The Baltimore Ravens started the season against the Miami Dolphins, easily one of the worst teams in NFL history. Then they played the woeful Arizona Cardinals. After easy wins, naturally many in the press jumped to the conclusion that the Ravens were one of the best teams in the NFL. Oh, and suddenly Lamar Jackson was a cut below Patrick Mahomes.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns had plenty of hype coming into the season, and many in the pressed relished watching them struggle in their opener and then suffer some horrible play calls from Freddie Kitchens last week against the Rams. Many loved mocking Baker Mayfield for his slow start.

This poll from last week summed up the silliness we’ve been hearing. Lamar Jackson is a very talented player with a unique skill set, but there’s no way you take him over Baker Mayfield.

Who would you rather build your franchise around?

— GMFB (@gmfb) September 28, 2019

Naturally, Colin Cowherd led the chorus of pundits trashing the Browns heading into this game as he predicted the Ravens would cover the healthy 7-point spread.

Week Four, Blazin 5. Picks have been 🔥 lately pic.twitter.com/faxA1505xC

— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) September 29, 2019

But then the Browns responded, and reality set in for Jackson and the Ravens. They finally faced a real defense as th Browns harassed Jackson all day. Suddenly, the accuracy issues surfaced again and we saw Jackson’s limitations. Meanwhile, Baker started trusting his line and hanging in the pocket. The Ravens keyed on Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker found easy completions. Jarvis Landry had a field day ripping off yards after the catch. Nick Chubb ran for three touchdowns, including an 88-yard back-breaker that sealed it for the Browns.

The narrative has now changed dramatically. Instead of being 1-3 and facing a chorus of criticism, the Browns lead the division at 2-2. Also, with the Steelers reduced to mediocrity with the injury to Big Ben, the Browns now have a much easier division to contend with, along with a very easy second-half schedule. Things are looking up in C-Town . . .