2022 NFL Power Rankings Week 12: Cowboys rising quickly, Jets tumbling

26. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns didn’t jump up the power rankings for anything they did right, exactly, but more for what teams around them did. If anything, the needle on the Browns is staying pretty much right up the middle even with Deshaun Watson’s suspension ending after this coming week.

The Browns are not playoff-relevant right now, so Watson’s suspension ending after Week 12 is really only going to give fans of the team a glimpse of what they might see in 2023. As of right now, the 2022 season is a wash for the Browns with some player development mixed in. This team missed some opportunities early on this season to close out some close games and have a fighting chance once Watson got back, but the AFC North is going to either the Ravens or Bengals at this point.

25. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears continue to blow leads and lose games, but quite honestly it’s hard to hate too much on this team right now. Justin Fields has shown signs of clear progression, not only as a passer but even as a runner. He’s been a great source of offense for this team as that unit continues to improve and even show some consistency, but the defense has had plenty of problems.

Chicago is going to need to use its plethora of assets here in the 2023 offseason to substantially upgrade the roster around Justin Fields, but Ryan Poles has some nice pieces to work with and clarity at the QB position.