It is Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season, and the Cleveland Browns continued to build some momentum. Overall, the Browns went up by 3.6 spots from week-to-week to have an overall ranking of 16.1 That is an identical reversal from last week, when they dropped by 3.6 spots. The victory did them some good obviously, but ranking-wise, they are still cumulatively ranked last in the division. People are still respecting the Browns, but not their offense and easy schedule.
Here is a summary of how the Cleveland Browns are viewed across mainstream media outlets in NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season.
CBS Sports – No. 16 (up 3 spots)
Can you believe they are in first place in the AFC North after six games? Amazing. The defense is top-10 in scoring right now. Impressive.
ESPN – No. 19 (up 4 spots)
Biggest issue on offense: Run blocking
Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s poor play in the first three quarters of games can’t be ignored, but coach Todd Monken has acknowledged that an inconsistent run game has placed Watson and the offense in disadvantageous situations. With an entirely new offensive line from last season, the Browns rank 24th in ESPN’s run block win rate metric and last in yards before contact per rush on designed runs (1.29). It’s a big reason they’re averaging the eighth-longest average conversion distance in the NFL (8.9).
NFL.com – No. 16 (up 5 spots)
Logically, the Browns shouldn’t be able to win in this fashion as often as they have. The formula remains the same: Play stifling defense, weather a few blows and hope the offense finds enough to score more than the opposition. It worked again Sunday, scoring the Browns another key AFC North triumph and securing first place in the division at the latest stage of a season since 2014. That’s a long time, folks, but with a growing collection of creditable wins, we must respect this team even if it doesn’t make perfect sense.
Sporting News – No. 16 (up 4 spots)
The Browns are allowing on average only 20.3 points per game to opponents, tied with the Seahawks and Jets for No. 7 in the league. Consider with Myles Garrett last season, they allowed 22.3. The defense doesn’t get enough credit for getting better under new coordinator Mike Rutenberg.
Yahoo Sports – No. 19 (up 3 spots)
The Browns have four very close wins in the final minutes, and the last two victories came in the final 10 seconds. They’re 21st in DVOA. In betting terms, they have the longest odds to win the AFC North despite being in first place right now. This is not sustainable, especially with an offense that is 29th in DVOA, which is why they’re not higher than 19th. But it is a lot of fun right now in Cleveland.
One thing that shouldn’t change is the defense will keep the Browns in games. That unit is ninth in DVOA. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, last season’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, is a star and his forced fumble on Derrick Henry in the fourth quarter led to a Browns touchdown and turned around the game.
“It’s been an unbelievable credit to our team, especially our defense,” Browns head coach Todd Monken said, according to the team’s site. “Early on, after 10 points, shutting them out and constantly getting us the ball back and giving us a chance to win.”
Bleacher Report – No. 13 (up 4 spots)
The Cleveland Browns have developed a formula, leading to the team’s unexpected yet AFC North-leading 4-2 record. Really, it’s rather simple. Cleveland needs to play top-notch defense for three-plus quarters before the team can hand the ball to Deshaun Watson and let the quarterback create a play when it’s absolutely needed.
Watson hasn’t played particularly well this season. However, he’s done enough, specifically in crunch time, to help his team establish a winning record. Despite the early success, this approach doesn’t seem sustainable when the Browns eventually face the better teams. For example, Lamar Jackson wasn’t in the Baltimore Ravens’ lineup during Sunday’s matchup. Fortunately, Cleveland’s remaining docket looks rather manageable. In fact, the Browns face only one team with a winning record between now and the start of December.
USA Today – No. 14 (up 2 spots)
Look who’s in first place at the latest point of a season since 2014. Will a team scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET for the rest of the season get a prime-time flex at some point?
Listed below is a summary table of where teams in the AFC North are ranked this week.
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 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Bengals
|
Browns
|
Ravens
|
Steelers
|
|
| CBS Sports | 6 |
16 |
10 |
17 |
| ESPN | 13 |
19 |
8 |
17 |
| NFL.com | 6 |
16 |
8 |
17 |
| Sporting News | 13 |
16 |
11 |
10 |
| Yahoo Sports | 10 |
19 |
4 |
16 |
| Bleacher Report | 14 |
13 |
10 |
15 |
| USA Today | 19 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
| Average |
11.6
(up 0.4) |
16.1
(up 3.6) |
9.4
(down 2.4) |
15.7
(up 1.0) |
What do you think of the Browns’ ranking this week?
