ESPN NFL Power Rankings: Browns Earn Respect?
The Cleveland Browns barely eked out a win against the four win Atlanta Falcons. The game was dominated by the Browns in a lot of ways but turnovers were costly and kept the Falcons in the game and gave them the lead late. A big stand by the defense and a timely drive by the offense still gave the Browns a victory.
But did it earn them respect nationally? We answer that question as we continue our weekly look at the ESPN NFL Power Rankings. These rankings come out every Tuesday and give us a good idea on how our team is being viewed. The Browns have struggled to gain a lot of traction in the rankings, with #11 being their highest ranking following their big Thursday Night Football win.
The new ESPN NFL Power Rankings are out so let us see where they have our beloved Cleveland Browns:
"16Browns7-4Last Week: 17Welcome back. Brian Hoyer targeted Josh Gordon 17 times Sunday, tied for the most by any player in a game this season. Gordon finished with eight catches for 120 yards."
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The Browns continue to struggle to gain respect nationally. They only rise 1 spot after a win on the road against a good offensive team while missing their All Pro tight end. The Browns are the lowest ranked of the 10 seven win teams. They are still 4 spots behind the Kansas City Chiefs even though they lost to the previously winless Raiders.
The 7 win teams are ranked 7th all the way down to the Browns at 16. It is a sign of how hard it will be for teams to make the playoffs. There are 16 teams with 7 wins or more and two more teams with 6 wins, and winning records at 6 – 5, in the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. The Bills loss, and two spot fall, is what allowed the Browns to move up.
This week’s game matches the Browns up with the 18th ranked Bills in a game that is vitally important for both teams. The Bills will be coming off a short week, but will be at home, following blasting the New York Jets last night. Unless the Browns win big and a few of the 7 win teams lose, expect them to stay right around in this area. National respect is hard to gain.
What do you think of the Cleveland Browns’ ranking in the latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings?