USA TODAY NFL power poll – Page 2

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.

Lions open near the bottom of the USA TODAY NFL power poll

The national perception of the Lions continues to produce low expectations for 2021

The dawn of a new season brings a new era to Detroit. The Dan Campbell experience is about to be unleashed upon the NFL. And as exciting and hopeful as the radical change is for the Lions and the long-suffering fan base, the national perception is the team still has a long way to go.

In the preseason NFL power poll from USA TODAY and analyst Nate Davis, the Lions open at No. 31. Only the Houston Texans are below Detroit.

“New coach Dan Campbell continues winning his press conferences, but victories on the field will surely be much harder to come by,” Davis writes soberly.

Most other contemporary power polls saddle the Lions near the bottom as they begin a massive rebuild, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Remember, it’s about the long-term finish. The lowly ranking now is about just how far the Lions have to climb.

The other NFC North teams in the poll: Green Bay is No. 4, the Vikings are 15th and the Chicago Bears slide in at 25.

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Lions bump up in latest USA TODAY NFL power poll

The Lions surged up past the Eagles

The first couple of weeks of NFL free agency has seen the Detroit Lions improve the roster enough to move up in the latest power rankings from USA TODAY. The Lions uptick one spot from No. 31 to No. 30 in the fresh update from analyst Nate Davis.

In moving up the Lions and dropping the Philadelphia Eagles down, Davis explains,

30. Lions (31): They’re in the midst of a philosophical reboot and mostly focused on the long term. New coach Dan Campbell and GM Brad Holmes may field a more competitive team in 2021 even if it’s a less talented one.

Houston remains at the bottom at No. 32. The Jaguars and Jets are immediately above the Lions.

It’s a baby step and still isn’t anywhere close to where the team needs to be. But it is an indication that the new regime, replete with rookie GM Brad Holmes and rookie head coach Dan Campbell, has the team at least pointed in the right direction.

Browns hold steady in top 10 in latest USA TODAY NFL power poll

Free agency has changed the dynamics for several NFL teams. Keeping track of all the additions and subtractions to rosters around the league and how they impact the power structure can be tough. Nate Davis of USA TODAY tried to sort out the balance in his latest NFL power poll, updated after the first couple of weeks of free agency.

The Cleveland Browns held steady at No. 7 overall. That’s where they were before adding safety John Johnson, cornerback Troy Hill, bringing back wideout Rashard Higgins and various other moves. The prominent new defensive additions weren’t quite enough to nudge the Browns above the Baltimore Ravens at No. 6.

There wasn’t much movement above the Browns. One interesting note: the Rams moved up despite losing Johnson and Hill (and others) off the defense by swapping in QB Matthew Stafford. Never forget it’s a quarterback-driven league.

Browns holding steady in the latest NFL power polls

The Browns are almost universally ranked 14th-16th once again

Cleveland ended Week 9 with the same record it entered the week: 5-3. As a result, there was very little movement for the Browns in the NFL power polls.

The Browns dropped a spot from 14th to No. 15 in the latest poll at Touchdown Wire. Miami’s win over Arizona lifted the Dolphins up to No. 13 from 15th, leaping the Browns in the rankings. They also nudged past the Browns in the AFC playoff picture through Week 9, too. The Cardinals, also 5-3, dropped to 14th.

Cleveland also sits 15th in the latest poll at NBC Sports. The Browns hold steady at No. 16 over at ESPN. At USA TODAY, the Browns are 14th but fell there from No. 12 despite not playing.

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Browns crack the top 10 in NFL power polls

Winning 4 in a row has more folks believing more in the Browns

Being 4-1 for the first time in 26 years has also elevated the Cleveland Browns to newfound heights in NFL power polls.

For the first time since it started, the Touchdown Wire NFL power poll has included the Browns inside the top 10. There are the Browns at No. 9, up from last week’s No. 11 spot.

Analyst Doug Farrar astutely notes the struggle to get to this point and how impressive it was in beating the Colts (now No. 10) to rise up.

That’s not the only place where the Browns have infiltrated the top 10. At NFL.com, Cleveland also sits at No. 9 after the win over the Colts. That is up from 13th a week ago. The Browns are 10th in ESPN’s latest poll, too.

Beating the Steelers, a consensus top-5 team in every poll, would keep the Browns ensconced near the top for quite some time.

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Lions ranked 20th in USA TODAY’s preseason power poll

It’s a nice climb for a team that finished 30th a year ago

Matt Patricia and his Detroit Lions are moving up in the eyes of many in the NFL media. That includes USA TODAY, which ranks the Lions No. 20 in its preseason power poll released on Tuesday.

Moving up to No. 20 is no small feat after finishing last season 30th in the NFL. It appears the strong impression made by the team on the social justice front has folks believing in the continuity and newfound harmony in the Lions locker room,

“Pretty cool to see this organization leading league’s social justice charge following shooting of Jacob Blake. Now, will it galvanize club?”

Looking around the NFC North, the Packers are 9th, Vikings 14th and Bears 28th in the initial power poll.