The Cleveland Browns have been on a roller coaster ride as it pertains to results and to their spots in weekly NFL power rankings. A Sunday after the Browns lost to a winless Jacksonville Jaguars side, Cleveland struggled at home against the 0-6 Oakland Raiders. It all worked out for the Browns in the end, as they defeated Oakland and improve to 4-3 overall.
The big story regarding the Browns continues to be that there is no story. Brian Hoyer is playing well enough to keep rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel as No. 2 on the team’s depth chart, and it is more and more appearing as if that situation isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Learn from the sidelines and wait for your chance, Johnny Football.
Cleveland Browns Week 9 NFL power rankings: Frank Schwab
Ranking: 17
Schwab was not overly impressed with the Browns beating the Raiders, as he bumped Cleveland up only one spot in his latest NFL power rankings. Schwab threw some praise toward Hoyer for how the quarterback performed versus Oakland: “Brian Hoyer was 19-of-28 for 275 yards and a touchdown. After that stinker in Jacksonville, it was a much-needed rebound.”
Hoyer can afford to have a bad game now and again even with Manziel there in the background. What Hoyer could not do, however, was underwhelm in back-to-back contests against winless sides. The 29-year old now needs to realize that his job is on the line whenever he faces a lackluster opponent; such as this coming weekend when the Browns will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cleveland Browns Week 9 NFL power rankings: Pat Kirwan
Ranking: 22
Kirwan sees reasons to believe that the Brown are trending upward, and he credited the Cleveland head coach: “Mike Pettine is doing a great job resurrecting this franchise and the 3-1 home record has thrilled a starving fan base. It would be a success if they get to eight wins this year, and I think it is possible.”
Cleveland getting to and finishing with eight overall wins would mean the Browns losing five of their last nine contests. The team’s recent terrible seasons aside, the Browns not ending the campaign at .500 would be unacceptable for many within the fan base.
Cleveland pro sports fans are tired of mediocrity. They have every right to feel that way.
Cleveland Browns Week 9 NFL power rankings: Pete Prisco
Ranking: 21
The senior NFL columnist is not yet sold on the Browns, as he wrote the following about the club in his Week 9 NFL power rankings: “They are just hanging around in the wild-card race. But are they any good?”
That is a valid question.
Cleveland’s best win of the season to date came against the Pittsburgh Steelers, an AFC North rival that is only now playing its best football of the year. The Browns have been inconsistent on both sides of the ball.
Cleveland continues to have more questions than answers at the end of October.
Cleveland Browns Week 9 NFL power rankings: Justin Rogers
Ranking: 22
Rogers didn’t move the Browns up or down in NFL power rankings this time around. “The Browns offense wasn’t clicking again this week,” Rogers wrote, “but they didn’t turn the ball over while forcing the Raiders to cough it up three times.”
Winning turnover battles is how a “meh” team finds wins. The Browns have not been giving the ball away in games, and Hoyer deserves credit for that. He may not make highlight-reel plays, but Hoyer also doesn’t make silly and costly errors.
Cleveland Browns Week 9 NFL power rankings: FOX Sports
Ranking: 21
FOX Sports dropped the Browns two spots in NFL power rankings despite the win over the Raiders. The fact that the team is missing All-Pro center Alex Mack (broken leg) was addressed, and it is a valid concern.
The Cleveland offensive line has helped out Hoyer and the team’s rushing attack. Logic suggests that the Browns will only fall in the standings if the o-line cannot recover from Mack’s absence.
Realted
