Browns open at No. 3 in USA TODAY’s NFL power poll

Only last year’s Super Bowl teams are higher than the Browns in the initial 2021 season power poll

Engage the hype machine to full throttle. The Cleveland Browns are one of the top NFL contenders entering the 2021 season, and the expectations are higher than they ever have been this century.

Look no further than USA TODAY and its initial season power poll. The Browns sit at No. 3 overall in analyst Nate Davis’ rankings.

“From free agency to the draft to the return of WR Odell Beckham Jr., did any team have a better offseason? Unlike 2019, time to take the Cleveland’s Super Bowl hype quite seriously ….”, Davis writes. And he’s right on, too.

Only last year’s Super Bowl combatants, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs, are above Kevin Stefanski’s Browns. It’s a sign of respect for the roster, the coaching and the playoff experience the team gained last year.