The Cleveland Browns routed hated AFC North rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in over two decades. Veteran quarterback and hometown hero Brian Hoyer is playing well and keeping rookie Johnny Manziel on the sidelines. The defense of the Browns finally had a good game. Cleveland is at 3-2 and looking like a legitimate playoff contender.
Will it all come crashing down for the Browns as it has every season since the club returned to the NFL in 1999?
Cleveland Browns Week 7 NFL power rankings: Pat Kirwan
Ranking: 16
“Brian Hoyer mania is sweeping across Ohio, and for good reason” is how Kirwan started the Browns portion of his latest NFL power rankings. He isn’t wrong. Hoyer is the favorite son of northeast Ohio, and he could earn himself a contract extension from the Browns if he continues to win games.
It isn’t all good news for the Browns, and Kirwan addresses that. All-Pro center Alex Mack is likely out for the season after suffering a broken leg in Cleveland’s win over Pittsburgh. While the offensive line of the Browns played well without him versus the Steelers, Pro Bowl centers aren’t replaced via depth. Mack will be missed.
Cleveland Browns Week 7 NFL power rankings: Tony Manfred
Ranking: 15
Manfred has high expectations for the Browns moving forward: “They play Jacksonville, Oakland, and Tampa Bay in the next three weeks. The Browns should be 6-2 going into Week 10.”
He’s spot-on. If Cleveland is legitimate and not the “same old Browns,” beating the likes of the Jaguars, Raiders and Buccaneers shouldn’t be difficult. Yes, the NFL is an any-given-Sunday league, but these are the games that playoff teams must -- must -- win.
No pressure, Browns.
Cleveland Browns Week 7 NFL power rankings: Mike Maske
Ranking: 15
Maske, like Manfred, has the Browns at 15. He is convinced that Cleveland has completed a turnaround.
“Yes,” Maske wrote, “the Browns are for real. Coach Mike Pettine and QB Brian Hoyer have seen to that.”
As Maske points out, it may be unrealistic to believe the Browns will be a playoff team in 2014. That’s fine. Cleveland playing meaningful December football for a change would be a pleasant surprise considering where the Browns appeared to be this past August. A 7-9 or 8-8 record would offer proof that the team is trending upward.
Cleveland Browns Week 7 NFL power rankings: Rod Beard
Ranking: 14
Beard bumped the Browns up six spots in his weekly NFL power rankings. The 4-2 Baltimore Ravens are up to No. 12. Beard dropped the Cincinnati Bengals four spots to No. 11 after the Bengals and Carolina Panthers played to a draw.
Cleveland’s latest victory wasn’t massive only because it was against the Steelers, who have owned Cleveland year after year after year. That result put the Browns at 1-2 in division play. An 0-3 AFC North record could have sunk the Browns in the division race, and that is now no longer a concern for the club.
Cleveland Browns Week 7 NFL power rankings: Mike Florio
Ranking: 15
“So much for the Browns not being competitive” is what the Pro Football Talk guru had to say about Cleveland. The Browns have been in all five regular season games they have thus far played. The first four came down to the waning seconds of those contests, and Cleveland crushed Pittsburgh in Week 6.
There are reasons to believe the Browns will only get better as the season continues. The NFL is a results-based business, and Cleveland cannot afford to look past any opponent on the team’s schedule.
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