The Browns have been better than expected so far, but they're coming off a loss.
Before the regular season, The Athletic released its annual "Hope-o-Meter," which measures the preseason optimism levels of all 32 NFL fanbases using a reader-submitted poll.
The Browns finished in last place, as only 3% of respondents dubbed themselves optimistic about Cleveland’s 2026 season (the Miami Dolphins were next-to-last at 11%). Considering that the Browns won a combined eight games over the past two seasons, have made the playoffs three times in the past 30 years, traded their future Hall-of-Fame pass rusher over the offseason and had an unsettled quarterback situation, the pessimism was understandable.
But Cleveland has been rocking a lot more than most people thought it would. Under head coach and former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the Browns are 3-2.
After getting blown out by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, Cleveland beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by four after the longest weather delay in NFL history, beat the Carolina Panthers by three after a go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on a game-winning field goal after giving up a two-touchdown lead. It was the Browns' first three-game winning streak since 2023.
This past Sunday, however, the Browns lost a rainy road game to the New York Jets, 17-12. Monken has helped restore faith, but the Browns still have issues to fix.
"We haven't played a clean game yet," Monken told reporters after Sunday's game. "We just found a way in the other three games to get it done in the fourth quarter."
A large part of their successes and failures have rested on the shoulders of quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson has also been better than expected, but he's still tacking sacks.
Watson's path to the present day has been well documented. After five largely successful seasons with the Houston Texans, Cleveland signed Watson to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract despite accusations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct. The NFL suspended Watson for his first 11 games in Cleveland and he missed his final season in Houston with a torn Achilles.
He only played 19 games in his first four seasons with the Browns, missing all of last year with another torn Achilles. When he was on the field, Watson's play was sporadic, and Browns fans jeered him during this year's preseason. Monken stuck with him as the Browns' starter over the more popular Shedeur Sanders, and his decision has paid off so far.
Through five regular-season games, Watson has looked the best he has in a Browns uniform.
"I think the quarterback has gained confidence in this scheme," Ravens Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver said. "I was with Deshaun for a few years there [in Houston], and you kind of see his swagger and confidence coming back a little bit."
Watson's play has been hot and cold this season, and the Browns have often fared how he has played.
Wins: 68.8 completion percentage, 216.7 yards per game, five touchdowns, one interception, six sacks, two fumbles (one lost), 101.5 passer rating
Losses: 56.4 completion percentage, 180 yards per game, two touchdowns, one interception, 13 sacks, four fumbles (one lost), 83.7 passer rating
Watson has also been the most-sacked quarterback through five weeks, going down 19 times. His pressure-to-sack ratio is the second highest any quarterback with at least 100 dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. Watson is an adept scrambler – his 148 rushing yards on scrambles are the fifth most among quarterbacks – and his production on the ground has been a positive within a struggling Browns run game (more on that shortly).
But Watson, who has been sacked on almost 10% of his career dropbacks, has continued his trend of not beating pressure very often. The Jets blitzed him on 50% of their defensive plays last week and sacked Watson eight times.
Sunday could be a big game for Baltimore's pass rush, especially if Trey Hendrickson comes back from a finger injury that's kept him sidelined for the past three games.
Cleveland's offense has flashed promise behind two rookie wide receivers.
The Browns have seemingly nailed their past two draft classes, and their youngsters have been especially helpful on offense.
First-year wideout Denzel Boston leads all rookies in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and leads the league in yards per reception (20.6). Boston, who's currently the frontrunner for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, is a ball winner down the field whose stardom in training camp has translated to the regular season.
Second-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. led the Browns in most receiving categories as a rookie last season and is tied for the team lead in targets, receptions and receiving touchdowns this season. Second-year running back Quinshon Judkins led all rookies in rushing yards last season before suffering a late-season leg injury. Rookie first-round wideout KC Concepcion is a yards-after-catch monster who can leave defenders in the dust with wicked cutbacks.
But overall, scoring has been difficult for Cleveland, as the Browns rank No. 27 in points per game and No. 29 in yards per game. Cleveland has the league's lowest rushing success rate, and Browns running backs have just five runs of at least 10 yards, tied for the second fewest in the NFL (Derrick Henry has 11 by himself).
"We weren't able to run the football [Sunday], and we were behind the sticks the whole day, and we made a few plays, some get back on track and some third downs that gave us a chance, but we were never comfortable calling it or playing, and that's not a recipe for success," Monken told reporters on Sunday.
The Browns also have the third-lowest conversion rate on third down, which could make Sunday a get-right game for a Ravens defense that struggled getting off the field against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5.
Cleveland has been mired by penalties, too; it leads the NFL with 49. While 30 have come from the defense and special teams, yellow flags have hamstrung the offense, too.
Finally, the Browns are dealing with a lot of injuries on offense. Judkins and didn't practice on Thursday, while Howard, Concepcion, Boston and running back Dylan Sampson were limited.
Cleveland's defense is its biggest strength, but the unit could be missing multiple key pieces against the Ravens.
The Browns rank No. 14 in points per game allowed and have forced six turnovers in the past four games. Their success derives from all three levels of the defense along with a mix of younger and older players.
Up front, the Browns have the fifth-highest pressure rate in the NFL. Defensive end Isaiah McGuire and defensive tackle Maliek Collins have combined for 30 pressures. Outside linebacker Quincy Williams leads the Browns in run stuffs and had three forced fumbles against the Jets.
Outside linebacker Jared Verse, the centerpiece of the Myles Garrett trade who was one of the most dominant young pass rushers with the Los Angeles Rams, doesn't have a sack this season, but has still impacted games.
In the secondary, cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit are one of the best cornerback-safety duos in the NFL. Rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has been a lightning rod as Cleveland's third safety.
The Browns play man coverage on a league-high 47.2% of snaps, so one-on-one matchups between Ravens pass catchers and Browns defensive backs could be especially key on Sunday.
Like the offense, Cleveland's defense could also be without some key cogs against the Ravens. Defensive tackle Mason Graham, who had four sacks in Cleveland's first four games this season, appears doubtful for Sunday's game with an MCL and ankle sprain. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, last season's AP Defensive Rookie of the Year who led the team in tackles and is doing so again this season, didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Delpit and Collins were also limited on Thursday.
One matchup that could favor the Ravens is their rushing attack versus Cleveland's rushing defense. While the Browns are elite at pressuring the quarterback, they rank No. 23 in yards per carry allowed. Jets running back Braelon Allen had a career-high 116 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries this past Sunday.
Cleveland has one of the best punter-kicker duos in the NFL.
Kicker Andre Szmyt has made 24 straight field goals dating back to last October. He also has made three game-winning field goals since the start of last season, including the aforementioned kick against the Steelers in Week 4.
Meanwhile, punter Corey Bojorquez is averaging second-most yards per punt (51.8) and had an 81-yard punt in Week 4.
