The Browns have a long way to go, not just in the NFL overall but also in the AFC North.

That’s hardly breaking news, right?

But when you see it spelled out I in a league power poll, like the one up right now on Sports Illustrated, it drives home the point even more.

The Browns are ranked 24th out of the 32 teams. They were one of five clubs that finished the regular season with a 7-10 record, and they are ranked last among them. Ahead of them are, in order, are the Tennessee Titans (No. 20), New Orleans Saints (21), New York Jets (22) and Carolina Panthers (23). The Browns lost to the Saints and Jets and beat the Panthers.

The North champions, the Cincinnati Bengals, are ranked fifth, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs (first), Buffalo Bills (second), San Francisco 49ers (third) and Philadelphia Eagles (fourth).

The Baltimore Ravens, who placed second in the division, are ninth in the poll. Between them and the Bengals are the Dallas Cowboys (sixth), Los Angeles Chargers (seventh) and Minnesota Vikings (eighth). The upstart Jacksonville Jacksonville Jaguars are 10th.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who were third in the North but just missed qualifying for the playoffs, are 15th, nine spots ahead of the Browns.

If all that isn’t bad enough, here’s what the writers who did the poll, had to say about the Browns:

“Deshaun Watson’s trade, contract, suspension, ongoing lawsuits and return to the field was one of the biggest stories of the last year in the NFL. Then he played so poorly upon his return that on many of his six game days, he and the Browns were afterthoughts. This team is no closer to contending than it was 12 months ago.”

Ugh.

Double-ugh.

Steve King