In primetime, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns held onto the win and are now atop the AFC North. And not only are they the leaders in the AFC North, but they are also the sole leader, which hasn't happened since 2014.
Since the first month of the season has ended and we are entering the thick of the October schedule, some folks are already reflecting on the time that has passed. One way they are doing that is by grading out teams and how they have performed. When it came to the first-place Browns, CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles gave them a solid grade of A-.
He writes, "After a 34-10 loss to the Jaguars to open the season, it looked like things could come unglued quickly for Cleveland. Since then, though, the Browns have won
three straight games and moved into the AFC North lead. Deshaun Watson has produced solid quarterback play and has been even better late with three straight game-winning drives. . .GM Andrew Berry and early Coach of the Year frontrunner Todd Monken should be very excited."
October is going to be tough for the Browns to keep a hold of their AFC North lead. They play the Jets, Ravens, and Titans. They could be favored in two of those three, but anything is possible early on in the NFL season. If they come out of the month with a 5-2 record, though, by winning two of their next three, they may be cooking with gas in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: CBS Sports gives the Browns an A- through four weeks
