Cleveland Browns: Week 2 NFL power rankings
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns continue to bring up the rear in the weekly NFL power rankings following their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cleveland Browns had quite the opening to the 2016 NFL season against the Philadelphia Eagles.
A 19-point loss to a rookie quarterback making his first start. An NFL-record 12th consecutive loss on Week 1. Surely some kind of NFL record for losing their starting quarterback to injury in back-to-back seasons in the first game.
Welcome to Cleveland, head coach Hue Jackson.
“I know a lot of people are really concerned about where we are, where we’re headed. We’ve got to stick to the process,” Jackson said on Tuesday. “There’s got to be some struggle before there’s success sometimes.
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“I enjoy this process and this situation that we’re in because the fun part for me is I love challenges and a lot of people don’t think this can get done. I can guarantee you it will get it done. How fast it gets done? I don’t have the answer to that, but I know we’re going to get it done.”
While the Browns busy themselves getting it done and preparing for Sunday’s home opener against the Baltimore Ravens, let’s check in to see where they fall in the weekly NFL power rankings.
Cameron DaSilva at Fox Sports:
"No. 31: Robert Griffin III is going to be out for at least eight games, giving way to Josh McCown. RG3 didn’t play particularly well in Week 1, so it’s not a crushing blow, but the Browns will struggle to win more than four games this season. They looked horrendous against the Eagles and made rookie Carson Wentz look like a five-year veteran. It’s going to be a long season in Cleveland. (Pittsburgh No. 4, Cincinnati No. 5, Baltimore No. 17)"
Chris Simms at Bleacher Report:
"No. 32: There’s no sugarcoating this one. The Browns were clowned by the quarterback they once dismissed as a middle-of-the-pack prospect. It looked even worse with the inconsistent play from their own passer, Robert Griffin III. I was expecting more from Cleveland. I thought their offensive line might handle Fletcher Cox and Co. a little better than it did. And I thought that defense, coordinated by Ray Horton, could’ve rattled Carson Wentz a little more. Only rookie Carl Nassib stood out to me. Not the best start to the Hue Jackson era. (Pittsburgh No. 4, Cincinnati No. 7, Baltimore No. 18)"
"No. 32: So … Terrelle Pryor’s catch was sweet. But not much to get excited about from the Brownies on Sunday. The botched snap early in the third that resulted in a safety sent everything Cleveland in a downward spiral. Now RGIII is on IR. Still, the guess here is that the Browns will give the Ravens all they can handle at home this weekend. Who could forget this matchup last year? (Pittsburgh No. 4, Cincinnati No. 8, Baltimore No. 16)"
"No. 32: In a week defined by close games and monster comebacks, the Browns took a 19-point beating from a team with a rookie quarterback. The Browns now have a 38 percent chance of getting the first pick in 2017 according to NFL FPI, by far the highest in the league. (Pittsburgh No. 4, Cincinnati No. 9, Baltimore No. 13)"
"No. 32: Going from Robert Griffin III to Josh McCown isn’t a bad thing, necessarily — there’s a good argument that McCown is better right now — but the Browns showed nothing in the opener that provided any optimism for the next 15 games. (Pittsburgh No. 3, Cincinnati No. 7, Baltimore No. 16)"
Next: Browns: Week 1 film study
"No. 32: Until they show an ounce of life this century, the Browns are the worst team in football. (Pittsburgh No. 3, Cincinnati No. 5, Baltimore No. 13)"