Here is a summary of how the Cleveland Browns are viewed across mainstream media outlets in NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 6.
CBS Sports - No. 20 (down 6 spots)
The hype was way too much for this team before the season. They forgot you need an offensive line to win in this league.
ESPN - No. 18 (down 1 spot)
With David Njoku on injured reserve with a wrist injury, Seals-Jones has emerged as Baker Mayfield’s favorite tight end target. Coach Freddie Kitchens loves using TEs, which means Seals-Jones will continue to be on the field, at least until Njoku returns, which won’t be until late November at the earliest.
NFL.com - No. 21 (down 7 spots)
So much for momentum. Last week’s complete victory over the Ravens felt like a distant memory as the 49ers pulled away from an utterly overmatched Browns team on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium. Cleveland was bullied in all phases, but the greatest concern coming out of the loss has to be with QB Baker Mayfield, who played poorly on a national stage. Last season, Mayfield set an NFL record for TD passes by a rookie. This year? He leads the NFL with eight interceptions despite the much-hyped addition of Odell Beckham Jr., who was quiet again. Mayfield will have nightmares about Nick Bosa, who lived in the backfield and settled an old score with one celebration. This was not supposed to be the script in Cleveland.
A tough night on Monday Night Football for Baker Mayfield and Cleveland, who were ravaged by San Francisco, and they have a big matchup against Seattle ahead.
Yahoo Sports - No. 12 (down 10 spots)
That was one disheartening performance. The Browns have played five games and didn’t play well in four of them (if you watched the Jets game, you know it wasn’t an impressive win). The most troubling part might be Baker Mayfield’s extreme regression from a fantastic rookie season. It’s hard to believe Mayfield isn’t good after what we saw from him last season. But he clearly doesn’t look like the same player.
Bleacher Report - No. 18 (down 6 spots)
The Cleveland Browns have been exposed. It’s an odd statement about a team that lost more games than it won in 2018, and even we were guilty of buying in to the offseason hype. No more. Not after Cleveland was destroyed in San Francisco.
This supposed playoff contender is an error-prone mess that hasn’t seen a miscue or penalty it didn’t like. The Browns committed four more turnovers and who knows how many other mistakes, and they made the team that beat the Baltimore Ravens last week look like a mirage. The reality is far harsher.
The offensive line is terrible. The supposedly sure-fire superstar at quarterback is on pace to throw 25 interceptions. Superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been a non-factor more weeks than not. The Browns just aren’t very good.
”Cleveland’s next two games are against the 4-1 Seattle Seahawks and at the undefeated Patriots,” Davenport said. “It’s hard to imagine a scenario, given how porous the offensive line is and how badly Mayfield has regressed in Year 2, where this team hits the halfway point at better than 3-5. The more things change in Cleveland, the more they stay the same.”
Associated Press - No. 20 (down 5 spots)
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 | 29 | 20 | 11 | 26 |
| ESPN | 29 | 18 | 11 | 26 |
| NFL.com | 29 | 21 | 17 | 26 |
| MMQB | 29 | 18 | 15 | 25 |
| Yahoo Sports | 29 | 22 | 17 | 26 |
| Bleacher Report | 30 | 18 | 13 | 26 |
| Associated Press | 29 | 20 | 12 | 25 |
| Average | 29.1 (down 0.7) |
19.6 (down 5.3) |
13.7 (down 0.1) |
25.7 (down 0.6) |