Browns NFL Power Rankings: Cleveland stays flat as big rookie QB match-up looms

It is Week 14, and the Cleveland Browns only dropped 0.3 spots to fall to an even ranking of 27.0. We’re at the point of the season where I think it’ll be difficult for the Browns to fall much further (unless they lose badly to the Titans this week). Even a lopsided loss to the 49ers on the scoreboard barely made them fall, and it’s because the Browns have these unique blunders that cost them (but they aren’t the defense, nor Shedeur Sanders’ performance). If the Browns still win a few games down the stretch, though, I think they could get into the lower-20s. We’ll see how things go with Sanders vs. Cam Ward this week, though. Maybe special teams will cost Cleveland a few more touchdowns.

Here is a summary of how the Cleveland Browns are viewed across mainstream media outlets in NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season.

Shedeur Sanders will remain as the starter, which he should. But they might need to get a quarterback for 2026.

X factor for final stretch: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders

Sanders, a fifth-round pick, will make his third straight start against the Titans, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously reported that the Browns are open to giving Sanders an extended look for the rest of the season. He has shown flashes in his two starts (60% completion rate, two touchdown passes) and will have an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on Cleveland’s decision-makers ahead of the offseason. The team has two first-round picks in the 2026 draft.

This likely wasn’t the follow-up performance Shedeur Sanders and the Browns were hoping for following his successful first start. That said, there were promising developments, and Sanders was far from poor in windy conditions — plus, the rest of the offense did him no favors. In the Browns’ only possessions of the second half, they punted twice, lost a fumble and turned it over on downs twice, continuing their trend of playing mostly terrific defense and still losing. The 49ers did go 11-for-17 on third downs, but their three TD drives spanned 16, 32 and 18 yards. Not sure how the defense can take any blame for that. Kevin Stefanski is now guaranteed to have a losing record for the fourth time in six seasons; he won Coach of the Year the other two. It’s going to be interesting to see how patient this franchise is in the coming offseason.

The Browns got some more good vibes with Shedeur Sanders but the offense is operating at about the same level with previous QBs. They are still rather sloppy against better teams such as the 49ers.

The Browns have had seven starting quarterbacks over the past two seasons. In two straight seasons, head coach Kevin Stefanski has given up play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator, which was Ken Dorsey in 2024 and Tommy Rees in 2025. Nothing has worked. The Browns finished 32nd in offensive DVOA last season and they’re 32nd in offensive DVOA this season. If there’s a reason to move on from Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, it’s that he hasn’t figure out any solutions to the offense.

Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett is abjectly terrifying. There’s no point in talking about his team—the Browns handed San Francisco a win Sunday with a comedy of errors that would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. The 49ers had three touchdown drives Sunday. Not one was 40 yards long.

So let’s talk about Garrett, who is barreling toward his second Defensive Player of the Year award. Garrett’s sack on Sunday gives him 19 for the year. Garrett needs four over his five games to break the NFL’s single-season sack record of 22.5. Given that he has more sacks over his last five games than anyone else has for the season (pending what Brian Burns does Monday night), his chances of doing so appear good. It’s a shame to see a generational talent like Garrett wasted on a terrible team.

DE Myles Garrett v. Cam Ward, the league’s most-sacked quarterback? Hall of Fame officials should make the short trip to Cleveland on Sunday afternoon given the likelihood the single-season sack record could fall … in only 13 games.

Listed below is a summary table of where teams in the AFC North are ranked this week.

html { font-family:Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:11pt; background-color:white } table { border-collapse:collapse; page-break-after:always; text-align: center; width: 100% } .b { text-align:center } .e { text-align:center } .f { text-align:right } .inlineStr { text-align:left } .n { text-align:right } .s { text-align:center } td.style0 { vertical-align:middle; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; color:#000000; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:white; text-align: center; } td.style1 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; color:#FFFFFF; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:#371B03 } td.style2 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; font-weight:bold; color:#FFFFFF; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:#371B03 } td.style3 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; font-weight:bold; color:#FFFFFF; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:#E26B0A } td.style4 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; font-weight:bold; color:#000000; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:white } td.style5 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; color:#000000; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:white } td.style6 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; color:#000000; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:white } td.style7 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; font-weight:bold; color:#FFFFFF; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:#E26B0A } td.style8 { vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; border-bottom:none #000000; border-top:none #000000; border-left:none #000000; border-right:none #000000; font-weight:bold; color:#FFFFFF; font-family:'Calibri'; font-size:11pt; background-color:#E26B0A } table.sheet0 tr { height:18pt } td {line-height:110%; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; valign: middle;};

Bengals

Browns

Ravens

Steelers

CBS Sports

21

29

17

20

ESPN

22

27

19

21

NFL.com

22

28

14

20

Sporting News

22

28

19

20

Yahoo Sports

22

27

18

20

Bleacher Report

21

27

17

20

USA Today

20

23

16

21

Average

21.4 (up 3.5)

27.0 (down 0.3)

17.1 (down 4.0)

20.3 (down 2.6)

What do you think of the Browns’ ranking this week?