Cleveland Browns lose love in latest ESPN power rankings
By Greg Newland
The Cleveland Browns have a mediocre record of 2-2, but the latest power rankings show that experts are slowly losing faith in this “loaded” roster.
The Cleveland Browns started out this season with a ton of hope. They believed they had a strong roster, and finally got their franchise quarterback which they have been searching for since 1999. On paper, a 2-2 start doesn’t look too shabby, but when you look at the competition, it’s clear that things are really starting to unravel for this team.
The latest ESPN power rankings show exactly that with the Browns falling 11 spots to No. 18 this week. They are getting a little benefit of the doubt as the Falcons are actually behind them, but remember, three of the Browns starting defensive linemen missed last week’s game.
This season certainly isn’t over, but Cleveland’s next stretch of seven games is absolutely brutal. Even if Deshaun Watson was the quarterback, 3-4 would be a major win. With Jacoby Brissett (who has not been bad), I just hope the Browns find a way to win one of these next seven games.
What’s gone wrong for the Cleveland Browns?
Once again, injuries have been a killer to the Browns. Jadeveon Clowney has missed two games with an ankle and Myles Garret was forced to miss a game after a car accident. On top of that, they lost Anthony Walker for the season, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has a nagging soft tissue injury as well.
It’s easy to point fingers at Brissett, but honestly, he has been exactly what we should expect. A very average quarterback who has made a few great plays, but ultimately struggles to carry the team on his back. The biggest disappointment has been the secondary. Constant breakdowns have allowed big plays that all but surrendered losses to the Jets and Falcons, and we have yet to see any signs of improvement.
A Week 3 “players only” meeting isn’t usually a great sign of leadership, and there hasn’t been a lot of accountability taken in the media. The fear is this team could be more worried about individual stat lines than the big picture of winning football games. Let’s hope Watson’s return to the locker room in the next week will bolster morale.
