The Browns’ climb in the Week 3 NFL power rankings is the kind that turns heads. After one win, Cleveland didn’t just inch forward - several outlets pushed the team up in a meaningful way, and one even slotted the Browns ahead of the Steelers. Across the board, the numbers added up to a week-to-week jump of 5.4 spots, leaving Cleveland with an overall ranking of 26.0.
The biggest movement came from the back half of the rankings, where the Browns suddenly look less like a punchline and more like a team that just did enough to earn some respect. That shift starts with Deshaun Watson, who drew praise for how he managed the game in the win over the Buccaneers.
CBS Sports placed Cleveland at No. 28, up three spots, and summed it up simply: “Deshaun Watson actually looked good in beating the Bucs. The defense also took a step forward.”
ESPN had the Browns at No. 29, also up three, and focused on the style of Watson’s performance. “One thing we know about the QB1: Deshaun Watson found a risk-averse winning formula.”
ESPN also noted that Watson picked up his first win since September 2024 in Week 2 while posting the lowest average depth of target of his career at 3.7. The passing game has been condensed, with Watson’s 6.7 air yards per attempt tied to a career low, but that approach has helped limit turnovers and get the ball to Cleveland’s young playmakers. Through two games, the Browns rank third in yards after the catch with 260.
NFL.com was even higher on Cleveland, moving the Browns up nine spots to No. 23.
Its assessment centered on a second half that included “adequate quarterback play,” a long game-tying touchdown pass and a go-ahead touchdown on a well-designed and properly executed play. The defense got credit, too, after being lit up in Week 1.
The takeaway was clear: “I know it must have seemed rather foreign to Browns fans, but on Sunday in Tampa, Cleveland was the better team. We’ll see if this lasts for more than a week.”
Sporting News kept Cleveland at No. 28, up four, and pointed directly at the quarterback decision. Todd Monken is “getting a lot of heat for starting Deshaun Watson,” but the outlet said Watson gives the Browns a better chance to win than Shedeur Sanders. It also said Watson has helped elevate young pieces early and sparked the team as a whole.
Yahoo Sports bumped the Browns to No. 24, up six, and described Sunday as Watson’s strongest statistical outing in Cleveland. It was his top EPA per dropback in any game for the Browns.
Yahoo also highlighted how little the running game contributed once Watson’s own rushing yards were removed: Cleveland had 22 yards on 16 carries. The win came through Watson and the defense, and Yahoo said Watson did enough to keep his job for another week.
It added that the reaction from Browns fans at the home opener should be worth watching, especially after a win and a strong showing.
Bleacher Report put Cleveland at No. 28, up four, and framed Watson’s day as one that bought him more time. “Deshaun Watson stayed the executioner’s hand for one more week. If anything, growing confidence may have germinated in Cleveland’s QB1 with Sunday’s performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
The outlet also noted that Watson outplayed Baker Mayfield in a game billed as Mayfield’s revenge game, with Watson completing 80 percent of his passes and throwing two touchdowns. But the warning was clear: Cleveland has to keep stacking solid performances, because the fan base has little patience left after four straight disappointing seasons. Shedeur Sanders, Bleacher Report said, is waiting in the wings.
USA Today had the Browns at No. 22, up nine, and called the Tampa win impressive despite the circumstances. Still, it ended with a skeptical note about what comes next at home this weekend: “But all due respect to Coach Monken, betting the “Browns are gonna Browns” when they roll out QB Deshaun Watson to start the team’s home opener this weekend.”
For one week, though, Cleveland has the kind of ranking profile that comes with a win and a quarterback performance that got the attention of the league’s major outlets.
In Other News...
Browns May Have Found Something Big In Their Rookie O-Line
The Browns win over Tampa Bay brought more than just a strong result on the scoreboard. It also offered another encouraging look at two rookies on the offensive line, with Spencer Fano and Austin Barber each holding up well in pass protection and helping Cleveland keep the pocket clean in a 23-19 victory. Fano, the clubs first-round pick in 2026, has settled in quickly, while Barber has made the most of his chance after stepping into a starting role because of an injury.
Todd Monken has already taken notice of how both young linemen have handled the early part of the season, and it is easy to see why. Through the first two games, they have given the Browns something rare for a developing front: dependable play from rookies in spots where mistakes are usually expected. The bigger question now is whether that early promise can hold up once opponents have more tape and the season starts to test depth as much as talent. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Is Forcing A Bigger Question About Clevelands Passing Game
Denzel Boston has already given the Browns something they can build around in the passing game, and hes done it by looking every bit like a receiver willing to win the hard way. As a rookie, he has been consistent and physical, carving out a role that draws a clear line to the kind of usage Todd Monken once found for Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. For a Cleveland offense still searching for a reliable rhythm through the air, that kind of early presence matters.
Boston has topped 50 receiving yards and found the end zone in each of his first two career games, which is enough to make him more than just a promising newcomer. It also nudges a bigger question into the foreground for the Browns: if a young pass catcher is already forcing defenses to account for him, how quickly can the rest of the quarterback situation catch up? [Read more 🡒]
Browns Defense Just Showed A Different Side Fans Need To Watch
The Browns defense looked a little more like the unit fans expected in its most recent outing, mixing up the approach with more man coverage, more blitzes and more heat on the quarterback. That shift helped several defenders pop, from Mason Graham and Isaiah McGuire up front to Denzel Ward and Myles Harden on the back end, and it gave Cleveland a few more reasons to feel better about where the group is heading.
Hardens first career interception was the kind of play that stands out in a game where the defense was already showing more urgency and disruption. The fuller picture from the snap counts, statistics and player grades is the one Cleveland will want to watch next, because if this version of the defense holds up, it could change how the Browns can attack opponents the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]