Here is a summary of how the Cleveland Browns are viewed across mainstream media outlets in NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 2.
CBS Sports - No. 17 (down 4 spots)
So much for the hype? The offensive line is a mess an could undo this entire offseason.
ESPN - No. 17 (down 7 spots)
One of Cleveland’s few Week 1 bright spots was Gillan, a rookie punter who averaged almost 47 yards on five punts, including three downed inside the 20-yard line. The Browns terminated veteran Britton Colquitt because of Gillan’s potential. He did not disappoint in his debut.
NFL.com - No. 21 (down 6 spots)
Week 1 was an unmitigated disaster for the Browns. All that hype and optimism built up over the spring and summer was a distant memory by the time Cleveland fans were booing their team off the field at the end of the first half of a loss to the Titans. The Browns committed 18 penalties for 182 yards, the most penalties they’ve had in a game since 1951. Baker Mayfield threw three fourth-quarter interceptions and left the stadium with his right wrist in a wrap after coming up wincing following an end-zone sack by Cameron Wake. (X-rays were negative.) The offensive line wasn’t as bad as advertised -- it was worse, made weaker after Greg Robinson was ejected for kicking a Titans player. Hey, at least Odell Beckham Jr. got to show off his fancy watch. It’s certainly possible the Browns show up angry and dangerous against the Jets next Monday night, but it’s also possible they are in disarray as the season begins. Sunday was a reality check.
MMQB - No. 19 (down 6 spots)
It’s only one loss, but the preseason Super Bowl champs need to get right quickly, or forlorn Dawg Pounders might never recover.
Yahoo Sports - No. 17 (down 8 spots)
There’s no bigger overreaction in sports than the post-Week 1 NFL overreaction. We wait months for something to happen, and we draw sweeping conclusions based on one game. The Browns looked bad against the Titans. Their history should make you skeptical. Perhaps Freddie Kitchens was a terrible hire, or the offensive line is what will sink them. But let’s calm down first. This is still a superbly talented roster. The Browns had a bad game. It doesn’t mean they can’t be very good this season.
Bleacher Report - No. 19 (down 10 spots)
The 2019 Cleveland Browns entered the season with two foreign concepts: hope and hype. Based on their Week 1 performance, neither appears to have been remotely justified. After being humiliated by the Titans at home, the Browns look far more like the tomato cans of years past than the supposed playoff contender they seemed to be heading into the year.
The last time the Browns committed this many penalties in a game, Paul Brown was their head coach during the 1951 season. After getting within two in the second half, the Browns immediately allowed a 75-yard screen pass for a score and then turned it over on successive possessions. The Titans converted both into touchdowns, and they later returned a third Baker Mayfield pick for another score.
”Browns fans endured two decades of awful football,” Sobleski said. “Somehow, Cleveland’s 30-point loss to Tennessee may have been the most embarrassing loss during that stretch because of expectations heaped upon the team. Sure, Cleveland is far more talented overall, but that doesn’t matter when the group plays undisciplined football and lost its composure. Eighteen penalties for 182 yards is downright disgraceful.”
”It didn’t take long for the shine to get knocked off the Clowns,” Davenport wrote. “Just a miserable, sloppy, undisciplined effort in Freddie Kitchens’ debut as head coach. So much for expectations. Now it’s time to see whether the Browns can handle adversity before the season gets away from them.”
Associated Press - No. 21 (down 7 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 | 24 | 17 | 10 | 14 |
| ESPN | 27 | 17 | 8 | 16 |
| NFL.com | 24 | 21 | 9 | 14 |
| MMQB | 24 | 19 | 11 | 16 |
| Yahoo Sports | 25 | 17 | 11 | 14 |
| Bleacher Report | 27 | 19 | 10 | 14 |
| Associated Press | 23 | 21 | 8 | 15 |
| Average | 24.9 (up 4.7) |
18.7 (down 6.7) |
9.6 (up 5) |
14.7 (down 5.6) |