Week 5 Browns NFL Power Rankings: Cleveland rises again as they lead AFC North
· Yahoo Sports
It is Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season, and the Cleveland Browns are officially in the exact middle of NFL power rankings. Around the quarter point of the season, the Browns are in first place in the division, and have turned heads with their young core of players, Deshaun Watson showing more promise, and the defense turning things up a notch. Overall, the Browns went up by 4.6 spots from week-to-week to have an overall ranking of 16.1.Ranking-wise, that is still third in the division.
Here is a summary of how the Cleveland Browns are viewed across mainstream media outlets in NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season.
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CBS Sports – No. 16(up 9 spots)ESPN – No. 19 (up 5 spots)Can you believe they are 3-1 and tied for first in the division? Who saw that coming? Not me.
NFL.com – No. 17 (no change)Four words to describe the first four weeks: A rebound beyond belief.
The first game of the Todd Monken era got off to an ominous start, with a 24-point road loss to the Jaguars. But instead of crumbling, the Browns responded with three consecutive victories, including a primetime win at home over the Steelers to put them atop the AFC North. Cleveland is back to playing its aggressive, man-to-man style of defense, and QB Deshaun Watson is playing his best football in a Browns uniform. He has led three straight winning drives.
Sporting News – No. 17 (up 4 spots)Hey, look at that: a three-game winning streak for the Browns, a team I thought might not eclipse four wins this season. They’re tied for first in the AFC North and have regained their defensive identity, harassing Aaron Rodgers all Thursday night. Even better: Deshaun Watson and the offense found a rhythm before the fourth quarter. Cautious optimism reigns here, because I’m not certain Cleveland has beaten a good team yet.
Yahoo Sports – No. 20 (no change)The Browns have done some good work to take down the Buccaneers, Panthers and Steelers during their three-game winning streak. Deshaun Watson is feeling it with his young support all of a sudden and their defense is adjusting well without Myles Garrett.
Bleacher Report – No. 20 (up 8 spots)Cleveland should be happy to be on a three-game winning streak. It’s probably not sustainable. The Browns have had three very close wins, with the go-ahead scores coming with 3:51, 1:48 and 10 seconds to play. Their point differential is -14. Their DVOA is 23rd.
And still, it’s OK to be excited. The young cast around the quarterback position is flashing a lot of talent. Rookie receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion Jr. already look good, and second-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is playing well again this season. Deshaun Watson is still very unlikely to be the long-term answer at quarterback but if the Browns get that right in the 2027 NFL Draft, the future is bright. And the Browns are at the Jets next, so a 4-1 start is possible.
“This ain’t the old Browns,” Cleveland defensive end Jared Verse said, according to Cleveland.com. “We’ve got new swag.”
USA Today – No. 12 (up 6 spots)The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 3-1 a month into the 2026 season, and yet, it’s still a little difficult to take this team seriously. The Browns have won three straight but also by a combined 10 points. Their defense has been more good than great; they’re still trying to get the ground game going, and they overcame an uneven second half by Deshaun Watson on Thursday night. That said, Cleveland is significantly better than pretty much anyone expected coming into the season and has a legitimate chance to move to 4-1 against the New York Jets next week.
Kardiac Kids Part Deux? Deshaun Watson is the first Browns quarterback since Brian Sipe, the league MVP in 1980, to engineer a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter of three consecutive games.
Listed below is a summary table of where teams in the AFC North are ranked this week.
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BengalsBrownsRavensSteelersCBS Sports1416721ESPN1519620NFL.com917425Sporting News1617819Yahoo Sports1120721Bleacher Report1712720USA Today19121720Average14.4(down 1.4)16.1
(up 4.6)8.0
(down 0.4)20.9
(down 4.9)
What do you think of the Browns’ ranking this week?