umbrella are finally taken down, Wesker is killed by Chris Redfield, and Jill Valentine actually isn't dead, she's just more pale-skinned and blonde now. Many signs pointed to a future Resident Evil game being either a reboot of the series or an entirely new tale with new characters. What we ended up getting was neither of these, Resident Evil 6 is a new tale in the saga that is mostly concerned with Wesker's legacy, bringing back Ada Wong, and the first on-screen meeting of Chris Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy.

The tank controls are gone. Moving the control stick backwards makes you run towards the screen now.

In Leon's scenario, Leon finds himself in a situation very similar to the Raccoon City incident 15 years prior. Tall Oaks has become victim to a zombie outbreak, right in the middle of a visit from the president of the United States. To make matters worse, Leon is forced to kill the president when he too becomes a zombie. Leon is accompanied by secret service agent Helena Harper, who knows more than she is letting on about the outbreak and is searching for her little sister Deborah. Along the way, Leon also runs into his old flame, Ada Wong. Leon also discovers a government conspiracy at foot, related in many ways to Ozwell Spencer and Umbrella. Overall, Leon's story is rather standard fare, but the boss fights are incredibly memorable.

In Chris's scenario, Chris is found getting drunk in a bar in Eastern Europe, suffering from post-traumatic stress induced amnesia. Chris's new partner, Piers Nivans slaps him out of his stupor to have him lead an operation in China where a biohazard outbreak has occurred. During the scenario, a flashback happens that explains why Chris lost his memory and eventually Chris discovers that the apparent perpetrator of these viral outbreaks is none other than Ada Wong. The story in Chris's story is much stronger than Leon's, with legitimate pathos, but the game suffers from lackluster boss fights with the exception of the final boss which gives you the most awesome weapon in the history of Resident Evil.

In Jake's scenario, you are very quickly introduced to Jake Muller, a mercenary soldier of fortune who is being followed by Sherry Birkin, unseen since Resident Evil 2. This secret was revealed nearly a year ago, but Jake is in reality Albert Wesker's illegitimate son. Sherry is in pursuit of Jake because he holds the antibodies to the C-Virus within his immune system. If Sherry can get Jake in custody of the U.S., a vaccine to the C-Virus can be made, halting further outbreaks. The U.S. aren't the only ones pursuing Jake, as members of Neo-Umbrella, the group responsible for the C-Virus, are also wanting Jake in order to make sure a vaccine is not made. Jake's story is surprisingly strong as hints of a romantic connection bloom between the children of Albert Wesker and William Birkin coupled with excellent gameplay, fun boss fighhts, and the first time in Resident Evil you can play through the entire game without ever using a weapon.

After completing the previous 3 scenarios, you unlock Ada's scenario, unraveling the final mysteries behind the story of Resident Evil 6. The story is definitely more humorous and even throws in gameplay elements more reminiscent of older Resident Evil games coupled with sneaking, and the more action-heavy elements. Unfortunately, Ada's final boss is shared with the penultimate boss from Leon's scenario, and it's not even that hard since you get both Leon and Helena to help you out.

Leon's Scenario: 6/10
Chris's Scenario: 7/10
Jake's Scenario: 9/10
Ada's Scenario: 9/10

Overall Story: 7.75/10

Gameplay: 9/10

Presentation: 9/10

Replay Value: 8/10

Average Score: 8.44/10

Overall, the story is just slightly above average, hampered by Leon's and Chris's rather boring scenarios only saved by the 2 finally having an onscreen meeting, despite having met each other previously off-screen. Jake's and Ada's stories are far more interesting, despite Ada only having 1 unique boss fight, which in typical Resident Evil fashion involves a person turning into a blob monster. Gameplay-wise, inventory is handled much better than Resident Evil 5. Although RE5 handled inventory more realistically than RE4, RE6 throws realism out the window and returns to the classic Hammerspace pockets, although there is a cap on how much spare ammo one can carry before choosing to throw away grenades or even herbs. The way herbs are handled is great, although it feels as if it is too easy to stay alive now, allowing for more reckless gameplay. 

In order to access Ada's scenario, you must beat the first 3 scenarios... but that will actually change in a future version update for whatever reason, as well as adding a 2nd player character so that her scenario can be done with 2 people. Nevertheless, the game has good replay value, replaying the game to uncover more backstory by finding emblems, and playing as different characters to see parts of the game from different points of view.

Resident Evil 6 is actually a pretty good game mostly because of how much fun it is. The story is so-so, but it can be overlooked because killing zombies and B.O.W.s has never been more fun.

Another Week, Another NFL Evaluation

Thinking about making this a weekly thing. No "power rankings," just evaluating teams in order of standings. The only rankings that matter are how you finish the season.

Undefeated Teams:

• Houston Texans - The Texans should feel embarrassed after allowing the Jets to score 17 points. Their pedestrian defensive effort won't cut it against Aaron Rodgers. (Next vs Packers)
• Atlanta Falcons - Signs of weakness are there, but their defense improved and took full advantage of Kirk Cousins' unexpected first NFL game. (Next vs Raiders)

4-1 Teams:

• Minnesota Vikings - After an absolute beat-down against the Titans, the Vikings are looking legit.  (Next @ Redskins)
• Baltimore Ravens - Joe Flacco isn't doing a whole lot to make his case for being the best QB in the NFL. They played like shit on the right day, against the Chiefs. Next time they won't be so lucky. (Next vs Cowboys)
• Chicago Bears - That elusive Bears defense that was missing last year is back with a fury. Poor Jacksonville didn't stand a chance. (Next vs Lions after Bye)
• Arizona Cardinals - The Cards definitely have a good defense, but their offense is just plain bad. They're incredibly lucky to be where they are right now. (Next vs Bills)
• San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers became the first team in NFL history to have 300+ passing and 300+ rushing yards in the same game. How's that for a balanced attack? (Next vs Giants)

3-2 Teams:

• San Diego Chargers - Although they lost to the Saints, it looks like Phillip Rivers is going to have a much better year than he had last year. They're still atop the AFC West, but maybe not for long. (Next vs Broncos)
• New England Patriots - Tom Brady continues doing what Tom Brady does. The biggest  surprise has been the emphasis in rushing offense, making the Patriots 3rd in rushing yards. (Next @ Seahawks)
• Cincinnati Bengals - After a tough loss against the Dolphins, next week against the Browns couldn't possibly look more refreshing. (Next @ Browns)
• St. Louis Rams - The Rams are above .500 for the first time since 2006. The Jeff Fisher thing is definitely working, even though it looks like the days are numbered that they're still in St. Louis. (Next @ Dolphins)
• Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles had a pretty big crash landing against the Steelers. Although the game was very close, the game was lost directly because of Michael Vick. Next week doesn't get any easier against a Lions team hungry for a win. (Next vs Lions)
• Seattle Seahawks - This team is a quarterback away from being elite. 6th in rushing, 5th in opp passing, 3rd in opp rushing... 31st in passing. The Seahawks are winning games in spite of Russell Wilson, not because of him. Matt Flynn may get his big chance next week. (Next vs Patriots)
• New York Giants - After an embarrassing loss to the Eagles, the Giants didn't impress anybody by beating the Browns 41-27. While not as injured as their roommates, they're still not the team they once were. (Next @ 49ers)

2-2 Teams:

• Pittsburgh Steelers - 2011's #1 ranked defense this definitely is not. They are blessed with having the Titans as their next opponent, but Matt Hasselbeck ain't dead yet. (Next @ Titans)
• Indianapolis Colts - While they probably won't be a playoff team, it's already clear that Andrew Luck was the #1 draft pick for a reason. An emotional win over the Packers might be the catalyst this team needs. (Next @ Jets)
• Dallas Cowboys - Their bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Statistically, this team should have a better record.  They're 4th in passing, 1st in opp passing, and 15th in opp rushing, so why are they only .500? Next week they get another chance to put up or shut up. (Next @ Ravens)

2-3 Teams:

• New York Jets - It's not Tebow Time yet, but the rest of the schedule does look very friendly: Colts, Patriots x2, Dolphins, Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Bills. Other than the Patriots and Chargers games, the remaining 8 games look winnable. (Next vs Colts)
• Miami Dolphins - The Miami Dolphins have the best rushing defense in the NFL. They also go up against the #1 ranked rushing offense 49ers and the #3 ranked Patriots twice this season. The Dolphins have a friendly schedule going forward and could just be the shocking team of the AFC. (Next vs Rams)
• Buffalo Bills - Oh good god. The Bills are trying very hard to make a case for having the worst defense in the NFL, allowing the 49ers 621 yards of total offense. They're not the worst team in the league, but they're definitely gunning for a top 5 draft pick. (Next @ Cardinals)
• Green Bay Packers - Something smells bad in Green Bay. Even if they had won the Monday night game against the Seahawks, they would still be in 3rd place of the NFC North. Their defense still sucks, even though it's slightly better than last year. (Next @ Texans)
• Denver Broncos - Once again, Tom Brady got the better of Peyton Manning. Manning needs to jell with his receivers faster if he wants to avoid becoming Rams!Namath, Chargers!Unitas, Chiefs!Montana, or Vikings!Favre. (Next @ Chargers)
• Washington Redskins - Just when things were looking up in D.C., RG3 has concussion and their next opponent is the Vikings. If Griffin does end up playing next week, the Redskins vs Vikings matchup looks like one for the ages. (Next vs Vikings)

1-3 Teams:

• Oakland Raiders - The Bye week couldn't have come at a better time, but now they are given the nigh-impossible task of defeating the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. When your team's strongest point is Carson Palmer, you have a problem. (Next @ Falcons)
• Detroit Lions - Another team with a great time for a Bye week. Luckily they have the Eagles next week because they desperately need a bounce-back win. (Next @ Eagles)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers - What's with every 1-3 team getting a Bye week? This team had high expectations coming into the season, but the only thing they're doing right is their rushing defense; they're dead last in passing yards allowed. Next week should come an easy victory. (Next vs Chiefs)

1-4 Teams:

• Jacksonville Jaguars - Uh.... Wow. At least Blaine Gabbert isn't the worst quarterback in the league anymore, but they're still dead last in passing yards. The Bye week couldn't have come at a better time. (Next vs Raiders after Bye)
• Kansas City Chiefs - Fair or foul to cheer for Matt Cassel getting knocked out? I say fair because he was playing so poorly that Chiefs fans cheered BRADY QUINN playing. This team is well on it's way to the #1 draft pick and Geno Smith. (Next @ Buccaneers)
• Carolina Panthers - $cam Newton? After an impressive rookie year statistically, Newton is having the stereotypical sophomore slump. Newton is getting a lot of blame for the poor record, but he needs more options than Steve Smith. (Next vs Cowboys after Bye)
• Tennessee Titans - This team just can't do anything right. How does anyone expect them to do anything Thursday after being so awful against the Vikings? (Next vs Steelers)
• New Orleans Saints - A much needed win against the Chargers right before the Bye week might be just what this team needed to start winning more games, but they're still a team 100% dependent on Drew Brees. 1st in passing, 28th rushing, 29th opp passing, 32nd opp rushing. (Next @ Buccaneers after Bye)

Winless:

• Cleveland Browns - This team is better than their record indicates, yet the rest of their schedule looks impossible with only the Chiefs game looking winnable. What's more, even if the Browns get the #1 pick, Brandon Weeden is without question their quarterback of the future. Their best option will probably be to trade down in exchange for defensive players. (Next vs Bengals)

A Quarter Into the NFL Season, Here's What we Known About Each Team

In order of standings.

4-0 Teams:

• Houston Texans - The Texans are as good as we thought they were going to be. Last year when they had to rely on T.J. Yates, their 3rd string QB, they were still a dominant team. With Matt Schaub back in charge, the Texans look like the easy AFC Super Bowl favorite.
• Atlanta Falcons - Although unbeaten, the Falcons finally have a weakness exposed in their defense. They were incredibly close to losing to the Carolina Panthers, lucking out to a Cam Newton fumble. It helps that they also have Matt Ryan at quarterback.
• Arizona Cardinals - This is really a tough one. The Cardinals have beaten the Seahawks, Patriots, Eagles, and Dolphins.  The Eagles game was a beat down, but the other 3 games were all close games that came down to the final play. Many pundits are talking about how lucky the Eagles are to be 3-1, but the Cardinals are just as lucky to be 4-0. Two missed field goals are the reason the Cardinals are 4-0 instead of 2-2.

3-1 Teams:

• Baltimore Ravens - How in the hell did this team let the Browns in the game so long on Thursday night? As I just heard this morning on First Take, bad teams find ways to take themselves out of games (Browns) while overrated teams find ways to let bad teams in games (Ravens).
• San Diego Chargers - 3-1 yes, but their schedule has consisted of wins against the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs, 3 teams vying for the #1 draft pick. Next week they face the anemic Saints defense and an almost guaranteed chance at 4-1. The Chargers have an incredibly easy schedule this year with their only real tests being against the Broncos (2x) and the Ravens. I'm ready to predict a 4 loss season just because of how stupidly easy their schedule is.
• Minnesota Vikings - Who saw this one coming? Two weeks in a row they defeated the 49ers and Lions? To be in first place of the NFC North? Could it be that last week wasn't a fluke and the Vikings are actually a legitimate threat? Don't sleep on them.
• Cincinnati Bengals - Flying under the radar, just like they want. To be fair, 2 wins are against the Browns and Jaguars, but the way they performed against the Redskins is probably the most accurate evaluation of this team.
• San Francisco 49ers - A great bounce-back win  against the Jets was great enough that the 49ers are still Super Bowl favorites, but all anyone can talk about is how terrible the Jets are. Just as planned.
• Philadelphia Eagles - This is seriously the worst 3-1 team I've ever seen. They finally played well against the Giants, but how good are the Giants really? As the weeks go by we'll see how good the Eagles actually are or if they're just lucky.

2-1 Teams:

• Dallas Cowboys - A heavy favorite to win the NFC East, Monday night will be a true test for them and if they will end up competing with the Eagles for the NFC East crown.
• Chicago Bears - These guys are desperate need of a win. With the Lions stinking it up and the Packers at a controversial 2-2, the Bears need a win to stay at the top of the NFC North with the surprising Vikings. The scary part is the Bears still haven't played any division opponents.

2-2 Teams

• New England Patriots - Putting up 50+ points against the Buffalo Bills isn't impressive at all. I still haven't seen anything that impresses me about the Patriots other thanthe surprising amount of emphasis on the running game, something that Belichick obviously saw was important in a "passing league". Do what your opponent isn't doing and you'll probably win.
• New York Jets - The Jets offense was terrible, not even scoring a field goal against the 49ers. The Jets defense allowed a combined TWO HUNDRED FORTY RUSHING YARDS. The Jets special teams allowed a blocked punt against 1 oncoming blitz. Darrelle Revis is out for the rest of the season. Santonio Holmes looks to be gone for a legnthy period of time. Tim Tebow can't fix this mess, even God can't fix it.
• Denver Broncos - To be honest I'm not that surprised the Broncos are only 2-2. With so much new personnel comes chemistry issues. This team is just getting to know each other, so they need time to gel. In a very weak AFC, this team is a playboff team for sure.
• St. Louis Rams - Wait, they beat the Seahawks? Seems like the Jeff Fisher thing is working out pretty well so far. Bradford is finally playing up to expectations and this team looks like a Wild Card contender in a strong NFC West.
• Buffalo Bills - Holy hell if the Jets are terrible, this team is just plain anemic. They need a completely new defense if they hope to limit the 49ers to under 40 points. The Bills are making a very good case for being called the worst defense in the NFL.
• Seattle Seahawks - Thanks to the replacement refs and the NFL being too pussy to reverse a game's decision, this team is 2-2 instead of 1-3. Russell Wilson has surprised many, but this team really isn't that great, although they are definitely the best 1-3 team.
• Washington Redskins - This team is a Josh Morgan penalty away from being 3-1. I expected RG3 to be good, but not this good. The Redskins are the sleeper team to compete for the NFC East crown.
• New York Giants - Super Bowl hangover. They were lucky to even make it to the playoffs last year but the losses of Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs are being felt. If Manningham were still on the roster, you can bet the Giants would have beaten the Eagles.
• Green Bay Packers -  Thanks to the replacement refs and the NFL being too pussy to reverse a game's decision, this team is 2-2 instead of 3-1. Despite that, the Packers' defense isn't good, allowing Drew Brees to do whatever the hell he wanted to. Depending on what happens Monday night, the Packers might be in serious need of a win next week against the Colts, too.

1-2 Teams

• Pittsburgh Steelers - The Bye week should serve this team well. This is being picky, but the Steelers defense allowed the Jets to score 10 points. For last year's #1 ranked defense, that's 10 points too much as the 49ers proved yesterday. Things don't get any easier with their next matchup going against their in-state rivals, the Eagles.
• Indianapolis Colts -Their Bye week comes with the depressing news that head coach Chuck Pagano has a treatable form of leukemia. It's great news for him that he should be healthy soon enough, but he's still out for 6 weeks. If the Saints have shown anything, it's that losing a head coach can be devastating for any period of time. Nevertheless, this is a very good team.

1-3 Teams

• Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill passed Dan Marino's rookie passing yards record. The Dolphins have FINALLY found their next quarterback, but this is still a rebuilding year. They're a missed field goal away from being 2-2 and tied for the top of the AFC East.
• Jacksonville Jaguars - Well... Blaine Gabbert is better than last year! It's going to be another long year for the Jags.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Bucs went from being an average teams that no one cares about to being an average team that people hate because of their jerkass head coach. Greg Schiano is going to be fired if the team finishes under .500; his style just doesn't work in the NFL.
• Oakland Raiders - This team just plain sucks. Their only redeeming factor is they beat the Steelers last week, but this looks like a favorite to go for the #1 draft pick this year.
• Kansas City Chiefs - Oh my God this team is even worse than the Raiders. This team is probably as bad as the Jets are, but the Jets are luckier with an easier schedule.
• Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton isn't the problem, it's their defense. This team was so very close to being 2-2. I expect them to get good wins along the way, but they need a new DC.
• Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker was taken out of Sunday's game after re-aggravating his left shoulder injury and Matt Hasselbeck wasn't an improvement at all. Hasselbeck needs to retire, he's done. But the problem is that Locker was massively overhyped by Washington fans and is only an average QB.

Worst of the Worst, 0-4

• New Orleans Saints - Karma's a bitch. Drew Brees held out for greed and eventually got his ridiculous contract and the cost of probably the worst defense in the NFL. If things continue, the Saints will go down as having the worst defense in the history of the NFL. Not even Brees' $100 million arm can outscore opponents if his defense allows 50 points pe rgame or whatever. Here's some funny stats for you: The Saints are 32nd in opp rushing yards, 24th in opp passing yards, and 26th in rushing yards. They're 3rd in passing yards, with an 0-4 record. "Passing League" my ass.
• Cleveland Browns - The Brandon Weeden pick doesn't look so dumb now, but the team has much deeper issues than quarterback. This team might need several years of rebuilding, ala the 49ers. If they get the #1 draft pick, I expect them to be the first team in several years to draft an offensive line player with the #1 overall pick.

Is Peyton Manning a Fool for Signing with the Broncos Instead of the 49ers?

You may remember that just this past off season, Peyton Manning was released by the Indianapolis Colts in order to make room for #1 overall draft pick Andrew Luck. During the offseason, Manning was courted by various teams who more or less openly admitted that as much as they liked their quarterbacks, they'd rather have Peyton. The 3 teams that were most linked to Manning were the San Francisco 49ers, the Tennessee Titans, the Miami Dolphins, and the Denver Broncos. The Titans and Dolphins were almost immediately out of the picture, but the 49ers remained a potential contender despite head coach Jim Harbaugh had repeatedly talked about his confidence in Alex Smith the past season. All that was for naught however, as Peyton decided to sign with the Denver Broncos, presumably to avoid playing his brother, Eli, on a regular basis.

Two weeks into the regular season, Peyton Manning looks like an idiot for signing with the Broncos over the 49ers as the Niners have absolutely demolished the Packers and Lions while the Broncos struggled to beat the Steelers and lost to the Falcons when Manning threw 3 interceptions in 1 quarter. Some of the more big-mouthed pundits are saying that picking Denver over San Francisco might be the biggest mistake of Manning's career.

They're wrong.

The 49ers are so good because the core of the team has been together for several years now, Michael Crabtree being the newest addition to the core, and that was more than 2 years ago. The 49ers have grown together and because of that, are one unit. Bringing in Manning would disrupt that, no matter how legendary a QB he is. The reason the Broncos aren't off to the hottest start is because the majority of the team has yet to build real chemistry, even though many players came from the Colts and are familiar with Peyton.

So while I ponder what things would be like if Manning were in 49er red instead of Bronco orange, I just remember that sometimes it's nice to have a bunch of losers who become winners. I'm sure Manning will do fine in Denver, but I'd rather have a group with pre-established team chemistry.

NFL Week 2 Headlines

Another week done in the NFL, minus the Broncos vs Falcons game tonight where we probably won't learn anything other than both teams are really good in a toss-up showdown. Here's the biggest stories to me:

Rookie Quarterbacks Impress

Last week, only Robert Griffin III had an impressive showing, but this week his fellow rookie QBs Andrew Luck, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson, and Brandon Weeden had much better games. Although Weeden lost his game, it wasn't his fault, the Browns simply have an atrocious offensive line and just plain bad defense. As far as the Redskins' loss, it can be chalked up to Sam Braford finally playing living up to his status as the #1 overall draft pick from a few years ago thanks to the new coaching staff Jeff Fisher brought with him.

How in the Hell are the Eagles 2-0?

Two games, two 1-point victories. In both games, the Eagles turned the ball over like crazzzyyyy. After barely winning against the awful Browns and just barely eking out a win against the Ravens, it looks like either the football gods finally like the Eagles or their competition has been very weak. I'm as puzzled as everyone else is as to why the Eagles are 2-0, and I'm praying for them to finally face a team that will make them pay for allowing so many turnovers.

What the Hell Cowboys?

The Cowboys received a lot of kudos last week after embarrassing the defending Super Bowl champion Giants, but they proceeded to lay an egg visiting the Seattle Seahawks that saw the Cowboys turnover the ball on 3 consecutive possessions, leading to 3 consecutive scores. Brian fart doesn't even begin to describe how awful the Cowboys were. Thanks to how terrible they played, the downright lucky Eagles are the NFC East leaders. 

Drew Brees Hasn't Played This Badly Since He Was a Charger

OK, so last week the Saints were thumped by RG3's big debut. Yesterday, they were thumped again by Cam Newton. It's very clear at this point that the Saints are going to be the worst defense in the NFL, allowing nearly 1,000 yards and 80 points in TWO GAMES. Steve Spagnuolo is a very good defensive coordinator, so i can't explain why the Saints are just so terrible at defense this year. But even with bad defense, the Packers only lost 1 game last year and the Patriots made the Super Bowl. The reason the Saints won't even make the playoffs this year is because Drew Brees hasn't played this awful since the San Diego Chargers declined to re-sign him as  afree agent.

The 49ers Aren't Being Talked About Because There's Nothing to Criticize

Alex Smith hasn't thrown an interception since Thanksgiving last year. Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter are eviscerating teams' rushing defense. The 49ers still haven't allowed a rushing touchdown at San Francisco in nearly 2 years. The defense held Matthew Stafford to 1 touchdown last night and got an interception, while also preventing Calvin Johnson from getting 100 receiving yards. David Akers continues to kick super long distance field goals while making it look easy. It's a bit much to call the team flawless, but............. there's flat out nothing wrong with the team.

It's a very scary thought, but the most impressive teams on the 49ers' schedule are actually the NFC West rivals. Although I do believe the 49ers will sweep the Rams, The Seahawks and Cardinals have an incredible wild card factor. The first game for the Hawks and Cards were against each other in a very close contest, while yesterday the Hawks defeated the Cowboys and the Cards shocked the Patriots AT NEW ENGLAND. Next week will determine how hard the 49ers' schedule actually is as the Seahawks host the Packers on Monday Night and the Cardinals host the lucky Eagles.

The NFL is Finally Back!

Yes, we torture ourselves nearly every year spending so much time talking about the NFL when there are no games being played. There are 26 weeks of football played every year, 21 of them being competitive. Yes, nearly half of the year contains football being played, but the other half....... oh my God it is so torturous hearing endless speculation about trades and draft picks.

But all that is over now, and now we can talk about the biggest storylines from the first week in the NFL.

You Don't Mess with Texas

Both Texas teams were awesome in their first games. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declared that his team would kick the Giants' asses and most people laughed it off. But once last Wednesday rolled along, they did exactly as instructed and embarrassed the defending Super Bowl champions at their house. On Sunday, the Houston Texans continued to show that they are a legitimate team now by annihilating the Miami Dolphins 30-10. The Texans greatly impressed last season even with their 3rd string QB, but with Matt Schaub back, this team looks like a favorite in the AFC.

Robert Griffin III is for Real, Saints are Not

40 points. The Washington Redskins scored forty points against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. The loss of Gregg Williams and Sean Payton was very noticeable, the Saints coaching staff looking completely lost and inferior to Mike Shanahan's oft-criticized Redskin coaching. Drew Brees also played exactly like he did in the playoff game against the 49ers last season, throwing interceptions like crazy, including one Hail Mary that was intercepted at the end of the game. This looks to be one hell of a season to be a Redskins fan and a very long season to be a Saints fan, even with Bountygate (mostly) over.

Tebow Who?

The New York Jets scored 48 points. Mark Sanchez was so sublime in his dismantling of the Buffalo Bills that when Tebow came out to play, he was received with a chorus of boos. Quarterback controversy over.

The 49ers Look Unstoppable

So let's this straight: The 49ers defense made Aaron Rodgers look merely average, Alex Smith   was finding open targets all day with his new WR corps, and kicker David Akers has now entered NFL lore with his legendary 63 yard field goal. A team with no visible weaknesses against a Green Bay Packers team with one of the best offenses last year and worst defense ever? OK, yes this was really the biggest defensive test for the 49ers, but this is the same Packers team that was eviscerated by Eli Manning last year en route to a Super Bowl. Sometimes, there is a lot to learn from teams that can totally embarrass horrible defenses.

Peyton Manning Ain't Dead Yet

Manning is finally back and yes he's still good. There was a lot of concern over his neck and whether or not he'd be the same old Peyton, but he reassured fans (and fantasy football players) with a sublime performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, the Steelers' #1 defense from last year took a giant hit, even though they were against Manning. It's safe to say that the Steelers will probably not be as good as they were last year, which is saying a lot since their defense was eviscerated by Tim Tebow last year.

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Announced

Ordinarily, I'd post the first trailer to this, but it's 14 minutes long and I'd rather talk about the story implications of this.

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is a sequel to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which took place in November 1974. What we know about Ground Zeroes' story is that it most likely takes place mere days or weeks after Peace Walker since Chico has not visibly aged and Paz is described as having recently been found by fishermen in Belize. Furthermore, reference is given that the UN will soon be conducting a nuclear inspection on MSF/Outer Heaven's Mother Base. The villains of this story are a mysterious organization known as XOF that uses a mirror image of the defunct-FOX logo as their emblem. In the demo shown, they are keeping Chico and Paz prisoner at Camp Omega, an American military base on the southern tip of Cuba, obviously an analogue to Guantanamo Bay.

Hideo Kojima has stated that Ground Zeroes serves as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid 5, implying that there will be at least 3 Metal Gear games coming in the future, possibly 4 if Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is successful. With the announcement of Ground Zeroes, it also raises the number of Metal Gear games that Big Boss is the main character in to tie him with Solid Snake. Kojima has said that Snake's story is not over, so will MGS5 potentially be a game that has you play as both Big Boss and Solid Snake in different time periods? Or will MGS5 turn out to be similar to how MGS4 is a direct sequel to MGS2, but MGS3 introduced several concepts and characters to the series?

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is set to be released on current-gen consoles as the debut of the new Fox Engine.