As Al Swearengen so perfectly stated: "Yes, it has fallen to this."

Without fanfare, I give you the first ever Cheesehead TV NFL Power Rankings:

1. New Orleans Saints

They're the champs so here they sit. For now. I expect them to win tomorrow night and a few more times as the season goes on, but I don't expect to see them up here all year. Too much trouble in the secondary and too much pressure with teams bringing their A Game every week to knock off the champs.

2. Baltimore Ravens

This team is damn good and it has nothing to do with the addition of TJ Houshmandzadeh and everything to do with the fact that Joe Flacco and Ray Rice have Anquan Boldin to help take pressure off both young offensive stars. Oh, and the defense, despite the injuries, is still scary.

3. Indianapolis Colts

Everyone wants to make the umpire-moving rule a possible pit-fall for the Peyton Manning-led offense. Please.

4. Green Bay Packers

Although it's hard to find a team with more bloated hype around them, at the core of the hysteria is a very, very good football team. The offense is a threat to put up 30+ points on anyone and with the questions they have on defense, they may need to.

5. New England Patriots

It was chic early in the offseason to talk about the demise of the Patriot dynasty. Last I looked, they were still coached by Bill Belichick and they were still quarterbacked by Tom Brady. That's good for 10 wins in and of itself.

6. San Diego Chargers

Yes, they enter 2010 without Marcus McNeil and Vincent Jackson. But it says here that rookie running back Ryan Matthews will win Offensive Rookie of the Year and that Ron Rivera's defense will look worlds better than the unit that got run over against the Jets in last years playoffs.

7. Minnesota Vikings

A confession. If anyone other than Brad Childress was coaching the Vikings, I'd have them in the Top 5, maybe even the Top 3. The last time this much talent was being wasted on an in-over-his-head head coach, Ray Rhodes had just bought a new house in Green Bay...

8. Atlanta Falcons

I know this will surprise some people. OK, all people. But I'm here to tell you - this will not be the only time the Falcons surprise people this year. Matt Ryan took his lumps last year but he is one of the best young, up-and-coming quarterbacks in the NFL. The offensive stars are well known, but I think their young defense will be the talk of the town.

9. Dallas Cowboys

I don't think this team is as good as it thinks it is, but it's still a pretty damn good team. (Does that even make sense?) Romo is what he is. The offense can win a game or two on its own and the defense can get after guys and has one of the best front sevens in football. It will be fun watching the Roy Williams/Dez Bryant/Its Only A Matter Of Time dynamic play out this season.

10. New York Jets

Another team that isn't (anywhere near) as good as it thinks it is. Fans tend to remember the two amazing games they played in the playoffs while completely forgetting the 7 regular season losses or the fact that only Peyton Manning taking a seat got them into the playoffs. Chances are if the final score is 17-14, the Jets have won. If its 24-17, the Jets have lost.

11. San Francisco 49ers

The star tight end and young star receiver are already at odds. The head coach is already talking about elephants in the room. The defense either looked dominate or like a complete sieve during the preseason. And you know what? They're better than anyone thinks they are.

12. Cincinnati Bengals

Ocho, TO, Pacman, Cedric Benson - this is the team I want to party with. Throw in Carson Palmer and this team has as much talent as anyone. The worry is that the presence of the two star receivers will guide the Bengals away from what got them to the playoffs last year - giving the football to Benson. A lot.

13. Houston Texans

This team has been "improving on defense" since they entered the league. This is the year it finally makes a difference on the field. I think the young secondary will surprise and Mario Williams will be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. And of course, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson will put up their annual fireworks.

14. Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson, Chris Johnson, Chris Johnson...Vince Young...Chris Johnson, Chris Johnson, Chris Johnson. That's the gameplan on offense. On defense, look for Chuck Cecil to learn from some of the rookie-coordinator mistake he made last year - like giving the opposing quarterbacks all day to throw.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

This is a young team that might almost be rebuilding if it wasn't for the coaching of Andy Reid. As it is they have issues on the offensive line and they are young in the secondary. But I expect Kevin Kolb to make the throws - the 5 yard slants, the 8 yard digs - that gave McNabb trouble and will keep drives alive that would have stalled before. This is a young team that will grow together throughout the next few years.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

Dennis Dixon to the rescue! Lord. Well, the good news is they still have Dick Lebeau, Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, etc. And they'll get their quarterback back after four games. But I still have trouble seeing this as more than a 9 or 10 win team.

17. Miami Dolphins

Probably a better team than I'm giving them credit for. They made the big move for Brandon Marshall and signed Karlos Dansby. And the two-headed monster of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams will continue to pound teams into oblivion. But can they stop the better passing teams? And how much improvement will we see out of Chad Henne? This is definitely a "Show Me" team.

18. New York Giants

Is it possible that this team was not only IN the Super Bowl but WON it three years ago? Of course, that's a lifetime in the NFL these days. The O-line is a concern but if they can give Manning time he's got lots of maturing talent in the receiving corps. I think they'll be better in the secondary but still wonder about their linebackers. And I think Justin Tuck will be back to his dominating ways.

19. Washington Redskins

All anyone wants to talk about is Donavan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth, but can someone please explain the switch to the 3-4 here? Talk about completely miscast. If they had brought Shanahan in to right the ship on offense, which I think he will, and built on what was already there on defense, I could see them as a possible Wild Card team. But this overhaul on defense has me mystified. Oh, and interesting sidenote: Their wide receivers are Joey Galloway and Santana Moss. Yikes.

20. Carolina Panthers

Don't pay attention to the Matt Moore you saw in the preseason (which means less-than-nothing). Pay attention to the Matt Moore you saw at the end of the 2009 season. This team can run the ball and take pressure off Moore as he finds Steve Smith. A lot. The pressure is on Jon Fox and company and I think they'll respond on defense by trying to bring much more pressure - unfortunately I see the Falcons and the Saints exposing said pressure...

21. Arizona Cardinals

The preseason drama of who would play starting quarterback really overshadowed the fact that this team will be pounding the football with Beanie Wells more than anything else. It will be up to Derek Anderson to find Larry Fitzgerald off of playaction, which I'm sure he'll do - a lot. Unfortunately, for Cardinal fans anyway, the defections on defense might take a little while for the team to adjust to, but there's no reason they can't be right there with the 49ers battling for the division lead at the end of the year.

22. Chicago Bears

The Bears Still Suck.

23. Denver Broncos

Year Two in the Josh McDaniles era looks to be off to a rocky start: Elvis Dumervil out for the year. The running game is banged up. The defense is under the tutelage of yet another new coordinator. Oh, and the teams' best offensive threat was traded away during the off-season.  The one bright spot? They play the Chiefs and Raiders twice each.

24. Oakland Raiders

Ok, ok, so the Raiders aren't THAT bad. It's just hard to get over the last several years of ineptitude. But the team had its best offseason in recent memory. They drafted well and traded for a legit starting quarterback. But still. This is a "Show Me" team if ever there was one. I actually like the Raiders to win 8 games which has got be considered a successful season for a franchise that has been nothing short of horrible the last five years.

25. Kansas City Chiefs

Can Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel make a difference? Some. But improved play from Matt Cassell and the addition of McCluster will have a say on their fortunes in 2010. The run defense looked problematic in the preseason, but again, that means little to nothing. In reality, this team is still one or two years away.

26. Jaxonville Jaguars

This team is Maurice Jones-Drew...and not much else. They don't have a quarterback, they've gone uber-young on defense except when they overpaid a gimpy Aaron Kampman to provide a pass rush. What could possibly go wrong?

27. Seattle Seahawks

Finally, a team that isn't afraid to be in a full-blown rebuilding mode. I know NFL pundits are all excited about Pete Carroll but I'm here to tell you - this will not end well. Sure they'll be "scrappy" and they'll pull off an upset or two and everyone in the Northwest will talk about great things to come...until they remember they don't have an offensive line and that their defense can't stop anyone. But hey, Carroll's on Twitter! He's so cool!

28. Cleveland Browns

Another full-blown rebuilding mode team, I actually think the Browns will give their division rivals a lot of problems. But in the end, Jake Delhomme won't be morphing into the 2003 version that took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. The defense will be better and they'll run the ball, the combination of which will keep them in games - but I just can't trust Delhomme.

29. Detroit Lions

They will be mind-bendingly awful in the secondary. And better almost everywhere else. I love Stafford, Johnson and Best in the Triplet roles. And I think Suh and the defensive line in general will cause a lot of good teams some major headaches. But in the end, this is a passing league and that secondary will kill them again and again.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Raheem Morris takes a lot of grief, some of it deserved, but I like the guy. I like that he's not afraid to admit a mistake. That said, he's made more than a few. But I chalk a lot of that up to the fact that he was handed a job he was in no way ready to do and he's been learning along the way. I like the quarterback, Freeman, who's banged up at the moment. But I think the kid has a chance to be a decent NFL QB.

31. St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford looked good in the preseason. Great. Now lets see him when the defense goes from black-and-white to Full Color HD in 3D. That's the jump that's awaiting the rookie signal caller. Losing Donnie Avery for the season is a blow, but having Stephen Jackson behind your rookie to take pressure off of him is a good way to go. If Spags can get anything out of his defense they might drag themselves out of the cellar of the NFC West. Hey, I said might...

32. Buffalo Bills

Remember when this team went to four Super Bowls in a row? Yeah, me either. I do think Chan Gailey will have this team playing better than anyone has a right to expect them to. They just don't have a quarterback and the switch to the 3-4, again, is mystifying. The front seven here is almost completely miscast. Things will get late real early in Buffalo this year...