When you’ve had 12 coaches since 1999, we are sure it becomes the knee-jerk reaction of fans and media alike to fire the current coach when things aren’t going well. Sometimes, it’s not the right decision.
That’s why we are not in favor of the Cleveland Browns firing Kevin Stefanski either during this season or after the season ends.
Stefanski currently has a 21-19 record as head coach, mostly built off the 11-5 playoff season in 2020, but even last season, which everyone was disappointed with, produced an 8-9 mark, which is the fourth best season since Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999.
Sad, but true.
This isn’t to say Stefanski is blameless. He forgets sometimes that Nick Chubb is the Browns’ best offensive player. He sometimes puts too much of the team’s success on Jacoby Brissett, who we all have to remember is really the backup quarterback.
We understand he’s the head coach, responsible for the entire product on the field. Hopefully, internally he is putting pressure on defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams’ coach Mike Priefer, because most weeks their units aren’t doing much to help the Browns win.
It seems to be solely on the offense to outscore the opponents.
We know fans and media don’t like Stefanski’s press conference either. We would remind you this is a new era, and it is rare coaches will stand up in front of the media and be negative about individual players and different facets of the team.
If we had to guess, when Stefanski took over as coach, he told players he would not call them out in public, that he had their back. If you notice, Terry Francona and J.B. Bickerstaff both do the same. It seems though, in football, fans want to see the coach point out who is not doing the job.
We do believe there has to be more accountability for players. Our feeling is the front office and coaches are “married” to some of these guys because this regime brought them in, either via the draft or free agency.
But if they aren’t doing the job, it’s a next man up league. There are players who aren’t drafted that make Pro Bowl teams every year, so it is likely the front office can find someone who will do a better job.
For example, last week there was a penalty on a kickoff return, and the call was on a player who alternates between the practice squad and the active roster.
In watching the game, we immediately thought, we would release that player. That sounds cruel, but sometimes you have to make the point that mistakes will not be tolerated. That gets players’ attention.
Still, we wouldn’t fire the coach. He has done a good job with the offense. He’s scripting of the first plays usually results in a score for the Browns. We also think the team is organized for the most part.
But the last and real reason is simply this: The madness has to stop. Look at the Steelers and Ravens. They are the models of success in the AFC North and their coaches have been around for 16 and 15 years, respectively.
Even Zac Taylor in Cincinnati had seasons of 2-14 and 4-11-1 before leading Cincinnati to the Super Bowl.
Remember, it was just two years ago that Kevin Stefanski was the AFC Coach of the Year. And he deserves the opportunity to be the head coach when Deshaun Watson, the Browns’ franchise QB plays a full season.
Look, he’s not the movie version of a football coach that everyone wants, a guy who gets in players’ faces and grabs their facemasks with spit flying out of his mouth.
Just let him have an opportunity with different defensive and special teams’ coaches. We think he deserves that chance.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 