Cleveland Browns: Week 3 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 Baltimore Ravens.
Two weeks into the NFL season and the wheels are starting to come off the bus for the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns are sitting at 0-2 on the season — not really a surprise — and have lost their starting quarterback to injury in consecutive games — also not a surprise, given the injury histories of Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown.
The injuries are not confined to the quarterback position, as the Browns will be without center Cameron Erving and defensive end Carl Nassib for a while as well.
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Such is life with this team.
“This is pro football and these things happen, maybe not to this degree any place I have been, but I have been toughened before,” head coach Hue Jackson said on Monday. “We are going to keep fighting and that is what I told the guys. We are not going to get caught up in this. Our football team is getting better, and I think you all could see that yesterday in a lot of different areas. What I have to do is make sure that we do it all the time.
“What we have to do is just keep fighting and keep working at it.”
The Browns will take up the fight again on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Before we get there, though, let’s take at where the Browns reside in the weekly power rankings.
Cameron DaSilva at Fox Sports:
"No. 32: The Browns will start their third quarterback in as many games Sunday, when Cody Kessler takes over for the injured Josh McCown. Kessler was a dink-and-dunk quarterback at USC and wasn’t viewed as a very promising prospect, but the Browns don’t have a choice. They’re the worst team in the league. (Pittsburgh No. 2, Cincinnati No. 9, Baltimore No. 14)"
Chris Simms at Bleacher Report:
"No. 31: The talent might not be there in Cleveland but the blueprint is. Don’t judge the Browns on wins and losses alone. Judge them instead on how well their young first- and second-year players adapt to head coach Hue Jackson’s teachings and, better yet, how they contribute."
"They’ll blow their share of 20-point leads before things get better. When they do, they’ll be able to lean on Isaiah Crowell, who bursts through the hole, or Corey Coleman, who takes the top off a defense. Right now, Baltimore is the better team. But I liked the way the Browns battled, and I really liked the way they reflected their head coach’s character. (Pittsburgh No. 3, Cincinnati No. 10, Baltimore No. 12)"
"No. 32: Not sure what’s worse: losing by three scores or blowing a 20-0 first-half lead at home. Gonna double down on the latter. OK, so Browns fans — who will watch yet another QB, untested rookie Cody Kessler, take the field next Sunday after Josh McCown played through a serious injury to his non-throwing shoulder against the Ravens – have a season ticket to heartache. But we already knew that."
"The denizens of the Dawg Pound could glean a few positives from the defeat. Start with rookie receiver Corey Coleman’s two touchdown receptions. Then there’s the running game, which, through two contests, is averaging over 6 yards per carry, a 2-yard-per-carry improvement over last season. The defense looked much better than it did in Week 1 versus Carson Wentz. (I’m trying to avoid the blown second half and harsh penalties on Sunday here — work with me.) Lastly, how can anyone not respect McCown? Maybe he won’t end up immortalized in Canton, but the product of the Lone Star State is as tough as nine acres of Texas onions. (Pittsburgh No. 1, Cincinnati No. 9, Baltimore No. 15)"
ESPN:
"No. 32: The Indians have a seven-game lead in the American League Central. The defending champion Cavaliers open training camp Sept. 27. The Browns look to avoid an 0-3 start at Miami on Sunday. It’s not all bad, Cleveland. (Pittsburgh No. 2, Cincinnati No. 8, Baltimore No. 13)"
Next: Browns: Week 2 Film Breakdown
"No. 32: Josh McCown is out this week, and probably longer. The Browns, a bad team even with healthy quarterbacks, have to press third-round rookie quarterback Cody Kessler into a starting role. It seems probable they go wire-to-wire as the No. 32 team in these rankings. (Pittsburgh No. 2, Cincinnati No. 6, Baltimore No. 14)"