Several Week One Upsets Shake Up "AHN Top Ten" NFL Power Rankings

September 9, 2008 8:09 p.m. EST

Wellington, FL (AHN) - Week One in the NFL was filled with several upset victories that have ultimately shifted the balance of power in the AFC and NFC.

The Dallas Cowboys managed to fulfill expectations and performed extremely well against the Cleveland Browns.

QB Tony Romo had all the time in the world behind scrimmage with his o-line keeping him almost completely unscathed.

The defense allowed just ten points and looked impressive against the Browns, holding Cleveland to only 205 yards for the entire game.

The biggest story of the week has to be New England's Tom Brady, who is out for the season with a knee injury he suffered after only fifteen minutes behind center..

Losing an MVP like Brady can really change the entire scope of the season and may prove to be the source of perennial contenders New England's downfall.

Meanwhile, the Chargers, who held the number one ranking last week, fell to Jake Delhomme and the Carolina Panthers.

Last week's number five team, the Indianapolis Colts, also suffered an upset loss against the Chicago Bears.

Here is how they stand after week one:

No. 1: Dallas Cowboys - A very convincing defeat of the upstart Cleveland Browns showed the rest of the NFL that the road to the Super Bowl may have to come through Dallas. (Last Week, 2)

No. 2: New York Giants - The defending super bowl champs continued right where they left off with their defense performing extremely well and Eli Manning exhibiting a new-found confidence that is evident on the field. (Last Week, 4)

No. 3: Pittsburgh Steelers -QB Ben Roethlisberger and RB Willie Parker got to the Houston Texans early and often for a convincing 38-17 win. (Last Week, 6)

No. 4: San Diego Chargers - The defense did not perform to its usual standards during the week one loss to the Carolina Panthers. Despite this, the Chargers could have won the game if not for a miracle heave by Carolina's QB Delhomme late in the game. (Last Week, 1)

No. 5: Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers shook off months of controversy to lead the Green Bay Packers over their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, 24-19. (Last Week, 8)

No. 6: New England Patriots - Although back-up Matt Cassel was able to fill-in well for the injured Brady and lead the Patriots to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the absence of the reigning NFL MVP changes the entire make-up of the team. (Last Week, 3)

No. 7: Indianapolis Colts - QB Peyton Manning was not himself after off-season knee surgery and was able to lead the Colts down the field for only one touchdown and two field goals. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears questionable offense hung 29 points on the Colts defense.(Last Week, 5)

No. 8: Denver Broncos - Jay Cutler is looking like the closest to John Elway Denver has seen since Elway retired. Denver pummeled the Oakland Raiders 41-14 Monday night. (Last Week, Not Rated)

No. 9: New Orleans Saints - With Drew Brees and Reggie Bush playing like they are capable of playing, the Saints may return to the playoffs in 2008 after a dismal 2007 season. (Last Week, Not Rated)

No. 10: Philadelphia Eagles - We all know what Donovan McNabb is capable of. If he stays healthy and they get their top two receivers back, their 38-3 crushing of the St. Louis Rams may be a sign of things to come. (Last Week, Not Rated) "Bubble teams:" New York Jets, Chicago Bears. The "AHN Top 10" will attempt to balance rankings based on each team's most recent performance, while keeping in mind the overall scope of each team's place in the league. The rankings are compiled by the AHN writer and are the sole opinion of the author.