In another startling week of the National Football League, we were once again reminded that nothing ever goes as planned. The top-tier franchises in the league are never safe from the underlying upset that is waiting to happening.

The NFL is about expecting the unexpected and no team knows that better than the Washington Redskins, who watched RGIII get carted off the field after dislocating his ankle. The Seattle Seahawks took a surprising thrashing from the San Diego Chargers, which proved the Super Bowl champs might not be worth all the hype.

The Cleveland Browns are interestingly enough a fascinating topic of debate within the league. Although they lost against Pittsburgh, it was a valiant effort, and in Sunday's games against the New Orleans Saints, the Browns showed they had what it takes to make the next step up the ladder.

Aside from the Saints and Seahawks falling to lesser opponents, the San Francisco 49ers' had a debacle of their own, which centered on quarterback Collin Kaepernick's three interceptions and terrible play in the fourth quarter. The Chicago Bears were able to rally off 21 unanswered points in a thrilling late game comeback. The spoiling of a home opener is never a good thing, but when it's the first game ever played in a new stadium its even worse.

While the Denver Broncos are one of the few teams that remain undefeated, there are a couple surprises that also make the list to the shock of fans. The Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals also make the list of surprisingly undefeated teams. While the season is still young, there is something to be said for the rise of the next up and coming franchises that is intriguing to NFL fans.

Off the field issues were also a point of concern for the NFL's second weekend. Carolina Panthers DE Greg Hardy was deactivated for Sunday's game in the midst of an appeal for a domestic violence conviction. Minnesota Vikings RB was also inactivated for Sundays face against the New England Patriots. Adrian Peterson is under investigation for child abuse charges.

The growing off-the-field issues and image protection displayed by NFL franchises and the league itself is a decisive move to protect "the shield." The NFL has enforced its policies that say that the league as a whole is far more important than any individual player.