Cleveland spent Week 1 buried at the very bottom of nearly every list in the league, a fair placement after a lopsided loss to Jacksonville that left little room for optimism. One dominant road win later, the Browns have already climbed out of the cellar. Bleacher Report’s latest rankings placed Cleveland at No. 28 heading into Week 3, a jump of four spots from dead last.
Analyst Brent Sobleski explained why Cleveland earned that bump.
“During a contest expected and billed as Baker Mayfield’s revenge game, Watson outplayed the former Browns quarterback and helped lead his team to its first victory this season. The next step is stacking competent outings. Otherwise, the Browns fan base will not allow any leeway after the previous four seasons of disappointment. Shedeur Sanders is waiting in the wings to take over as soon as Cleveland has had enough of Watson,” Sobleski wrote.
Sobleski credited Watson for the improved standing, noting that he completed 80 percent of his passes and threw 2 touchdowns in a performance that outshined the quarterback Cleveland once let walk away.
Washington sits at No. 29 after Jayden Daniels suffered another elbow injury, Tennessee checks in at No. 30 despite a competitive loss to Philadelphia, and Atlanta and Miami round out the bottom two after both dropping to 0-2 with major quarterback issues of their own. Climbing above four other teams still leaves plenty of room to move, but it places Cleveland ahead of several franchises dealing with far more alarming problems at the sport’s most important position.
Rankings will continue moving week to week as more results come in, and a home opener against Carolina gives Cleveland a real chance to build on this early momentum. For a team that spent Week 1 ranked dead last in the entire league, climbing four spots after one signature win is a small step, but it is the kind of step that changes the conversation heading into a pivotal Week 3.
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