Friday, October 20, 2023

Cleveland Browns Week 7 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 7 roundup for the Cleveland Browns in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 8

Lesson learned: The Browns' defense is for real.

The Browns' defense came into the weekend ranked No. 1 in efficiency. Then on Sunday, it shut down arguably the top offense in the league on the way to a stunning 19-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Cleveland's terrifying pass rush is led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Garrett. The revamped front is stuffing the run. The secondary is locking down the pass with a vise-grip coverage. The Browns have given up just 1,002 yards combined this season. That's the third fewest through a team's first five games since the 1970 merger, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The Browns' defense is not only legit -- it has a strong case as the NFL's best. -- Jake Trotter

NFL.com -- Rank: 10

I caught some heat on social media for putting the Browns as high as No. 12 last week, and the more doubt that was cast on Deshaun Watson's availability for Sunday, the more I started to think those critics might have been right. But Cleveland's defense turned in an incredible showing, nearly grinding the 49ers' offense to a halt, even if several San Francisco injuries were a factor in the Browns win. That defense now has staked its worthy claim as the best unit in the NFL, with PJ Walker doing enough in place of Watson against a 49ers team that's comparable to the Browns defensively. What a wild, weird season to date for Cleveland, ping-ponging back and forth between excellence and disaster.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 10

The defense came up big in the upset of the 49ers. They might have Deshaun Watson back this week, but he has to play better.

USA Today -- Rank: 11

Cleveland's stingy D has ceded 1,002 yards, fewest through five games in 52 years. On average, the Browns are surrendering 200.4 yards a week, more than 60 fewer than Baltimore's second-ranked defense.

The Athletic -- Rank: 7

The 1,002 yards allowed by the Browns this season are the fewest allowed through a team's first five games in 52 years. Sunday's win, which came on a 41-yard missed field goal by Jake Moody with nine seconds left, was Cleveland's first against a team that was 5-0 or better since 1969, according to Stathead. It also backed up the Browns' pregame shoving match with the Niners.

FOX -- Rank: 11

What a performance by the Cleveland defense. Yes, Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel left the game early — but that still left the 49ers with three other Pro Bowlers on offense. Even if they needed a missed field goal to squeak out a win, the Browns were able to fluster and flummox this San Francisco offense to a degree I didn't think was possible. If Cleveland can get anything more from the quarterback position, they're not a team you can write off.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 9

The Browns' defense isn't some secret. The NFL world has been clued into how good Cleveland's defenders are since Week 1. But shutting down the 49ers brings a lot more attention to a defense that has an argument as the best in football. It gives the Browns a foundation to be a really good team when Deshaun Watson returns, whenever that happens.

PFT -- Rank: 12

The Browns badly need a little consistency.

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