NFL Power Rankings: Browns slip to 27th heading into Week 11, not viewed as a contender

Cleveland’s 2024 season is deemed a waste.

Here is a summary of how the Cleveland Browns are viewed across mainstream media outlets in NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season.

CBS Sports – No. 23 (up 1 spot)

They simply have too many injuries to overcome this season. Now they have to stew in the mess that is the Deshaun Watson situation for a few years. Good luck.

ESPN – No. 27 (down 2 spots)

Non-QB MVP: Edge rusher Myles Garrett

The Browns’ defense has regressed from its elite standing last season, but Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, remains a dominant force. He’s on pace for 13 sacks, one shy of his 2023 total. Garrett went four straight games without recording a sack, but he still draws double-teams and opens one-on-one opportunities for his teammates. He ranks third in pass rush win rate as an edge defender (25.8%) despite facing double-teams on a league-high 27% of those plays.

NFL.com – No. 26 (up 1 spot)

When GM Andrew Berry did his annual bye-week fireside chat with the media last Wednesday, he faced some heat about the future of the team — and especially that of QB Deshaun Watson. But most of Berry’s answers were opaque, summed up when he responded to a question about whether the roster needs a teardown by saying, “That’s probably a better postseason discussion.” So the Browns will have to labor through the remainder of the season — with five of the last eight games on the road — with no publicly expressed vision of what exactly is at stake down the stretch. Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski both signed extensions in early June. Watson’s situation is impossible to forecast, and there’s no clear developmental QB on the roster currently. Even after trading away veterans on both sides of the ball, there are only so many young players who can make statements with their play and build toward 2025. We’re nearing a fascinating but potentially frightening offseason in Cleveland.

Sporting News – No. 29 (down 1 spot)

The Browns are playing out the string with Jameis Winston and were sellers ahead of their Week 10 bye. The defense needs to have a good finish, and the offense needs inspired play to ensure another year of Kevin Stefanski.

Yahoo Sports – No. 25 (no change)

Jameis Winston will remain the team’s starting quarterback, which makes some sense. Whatever infatuation the Browns have with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, he hasn’t played well enough to earn more starts.

Bleacher Report – No. 31 (down 1 spot)

Not much has gone right for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. The quarterback play has been mostly atrocious, whether it has been Deshaun Watson (who is out for the season with a torn Achilles) or Jameis Winston. The offensive line has been blasted by injuries. The defense has crumbled under the weight of no help from the other side of the ball. While speaking to reporters, head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted that it has been a frustrating year—but he also said the Browns didn’t plan to make any major changes over the bye week.

“Two and seven’s stressful for everybody,” Stefanski said. “Everybody’s frustrated. I know I’m frustrated. Our players are frustrated. I’m sure our fans are frustrated right there with us when you have the record we have. We’re focused on getting better. We’re focused on using this week to find a way to get better and then go on the road and get a win next week. That’s really where our focus is.”

Analyst’s Take

It doesn’t matter what changes the Browns make this season. The 2024 campaign is cooked. The question now is what the team does in 2025. And drafting a quarterback is just about the only move that makes any sense. To be clear, the Browns salary cap is going to be a mess for the next two seasons. There’s only so much the team can do with Watson’s contract hanging around the franchise’s neck like an anchor. The Browns owe Watson $72 million in 2025 and 2026—and another $26.9 million in 2027 after Watson’s deal has expired. The Watson deal has been a nightmare from the jump. And it could be years before the team wakes up from it.

USA Today – No. 26 (down 2 spots)

Not a single player here is on pace to accrue 800 yards from scrimmage this season.

Listed below is a summary table of where teams in the AFC North are ranked this week.

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What do you think of the Browns’ ranking this week?