Love for Stefanski.
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He's the best coach the Browns have had since BB.
And unfortunately the brain trust thought they got a Purdy in the 5th round. They did not. So Kevin is now severely handicapped by them IMO. It isn't Kevin that made this more than difficult. To their credit they did do the right thing for the D. To their discredit they screwed the pooch at QB backup help.
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He's the best coach the Browns have had since BB.
And unfortunately the brain trust thought they got a Purdy in the 5th round. They did not. So Kevin is now severely handicapped by them IMO. It isn't Kevin that made this more than difficult. To their credit they did do the right thing for the D. To their discredit they screwed the pooch at QB backup help.
And unfortunately the brain trust thought they got a Purdy in the 5th round. They did not. So Kevin is now severely handicapped by them IMO. It isn't Kevin that made this more than difficult. To their credit they did do the right thing for the D. To their discredit they screwed the pooch at QB backup help.
Yes, but just because DTR isn't ready yet doesn't mean he can't be eventually. Started 4 years at UCLA, we will see
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And unfortunately the brain trust thought they got a Purdy in the 5th round. They did not. So Kevin is now severely handicapped by them IMO. It isn't Kevin that made this more than difficult. To their credit they did do the right thing for the D. To their discredit they screwed the pooch at QB backup help.
Yes, but just because DTR isn't ready yet doesn't mean he can't be eventually. Started 4 years at UCLA, we will see
Yes, but just because DTR isn't ready yet doesn't mean he can't be eventually. Started 4 years at UCLA, we will see
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
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Yes, but just because DTR isn't ready yet doesn't mean he can't be eventually. Started 4 years at UCLA, we will see
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
I'm not disagreeing they botched the QB room. Just saying it's way to early to judge DTR
Karlis Missed -
Yes, but just because DTR isn't ready yet doesn't mean he can't be eventually. Started 4 years at UCLA, we will see
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
Man, you're not kidding. Basically we played with fire and hot burnt. They gambled that Watson wouldn't go down obviously that's not the case. I mean, if you're Kevin, how infuriated are you? You trade a ton of assets for a guy known for taking hits and holding the ball and then take away my experienced backup. Thanks Mr. Berry!
How does Kevin generate points with the worst statistical QB and no Chubb? Oh, and Seattle has a terrific run defense. Time to earn that mula, Kevin! ?
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In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
Man, you're not kidding. Basically we played with fire and hot burnt. They gambled that Watson wouldn't go down obviously that's not the case. I mean, if you're Kevin, how infuriated are you? You trade a ton of assets for a guy known for taking hits and holding the ball and then take away my experienced backup. Thanks Mr. Berry!
How does Kevin generate points with the worst statistical QB and no Chubb? Oh, and Seattle has a terrific run defense. Time to earn that mula, Kevin! ?
Man, you're not kidding. Basically we played with fire and hot burnt. They gambled that Watson wouldn't go down obviously that's not the case. I mean, if you're Kevin, how infuriated are you? You trade a ton of assets for a guy known for taking hits and holding the ball and then take away my experienced backup. Thanks Mr. Berry!
How does Kevin generate points with the worst statistical QB and no Chubb? Oh, and Seattle has a terrific run defense. Time to earn that mula, Kevin! ?
Generated 23 points with an XFL back up and 154 yards of rushing on the road (with 3 backup RBs) against a great defense, is conjuring magic to be honest. People out with the pitchforks for questionable playcalling at times. Didn't Seattle lose a SB in a similar situation with Pete Caroll who had decades of experience? Stefanski is in his 4th year, impatient Browns fans need to realize what they have instead of clamoring for a reset with a new coach.
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Man, you're not kidding. Basically we played with fire and hot burnt. They gambled that Watson wouldn't go down obviously that's not the case. I mean, if you're Kevin, how infuriated are you? You trade a ton of assets for a guy known for taking hits and holding the ball and then take away my experienced backup. Thanks Mr. Berry!
How does Kevin generate points with the worst statistical QB and no Chubb? Oh, and Seattle has a terrific run defense. Time to earn that mula, Kevin! ?
Generated 23 points with an XFL back up and 154 yards of rushing on the road (with 3 backup RBs) against a great defense, is conjuring magic to be honest. People out with the pitchforks for questionable playcalling at times. Didn't Seattle lose a SB in a similar situation with Pete Caroll who had decades of experience? Stefanski is in his 4th year, impatient Browns fans need to realize what they have instead of clamoring for a reset with a new coach.
Generated 23 points with an XFL back up and 154 yards of rushing on the road (with 3 backup RBs) against a great defense, is conjuring magic to be honest. People out with the pitchforks for questionable playcalling at times. Didn't Seattle lose a SB in a similar situation with Pete Caroll who had decades of experience? Stefanski is in his 4th year, impatient Browns fans need to realize what they have instead of clamoring for a reset with a new coach.
Sorrry but , Kevvy ain't getting it done... He's mid tier coach
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Generated 23 points with an XFL back up and 154 yards of rushing on the road (with 3 backup RBs) against a great defense, is conjuring magic to be honest. People out with the pitchforks for questionable playcalling at times. Didn't Seattle lose a SB in a similar situation with Pete Caroll who had decades of experience? Stefanski is in his 4th year, impatient Browns fans need to realize what they have instead of clamoring for a reset with a new coach.
Sorrry but , Kevvy ain't getting it done... He's mid tier coach
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Despite what rabid Browns fans say, this might be Kevin Stefanski’s finest season
There was a time a few years ago when a certain Cleveland coach couldn’t do much of anything right to appease a rabid fan base. The Cavaliers staggered through a 15-20 stretch from December to March during what became LeBron James’ final season here as restless fans insisted coach Tyronn Lue was the problem and needed to be ousted immediately if not sooner.
In my previous life as an NBA beat writer, I spent thousands of words in columns and on radio and television appearances insisting Lue not only wasn’t the problem, he was the one holding it all together.
The Cavs eventually tucked in their shirts and put their shoes on the correct feet long enough to make a fourth consecutive run to the NBA Finals.
Five years later, here we are again. Different sport, same rabid fan base.
I’m not predicting a Super Bowl run for the Browns, but given all that has gone wrong this year, this might be coach Kevin Stefanski’s finest season as head coach. He lost his starting right tackle in the opener, franchise pillar Nick Chubb in Week 2 and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 3.
And the Browns are 4-3.
Watson has looked broken and ineffective for much of his time in Cleveland. After his disastrous first quarter at Indianapolis, it’s anyone’s guess at this point when he’ll return to the field, or which version we’ll see when he’s healthy.
Yet Stefanski and one of the top defenses in the NFL have dragged the Browns to a 4-3 record and the thick of the AFC playoff race despite horrific quarterback play for most of the season.
The Browns are 31st in offensive total pass EPA. That means they’re one of three teams, along with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, that essentially lose points every time the quarterback drops back to pass.
They’re 4-3.
Browns quarterbacks are dead last in the NFL in completion percentage and 29th in yards per attempt. They lead the league in turnovers, including seven in the fourth quarter.
They’re 4-3.
Sunday was perhaps Stefanski’s finest football hour for the first 58 minutes. After coaxing the best out of Baker Mayfield and Brissett in previous seasons, he had a vile of snake oil and a few magic beans left for P.J. Walker. Following victories over the 49ers and Colts, a practice squad quarterback was two minutes away from his third consecutive win in a Browns jersey. It was a magical combination of illusion and sleight of hand Sunday in Seattle. He nearly had the lady sawed in half when he hit an artery. Or as my colleague Zac Jackson said on our postgame podcast, Stefanski was painting his Mona Lisa until a kid spilled his pudding on it.
The pudding, in this case, was Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ helmet on third-and-3.
Stefanski is 30-27 in his fourth season here. He has used eight quarterbacks to get through 57 games, a telling if not a bit misleading figure since Nick Mullens and Dorian Thompson-Robinson each started only once.
Nevertheless, twice now Stefanski thought he had a franchise quarterback and twice he has been fooled. He arrived here expecting a long partnership with Mayfield, a quarterback drafted first overall. When that unraveled, the franchise spent $230 million and three first-round picks to acquire Watson. There is still time for Watson to fix this, but to this point, the trade has been a disaster. Stefanski has never enjoyed much stability at the most important position.
Mayfield was terrific over the second half of the 2020 season. Everything else has been severed brake lines and broken seat belts.
Yet he continues to have this team ready to play and he consistently puts the Browns in position to win late nearly every week. The players may not love every play call either, but they fight hard and play for him.
Did you hate watching Walker’s pass bounce off Adams’ helmet and into the arms of Seattle’s Julian Love on third-and-3? Here are the numbers you’ll love.
Since Stefanski arrived in Cleveland in 2020, NFL teams convert 58 percent of the time when they run on third-and-3. They convert 49 percent of the time when they throw. (The Browns, incidentally, convert 57 percent of the time when they throw on third-and-3 even after that interception.)
Stefanski has made plenty of calls that have made me cringe over the years — bringing Jacoby Brissett off the bench to throw deep on fourth-and-1 at Cincinnati last year immediately comes to mind. Every coach has them.
He’s an aggressive play caller, for better or worse. He calls the game to win the game, not avoid losing it. The Browns threw on third-and-3 just a few plays before the pass that was intercepted, but nobody said a word because the Seahawks were flagged and the Browns were awarded a first down.
Stefanski put the game in the defense’s hands against the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy sprinted the offense into field goal range. The Browns escaped only after the kick sailed wide.
Needing a stop Sunday following the turnover, the defense instead allowed Seattle to average nearly 9 yards a play to score the game-winning touchdown with little resistance.
I was ambivalent over the third-and-3 call. I see both sides. What I don’t understand is the incessant insistence the coach be fired after every loss.
Here are the records of the coaches who were fired last year: 11-27 (Carolina’s Matt Rhule), 4-11 (Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett), 28-37-1 (Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury), 3-13-1 (Houston’s Love Smith), 40-33-1 (Indianapolis’ Frank Reich).
Stefanski is 30-27. The only coach fired with a winning record last year was Reich. If you want to join the company of resident NFL lunatic Jim Irsay, who fired Reich and replaced him with a television analyst whose only head-coaching experience was in high school, that’s a party I’m not attending.
Two lousy minutes turned Stefanski’s masterpiece into mud. Throw away the canvas. Keep the painter and his brushes.
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Despite what rabid Browns fans say, this might be Kevin Stefanski’s finest season
There was a time a few years ago when a certain Cleveland coach couldn’t do much of anything right to appease a rabid fan base. The Cavaliers staggered through a 15-20 stretch from December to March during what became LeBron James’ final season here as restless fans insisted coach Tyronn Lue was the problem and needed to be ousted immediately if not sooner.
In my previous life as an NBA beat writer, I spent thousands of words in columns and on radio and television appearances insisting Lue not only wasn’t the problem, he was the one holding it all together.
The Cavs eventually tucked in their shirts and put their shoes on the correct feet long enough to make a fourth consecutive run to the NBA Finals.
Five years later, here we are again. Different sport, same rabid fan base.
I’m not predicting a Super Bowl run for the Browns, but given all that has gone wrong this year, this might be coach Kevin Stefanski’s finest season as head coach. He lost his starting right tackle in the opener, franchise pillar Nick Chubb in Week 2 and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 3.
And the Browns are 4-3.
Watson has looked broken and ineffective for much of his time in Cleveland. After his disastrous first quarter at Indianapolis, it’s anyone’s guess at this point when he’ll return to the field, or which version we’ll see when he’s healthy.
Yet Stefanski and one of the top defenses in the NFL have dragged the Browns to a 4-3 record and the thick of the AFC playoff race despite horrific quarterback play for most of the season.
The Browns are 31st in offensive total pass EPA. That means they’re one of three teams, along with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, that essentially lose points every time the quarterback drops back to pass.
They’re 4-3.
Browns quarterbacks are dead last in the NFL in completion percentage and 29th in yards per attempt. They lead the league in turnovers, including seven in the fourth quarter.
They’re 4-3.
Sunday was perhaps Stefanski’s finest football hour for the first 58 minutes. After coaxing the best out of Baker Mayfield and Brissett in previous seasons, he had a vile of snake oil and a few magic beans left for P.J. Walker. Following victories over the 49ers and Colts, a practice squad quarterback was two minutes away from his third consecutive win in a Browns jersey. It was a magical combination of illusion and sleight of hand Sunday in Seattle. He nearly had the lady sawed in half when he hit an artery. Or as my colleague Zac Jackson said on our postgame podcast, Stefanski was painting his Mona Lisa until a kid spilled his pudding on it.
The pudding, in this case, was Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ helmet on third-and-3.
Stefanski is 30-27 in his fourth season here. He has used eight quarterbacks to get through 57 games, a telling if not a bit misleading figure since Nick Mullens and Dorian Thompson-Robinson each started only once.
Nevertheless, twice now Stefanski thought he had a franchise quarterback and twice he has been fooled. He arrived here expecting a long partnership with Mayfield, a quarterback drafted first overall. When that unraveled, the franchise spent $230 million and three first-round picks to acquire Watson. There is still time for Watson to fix this, but to this point, the trade has been a disaster. Stefanski has never enjoyed much stability at the most important position.
Mayfield was terrific over the second half of the 2020 season. Everything else has been severed brake lines and broken seat belts.
Yet he continues to have this team ready to play and he consistently puts the Browns in position to win late nearly every week. The players may not love every play call either, but they fight hard and play for him.
Did you hate watching Walker’s pass bounce off Adams’ helmet and into the arms of Seattle’s Julian Love on third-and-3? Here are the numbers you’ll love.
Since Stefanski arrived in Cleveland in 2020, NFL teams convert 58 percent of the time when they run on third-and-3. They convert 49 percent of the time when they throw. (The Browns, incidentally, convert 57 percent of the time when they throw on third-and-3 even after that interception.)
Stefanski has made plenty of calls that have made me cringe over the years — bringing Jacoby Brissett off the bench to throw deep on fourth-and-1 at Cincinnati last year immediately comes to mind. Every coach has them.
He’s an aggressive play caller, for better or worse. He calls the game to win the game, not avoid losing it. The Browns threw on third-and-3 just a few plays before the pass that was intercepted, but nobody said a word because the Seahawks were flagged and the Browns were awarded a first down.
Stefanski put the game in the defense’s hands against the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy sprinted the offense into field goal range. The Browns escaped only after the kick sailed wide.
Needing a stop Sunday following the turnover, the defense instead allowed Seattle to average nearly 9 yards a play to score the game-winning touchdown with little resistance.
I was ambivalent over the third-and-3 call. I see both sides. What I don’t understand is the incessant insistence the coach be fired after every loss.
Here are the records of the coaches who were fired last year: 11-27 (Carolina’s Matt Rhule), 4-11 (Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett), 28-37-1 (Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury), 3-13-1 (Houston’s Love Smith), 40-33-1 (Indianapolis’ Frank Reich).
Stefanski is 30-27. The only coach fired with a winning record last year was Reich. If you want to join the company of resident NFL lunatic Jim Irsay, who fired Reich and replaced him with a television analyst whose only head-coaching experience was in high school, that’s a party I’m not attending.
Two lousy minutes turned Stefanski’s masterpiece into mud. Throw away the canvas. Keep the painter and his brushes.
Despite what rabid Browns fans say, this might be Kevin Stefanski’s finest season
There was a time a few years ago when a certain Cleveland coach couldn’t do much of anything right to appease a rabid fan base. The Cavaliers staggered through a 15-20 stretch from December to March during what became LeBron James’ final season here as restless fans insisted coach Tyronn Lue was the problem and needed to be ousted immediately if not sooner.
In my previous life as an NBA beat writer, I spent thousands of words in columns and on radio and television appearances insisting Lue not only wasn’t the problem, he was the one holding it all together.
The Cavs eventually tucked in their shirts and put their shoes on the correct feet long enough to make a fourth consecutive run to the NBA Finals.
Five years later, here we are again. Different sport, same rabid fan base.
I’m not predicting a Super Bowl run for the Browns, but given all that has gone wrong this year, this might be coach Kevin Stefanski’s finest season as head coach. He lost his starting right tackle in the opener, franchise pillar Nick Chubb in Week 2 and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 3.
And the Browns are 4-3.
Watson has looked broken and ineffective for much of his time in Cleveland. After his disastrous first quarter at Indianapolis, it’s anyone’s guess at this point when he’ll return to the field, or which version we’ll see when he’s healthy.
Yet Stefanski and one of the top defenses in the NFL have dragged the Browns to a 4-3 record and the thick of the AFC playoff race despite horrific quarterback play for most of the season.
The Browns are 31st in offensive total pass EPA. That means they’re one of three teams, along with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, that essentially lose points every time the quarterback drops back to pass.
They’re 4-3.
Browns quarterbacks are dead last in the NFL in completion percentage and 29th in yards per attempt. They lead the league in turnovers, including seven in the fourth quarter.
They’re 4-3.
Sunday was perhaps Stefanski’s finest football hour for the first 58 minutes. After coaxing the best out of Baker Mayfield and Brissett in previous seasons, he had a vile of snake oil and a few magic beans left for P.J. Walker. Following victories over the 49ers and Colts, a practice squad quarterback was two minutes away from his third consecutive win in a Browns jersey. It was a magical combination of illusion and sleight of hand Sunday in Seattle. He nearly had the lady sawed in half when he hit an artery. Or as my colleague Zac Jackson said on our postgame podcast, Stefanski was painting his Mona Lisa until a kid spilled his pudding on it.
The pudding, in this case, was Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ helmet on third-and-3.
Stefanski is 30-27 in his fourth season here. He has used eight quarterbacks to get through 57 games, a telling if not a bit misleading figure since Nick Mullens and Dorian Thompson-Robinson each started only once.
Nevertheless, twice now Stefanski thought he had a franchise quarterback and twice he has been fooled. He arrived here expecting a long partnership with Mayfield, a quarterback drafted first overall. When that unraveled, the franchise spent $230 million and three first-round picks to acquire Watson. There is still time for Watson to fix this, but to this point, the trade has been a disaster. Stefanski has never enjoyed much stability at the most important position.
Mayfield was terrific over the second half of the 2020 season. Everything else has been severed brake lines and broken seat belts.
Yet he continues to have this team ready to play and he consistently puts the Browns in position to win late nearly every week. The players may not love every play call either, but they fight hard and play for him.
Did you hate watching Walker’s pass bounce off Adams’ helmet and into the arms of Seattle’s Julian Love on third-and-3? Here are the numbers you’ll love.
Since Stefanski arrived in Cleveland in 2020, NFL teams convert 58 percent of the time when they run on third-and-3. They convert 49 percent of the time when they throw. (The Browns, incidentally, convert 57 percent of the time when they throw on third-and-3 even after that interception.)
Stefanski has made plenty of calls that have made me cringe over the years — bringing Jacoby Brissett off the bench to throw deep on fourth-and-1 at Cincinnati last year immediately comes to mind. Every coach has them.
He’s an aggressive play caller, for better or worse. He calls the game to win the game, not avoid losing it. The Browns threw on third-and-3 just a few plays before the pass that was intercepted, but nobody said a word because the Seahawks were flagged and the Browns were awarded a first down.
Stefanski put the game in the defense’s hands against the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy sprinted the offense into field goal range. The Browns escaped only after the kick sailed wide.
Needing a stop Sunday following the turnover, the defense instead allowed Seattle to average nearly 9 yards a play to score the game-winning touchdown with little resistance.
I was ambivalent over the third-and-3 call. I see both sides. What I don’t understand is the incessant insistence the coach be fired after every loss.
Here are the records of the coaches who were fired last year: 11-27 (Carolina’s Matt Rhule), 4-11 (Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett), 28-37-1 (Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury), 3-13-1 (Houston’s Love Smith), 40-33-1 (Indianapolis’ Frank Reich).
Stefanski is 30-27. The only coach fired with a winning record last year was Reich. If you want to join the company of resident NFL lunatic Jim Irsay, who fired Reich and replaced him with a television analyst whose only head-coaching experience was in high school, that’s a party I’m not attending.
Two lousy minutes turned Stefanski’s masterpiece into mud. Throw away the canvas. Keep the painter and his brushes.
Not only that, but how many Head Coaches here have reached the playoffs since getting the team back in 1999? Even though Stefanski had to stay home with COVID, the Browns went to Pittsburgh and won 48-37 with the game plan just 1 week after beating Pittsburgh to finish with an 11-5 record.
Right now, this is just bad luck or karma with Watson and the QB depth. My old coach used to say "we're only as good as our last guy." I'm still kind of creeped out by that saying because he was looking at me the last time he said it.
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Despite what rabid Browns fans say, this might be Kevin Stefanski’s finest season
There was a time a few years ago when a certain Cleveland coach couldn’t do much of anything right to appease a rabid fan base. The Cavaliers staggered through a 15-20 stretch from December to March during what became LeBron James’ final season here as restless fans insisted coach Tyronn Lue was the problem and needed to be ousted immediately if not sooner.
In my previous life as an NBA beat writer, I spent thousands of words in columns and on radio and television appearances insisting Lue not only wasn’t the problem, he was the one holding it all together.
The Cavs eventually tucked in their shirts and put their shoes on the correct feet long enough to make a fourth consecutive run to the NBA Finals.
Five years later, here we are again. Different sport, same rabid fan base.
I’m not predicting a Super Bowl run for the Browns, but given all that has gone wrong this year, this might be coach Kevin Stefanski’s finest season as head coach. He lost his starting right tackle in the opener, franchise pillar Nick Chubb in Week 2 and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 3.
And the Browns are 4-3.
Watson has looked broken and ineffective for much of his time in Cleveland. After his disastrous first quarter at Indianapolis, it’s anyone’s guess at this point when he’ll return to the field, or which version we’ll see when he’s healthy.
Yet Stefanski and one of the top defenses in the NFL have dragged the Browns to a 4-3 record and the thick of the AFC playoff race despite horrific quarterback play for most of the season.
The Browns are 31st in offensive total pass EPA. That means they’re one of three teams, along with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, that essentially lose points every time the quarterback drops back to pass.
They’re 4-3.
Browns quarterbacks are dead last in the NFL in completion percentage and 29th in yards per attempt. They lead the league in turnovers, including seven in the fourth quarter.
They’re 4-3.
Sunday was perhaps Stefanski’s finest football hour for the first 58 minutes. After coaxing the best out of Baker Mayfield and Brissett in previous seasons, he had a vile of snake oil and a few magic beans left for P.J. Walker. Following victories over the 49ers and Colts, a practice squad quarterback was two minutes away from his third consecutive win in a Browns jersey. It was a magical combination of illusion and sleight of hand Sunday in Seattle. He nearly had the lady sawed in half when he hit an artery. Or as my colleague Zac Jackson said on our postgame podcast, Stefanski was painting his Mona Lisa until a kid spilled his pudding on it.
The pudding, in this case, was Seahawks safety Jamal Adams’ helmet on third-and-3.
Stefanski is 30-27 in his fourth season here. He has used eight quarterbacks to get through 57 games, a telling if not a bit misleading figure since Nick Mullens and Dorian Thompson-Robinson each started only once.
Nevertheless, twice now Stefanski thought he had a franchise quarterback and twice he has been fooled. He arrived here expecting a long partnership with Mayfield, a quarterback drafted first overall. When that unraveled, the franchise spent $230 million and three first-round picks to acquire Watson. There is still time for Watson to fix this, but to this point, the trade has been a disaster. Stefanski has never enjoyed much stability at the most important position.
Mayfield was terrific over the second half of the 2020 season. Everything else has been severed brake lines and broken seat belts.
Yet he continues to have this team ready to play and he consistently puts the Browns in position to win late nearly every week. The players may not love every play call either, but they fight hard and play for him.
Did you hate watching Walker’s pass bounce off Adams’ helmet and into the arms of Seattle’s Julian Love on third-and-3? Here are the numbers you’ll love.
Since Stefanski arrived in Cleveland in 2020, NFL teams convert 58 percent of the time when they run on third-and-3. They convert 49 percent of the time when they throw. (The Browns, incidentally, convert 57 percent of the time when they throw on third-and-3 even after that interception.)
Stefanski has made plenty of calls that have made me cringe over the years — bringing Jacoby Brissett off the bench to throw deep on fourth-and-1 at Cincinnati last year immediately comes to mind. Every coach has them.
He’s an aggressive play caller, for better or worse. He calls the game to win the game, not avoid losing it. The Browns threw on third-and-3 just a few plays before the pass that was intercepted, but nobody said a word because the Seahawks were flagged and the Browns were awarded a first down.
Stefanski put the game in the defense’s hands against the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy sprinted the offense into field goal range. The Browns escaped only after the kick sailed wide.
Needing a stop Sunday following the turnover, the defense instead allowed Seattle to average nearly 9 yards a play to score the game-winning touchdown with little resistance.
I was ambivalent over the third-and-3 call. I see both sides. What I don’t understand is the incessant insistence the coach be fired after every loss.
Here are the records of the coaches who were fired last year: 11-27 (Carolina’s Matt Rhule), 4-11 (Denver’s Nathaniel Hackett), 28-37-1 (Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury), 3-13-1 (Houston’s Love Smith), 40-33-1 (Indianapolis’ Frank Reich).
Stefanski is 30-27. The only coach fired with a winning record last year was Reich. If you want to join the company of resident NFL lunatic Jim Irsay, who fired Reich and replaced him with a television analyst whose only head-coaching experience was in high school, that’s a party I’m not attending.
Two lousy minutes turned Stefanski’s masterpiece into mud. Throw away the canvas. Keep the painter and his brushes.
Not only that, but how many Head Coaches here have reached the playoffs since getting the team back in 1999? Even though Stefanski had to stay home with COVID, the Browns went to Pittsburgh and won 48-37 with the game plan just 1 week after beating Pittsburgh to finish with an 11-5 record.
Right now, this is just bad luck or karma with Watson and the QB depth. My old coach used to say "we're only as good as our last guy." I'm still kind of creeped out by that saying because he was looking at me the last time he said it.
Not only that, but how many Head Coaches here have reached the playoffs since getting the team back in 1999? Even though Stefanski had to stay home with COVID, the Browns went to Pittsburgh and won 48-37 with the game plan just 1 week after beating Pittsburgh to finish with an 11-5 record.
Right now, this is just bad luck or karma with Watson and the QB depth. My old coach used to say "we're only as good as our last guy." I'm still kind of creeped out by that saying because he was looking at me the last time he said it.
There's some truth to that Mr Flugs ! As in what our old coaches and other influential people in our lives say (or have said) to us. Carry on my friend !
AND as always ..... GO BROWNS !
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I'm not the one to say "raahhhhh fire the coaches after every loss" like 90% of fans are. There are clear times when coaching is the issue. Hue Jackson is the finest example on the offensive side of the ball. I'll never forget him calling empty with a rookie Kizer, down 6 points against the Ravens from the shadow of his own goal line. A look that we had failed on several times that game alone.
Pittsburgh has struggled with Matt Canada calling the plays for 2 years now. They've had how many games with 375-400+ yards of total offense? One? I've watched their games rather closely, and between his calls AND his attitude when Kenny makes a check at the line that finds success, he is absolutely the #1 issue with that offense.
In that same time frame, with a Hurt Baker Mayfield, Brissett and an XFL QB - Stefanski and the Browns have had 15 game with 375+ yards of total offense.
I'm not saying he's Kyle Shanahan, but Stef is far from the #1 problem with this team. Right now, and basically since his tenure began, the QB is that #1 on the list of issues.
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Saw this on social media. Didn’t fact check it, but we haven’t had a HC who got 30 or more games with a winning record since ‘the return’.
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Saw this on social media. Didn’t fact check it, but we haven’t had a HC who got 30 or more games with a winning record since ‘the return’.
Saw this on social media. Didn’t fact check it, but we haven’t had a HC who got 30 or more games with a winning record since ‘the return’.
12 coaches. Only three (3) with a freakin' PLUS record !
Geeeeezzzz. Simple enough ?
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Doing some fact checking now. Robiskie was 1-4 as interim HC. Stupid memes…
https://pro-football-history.com/coach/339/terry-robiskie-bio
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Doing some fact checking now. Robiskie was 1-4 as interim HC. Stupid memes…
https://pro-football-history.com/coach/339/terry-robiskie-bio
Doing some fact checking now. Robiskie was 1-4 as interim HC. Stupid memes…
https://pro-football-history.com/coach/339/terry-robiskie-bio
Remember memes = cartoons. Funny to look at but still cartoons.
And 31 are the most wins by any Cleveland BROWNS coach since when ? ( look it up, surprised ? )
...... edit .... and by the end of the 2023 - 2024 season he might pass one more BIG name.
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Saw this on social media. Didn’t fact check it, but we haven’t had a HC who got 30 or more games with a winning record since ‘the return’.
Saw this on social media. Didn’t fact check it, but we haven’t had a HC who got 30 or more games with a winning record since ‘the return’.
I got a Christmas present from my Dad in 1973, a book called "Cleveland Browns, Great Teams, Great Years," by Jack Clary (I was 10).
He knew I loved the Browns, but warned me that "Art Modell ruined this team," and of course I didn't believe him, mainly because the Browns made the playoff in 1972, and at 10 years old I already knew everything lol. Turns out my Dad was right
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In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
I'm not disagreeing they botched the QB room. Just saying it's way to early to judge DTR
I'm not disagreeing they botched the QB room. Just saying it's way to early to judge DTR
You guys both make good points; and I'm guessing Mr Me-Aggie agrees with your point about judging DTR too early.
Some of the preseason success we saw with him involved throwing to the group of Receivers he was used to working with in practice. That being the case, there was familiarity and chemistry. The week he was thrown out to the infestation of Rats - it wasn't like he practiced ALL week with the ones with the game plan. That's why it looked like he had Tabasco Sauce or Dave's Insanity Sauce in his eyes when he had to make inexperienced split second decisions with teammates he just hasn't practiced with very often. He's used to throwing to the scout team receivers. If they did that to him at UCLA - he wouldn't have compiled a 70% completion rate last year.
Beyond wishful thinking, I really think there's something there to tap if the Browns work smarter with this backup QB thing. If they ever gave him a whole week to prepare with the starters, I don't see ANY way the upside is better with PJ Walker (unless I got that Tabasco Sause in my eyes too). The alleged experience advantage Walker has been dumpster fire make the best of it sandlot football wing-it and fling it. Walker isn't Brissett in terms of learning from mistakes - STILL throwing across his body his body outside of the peripheral vision. Still abruptly ending a decision to run to the daylight promising about 10 rushing yards or so to throw ill-advised passes into traffic. Having said that, Eric Zeier once fooled the Hell out of me. If any of you guys are old enough to remember, he looked real promising in the pre-season and I think he had real strong close in a game the Browns were getting rathoused. When the Browns decided to let him start some games - he looked nothing like the promising versions of Zeier. Those "we don't get fooled again" lyrics from "The Who" didn't pertain to me. Still getting fooled because practice makes perfect...
Get me out of this post...
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Yes, but just because DTR isn't ready yet doesn't mean he can't be eventually. Started 4 years at UCLA, we will see
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
It's like we kept Dobbs here for a couple years only to let him go about 1-2 months before we needed to look to him. I'm not one to pop champagne for adding a 6th round draft pick 2 years from now. This hasn't been the franchise finding a Tom Brady or a Terrell Davis in round 6 or a Marques Colston in round 7. I'd rather have some FREAKIN continuity in the QB room should an injury to the starter unfolds... If this FO had foresight 20/20 - they wouldn't have to listen to our hindsight 20/20 they like refer to as white noise.
I'm just 3 box tops from Lucky Charms and countless brain cells shy of a Master's Degree from Harvard. Stay tuned..
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In a season we built a defense to contend in the playoffs, we definitely made a mistake having a rookie 5th rounder as backup to DW. Eventually does not mean possibly in the next game and that is the reality of improper planning by the supposed "brain trust". They screwed the pooch.
It's like we kept Dobbs here for a couple years only to let him go about 1-2 months before we needed to look to him. I'm not one to pop champagne for adding a 6th round draft pick 2 years from now. This hasn't been the franchise finding a Tom Brady or a Terrell Davis in round 6 or a Marques Colston in round 7. I'd rather have some FREAKIN continuity in the QB room should an injury to the starter unfolds... If this FO had foresight 20/20 - they wouldn't have to listen to our hindsight 20/20 they like refer to as white noise.
I'm just 3 box tops from Lucky Charms and countless brain cells shy of a Master's Degree from Harvard. Stay tuned..
I'm just 3 box tops from Lucky Charms and countless brain cells shy of a Master's Degree from Harvard. Stay tuned..
That’s ok Flugs…you have a PhD in common sense.
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