The Browns 2024 Season…What Happened?
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Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
-
Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Yeah, I actually thought we were getting the Watson that beat Alabama in the National Championship before going on to make 3 Pro Bowls in the 4 years he suited up in Houston, inclusive of 2 post seasons where he erased a deficit to beat Josh Gordon. The ONLY team Watson failed miserably for is the one that gave him a guaranteed 230 million $ contract. More specifically, he went to a franchise that has had horrific luck drafting or trading for QBs since the 70s. Who woulda thunk one of the the BEST QBs the Browns could draft would be a 13th round pick in 1972 from San Diego State named Brian Sipe at 6'1" 195 lbs. He's still the only NFL MVP this team has had after 1970.
The other successful QB the Browns drafted that this fanbase embraced was Bernie Kosar in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. He gave up his final 2 seasons of eligibility in college at Miami to play for the team he grew up rooting as a kid in Ohio. Much to our delight, he enabled the Kardiac Kids tradition that started with Sipe to live on with the Browns frequenting the playoffs via Bernie.
All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
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Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Yeah, I actually thought we were getting the Watson that beat Alabama in the National Championship before going on to make 3 Pro Bowls in the 4 years he suited up in Houston, inclusive of 2 post seasons where he erased a deficit to beat Josh Gordon. The ONLY team Watson failed miserably for is the one that gave him a guaranteed 230 million $ contract. More specifically, he went to a franchise that has had horrific luck drafting or trading for QBs since the 70s. Who woulda thunk one of the the BEST QBs the Browns could draft would be a 13th round pick in 1972 from San Diego State named Brian Sipe at 6'1" 195 lbs. He's still the only NFL MVP this team has had after 1970.
The other successful QB the Browns drafted that this fanbase embraced was Bernie Kosar in the 1985 Supplemental Draft. He gave up his final 2 seasons of eligibility in college at Miami to play for the team he grew up rooting as a kid in Ohio. Much to our delight, he enabled the Kardiac Kids tradition that started with Sipe to live on with the Browns frequenting the playoffs via Bernie.
All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
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All the owners this side of 1999 haven't been able to get/keep all the essentials in place to draft, develop and keep a franchise QB.
It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
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It almost seems like Rod Serling & the Twilight Zone. "Imagine a football team that can't get out of its own way."
Hey, at least the scoreboards in CLE Browns Stadium look like the state of Tennessee, & there's wifi!!!
Side note: I saw Mike Holmgren was nominated for the HOF. What a piece of crap he was, just took Lerner's money. I hope he never gets in like evil Art Modell.
I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
Lol yeah, don't get me started on Paul McDonald. Wow, he really was horrible, which not many saw coming.
1984 season, I think he threw 4 or 5 pick 6s in the 4th Quarter, with the Browns driving to win or pad the lead. In my mind, he's easily top 3 of the worst Browns QBs in my lifetime ( Manziel, Kizer).
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I think I've even seen a blade of grass tackle FB Owen Marecic for a loss when he was here. The sad thing is I don't remember him falling forward - or maybe that's a good thing. Can you imagine how scary it's all gonna get when we have to start using Prevagen. I don't want to suddenly remember Paul McDonald getting sacked in a clean pocket by the shadow of his Center. I'm not saying that actually happened; but weird things had a way of unfolding when he came in.
Lol yeah, don't get me started on Paul McDonald. Wow, he really was horrible, which not many saw coming.
1984 season, I think he threw 4 or 5 pick 6s in the 4th Quarter, with the Browns driving to win or pad the lead. In my mind, he's easily top 3 of the worst Browns QBs in my lifetime ( Manziel, Kizer).
Lol yeah, don't get me started on Paul McDonald. Wow, he really was horrible, which not many saw coming.
1984 season, I think he threw 4 or 5 pick 6s in the 4th Quarter, with the Browns driving to win or pad the lead. In my mind, he's easily top 3 of the worst Browns QBs in my lifetime ( Manziel, Kizer).
Is Kizer still a spokesman for that aluminum company????
-
Maybe too simplistic, but it seems that bad rotten owners
have bad teams, and terrific solid owners have good teams.
It's the people they surround themselves with in their organization.
Haslam hired people in his business that got him into trouble. Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot about the Browns struggles. Other than that, I can't think of any reason the Browns have failed so many seasons.
Once I read where haslam was the driving force for the watson debacle...... that explains a lot
Yeah, we read a lot of stuff. Some of it is even true. But it would go a long way to explaining why the GM & HC didn't get fired.
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But it would go a long way to explaining why the GM & HC didn't get fired.
That’s a very telling tale, one that Haslam will never own…at least not in public.
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1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
-
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
And is there anything more uplifting than watching the Browns consistently getting flagged before the snap?
-
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
? Just in case anyone is wondering how this FO has tenure...
-
1) Horrendous quarterback play.
2) No running game.
3) Offensive line took multiple steps backwards.
4) The defense often quit games by halftime because the offense was so bad it couldn't get us a single touchdown.
5) Hopkins became a complete, unreliable head case at kicker.
There's much more, but that's the gist of what I saw this year.
? Just in case anyone is wondering how this FO has tenure...
? Just in case anyone is wondering how this FO has tenure...
Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
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Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
I welcome the only Defensive Coordinator to earn a Superbowl Ring in New Orleans while understanding Revenge of the Nerds is a sequel. "Come get some!" -
Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
That kid is a handful. Already told that old orange man to shut up. ?
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That kid is a handful. Already told that old orange man to shut up. ?
He's an adorable little rascal! I can teach him other things too...
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That kid is a handful. Already told that old orange man to shut up. ?
He's an adorable little rascal! I can teach him other things too...
He's an adorable little rascal! I can teach him other things too...
I'm sure he's got the "Roman Salute" down pat by now.
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Hire Elon (Off with their heads) Musk and his do it all ax.
I could use a raise; so I'll baby sit his kid...
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Not sure of where to put this...but I'll stick it here. Found it interesting. I don't think he finished up with us liking Berry or Stef.
Browns history: RB Coach Stump Mitchell talks being let go, his college/NFL career and so much more
DBN: Some folks think you came to the Browns when Kevin Stefanski was hired in 2020, but you were actually hired by Freddie Kitchens the year before as his RB coach. After a head coach gets fired, usually all the assistants get fired, yet Stefanski kept you on as his RB coach. What is that process like waiting around to see if you have a job?
Mitchell: I didn’t get interviewed by Stefanski. After Freddie got fired, we all had exit interviews with the Haslams. My interview took about 45 minutes because we had a good team there. I was asked if we could win with Baker Mayfield and I told them absolutely. He was the right guy for the team. I told them we just didn’t manage the situation right. I asked them to allow me to be the head coach. If you don’t run it right, you are going to be in the same situation a few years later. They asked me if I would continue to be the running backs coach and I said sure. They told Kevin I was the running back coach. That’s the way it is with a lot of these teams now. The General Managers pick who they want to keep or pair people with. RB coaches are usually pretty safe because they do a great job. Usually, they are dealing with the toughest players on the team because of ego or personality. Not all of them are like that, but you do have some of them that you have to manage.
DBN: Your first season, the Browns had signed Kareem Hunt from being suspended, drafted Nick Chubb one year earlier, but Duke Johnson was considered the main runner who ended up being traded. Were you part of that decision to trade Duke to Houston?
Mitchell: No. I was not part of that decision. I loved Duke who was a Miami Hurricane. One thing about all those backs who played for Miami – they could frickin’ pass block. Duke could do it all. He was a heckuva back, a good receiver, and a four-down back. I don’t know why they traded him. He was very talented but beyond me. He and Nick together would have been outstanding. Loved the game and practiced well.
DBN: You had the task of grooming Nick Chubb into a beast in the NFL. What can you tell us about his skills, his attitude, and the amount of coaching you had to put into him?
Mitchell: First of all, it was the easiest job I ever had. I won’t take credit for nothing. His carries started to go down so I wanted his production to go up and have him average over six yards a carry. That’s exactly the pace he was on when he hurt his knee against the Steelers. The biggest thing I hit Nick on was patience. He is a powerful back and sometimes would cut back too soon on counterplays that he would cut up too soon. During the course of a year, that would only happen two or three times playing in 16 or 17 games. And he improved and worked extremely hard. He broke a lot of tackles.
DBN: We thought one of your greatest triumphs in Cleveland was the development of D’Ernest Johnson. He came in raw and left a productive back. We really thought he would be Chubb’s sidekick, especially after that Broncos game when he balled out and was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Why didn’t the Browns keep him?
Mitchell: I did everything I could for the Browns to keep D’Ernest. He averaged over five yards a carry and worked really hard, especially on special teams. He improved in pass protection, third-down protection, and pass-catching. But sometimes it is not what you do but who has the last word. In Cleveland, the coaches didn’t have the last say. That was left up to Andrew Berry. He made those decisions.
DBN: When Chubb got that horrible knee injury in 2023 against the Steelers, why is this type of injury so devastating to a running back?
Mitchell: Because you have to make so many cuts and avoid so many people. I think Nick did a great job coming back from that injury. I have texted him many times including last week to let him know he was back. I saw everything I needed to see on that two-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh. He had to come to a sudden stop, make a jump cut, and then do all this in a two-yard span. No question in my mind he was back and ready to go. Now, people may question why he is only averaging three point-something yards a carry, they aren’t looking at the fact that the Browns weren’t going to win this year. They didn’t take into account when they got rid of the coaches, a lot of players were coming back from an injury. And now, you got them trying to learn a new system. Which was awful because they weren’t going to be practicing. The opponents were going to take advantage of the guy they had out there playing as the offensive linemen even though they had big hearts they weren’t able to get it done.
DBN: When Chubb went down, all of a sudden, your running back room was in shambles. You had Jerome Ford, who was a fifth-round pick, and Pierre Strong, a fourth-round guy, who was expected to replace one of the league’s best running backs. Did you suggest that maybe GM Andrew Berry try to sign or trade for another running back? Or was the conversation just, ‘Let’s go with what we got?’
Mitchell: I suggested to Andrew to bring in David Johnson. He played in Houston with Deshaun. They had a good connection in the passing game when things broke down. It was a big part of Deshaun’s game and they had a great relationship and Andrew Berry would not bring David Johnson in. Plus, I coached David in Arizona. He and Nick would have been a helluva combination. An unselfish player and talented in the receiving portion and would return kicks. In his first season as a true starter, he had almost 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. They would not even bring him in for a workout. I was fine with Jerome and John Kelly. Pierre was drafted by Bill Belichick so I knew there was something in him although he lacked a little trust in himself. Then they brought in Kareem.
DBN: After seeing Chubb come back from his injury, do you think he has anything left?
Mitchell: There is no question he has something left. Christian McCaffrey was hurt in Carolina and when he went to San Francisco and had a good offensive line he got a chance to do the things he can do. Saquan Barkley goes to the Eagles and their offensive line and sometimes doesn’t get touched until the second level and sometimes never. Derrick Henry goes to a team where the offensive line is good and has a helluva year. There is no question Nick can do, but those guys up front you are depending upon them in the passing game as well as the run game. You know Coach (Bill) Callahan ranted and raved about tackle Tristan Wirfs who was there when we picked. But we didn’t pick him and took Jedrick Wills instead. Wirfs has been a Pro Bowler since Day 1 plus has a Super Bowl ring.
DBN: The 2023 Browns won 11 games with five quarterbacks, made the playoffs, and were the highest-seeded Wild Card team, yet their All-World running back was gone for the year. Your players loved you. You did a great job at making this room into a productive group. Yet, at season’s end, you got the call. The reason we are told is that you were “a media leak.” Is that why you were released?
Mitchell: That’s a lie. People can say whatever they want to say. Our meetings with the offensive staff were supposed to be on a Wednesday. Kevin went into T.C.’s (McCartney) office on Tuesday and told him he wasn’t coming back, and then into my office and said he wanted to go in a different direction. I said, okay, no problem. And then he decides to let go of Alex Van Pelt as well. They can spin it any way they want, that’s a bunch of bullshit. Now, I was adamant. Any time we brought up a conversation about a running back I was a big David Johnson fan respectively. Always respectively. And that happened all the time. Plus, Duce (Staley) had already gotten fired and worked with Andrew in Philadelphia. And he was younger and was no reason for him to have to listen to me anymore. I move a little slower than I used to do. But I was still vocal. There was an opportunity for them to bring in Duce. But that part was BS. He didn’t have to explain to me why he wanted to go in a different direction. Why did he want to make a change with Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator when he was with Kevin when he was named Coach of the Year twice? Those moves were crazy.
DBN: When you were a player in the NFL teams had one dominant running back like Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, or Eric Dickerson. But teams now are by committee and the RB position has been devalued. With the emergence of Derrick Henry and Saquan Barkley this year, do you think teams will revert back to a single workhorse back again?
Mitchell: The smart coaches who have a back that can do it all will allow that. But a lot of these young backs don’t pass block a lot in college. And they get free releases in protection they want to get a guy out because they are passing the ball over 60% of the time. If that guy exists, I think a good offensive coordinator will put their best players in positions to make plays whether catching passes or running it from the backfield.
DBN: In 2020 when Baker Mayfield injured his shoulder and kept playing, if the Browns had sat him and dealt with the injury early, do you think Baker would still be Cleveland’s quarterback?
Mitchell: They had an opportunity to get into the playoffs sooner when Baker threw those four interceptions against Green Bay. He didn’t practice all week and flew him in on the day of the game on a private plane. They could have gone with another quarterback that was healthy. If they had gotten shoulder surgery on Baker and let Case play during the season, Baker would have been ready for the playoffs. The defense was playing well that year. Baker wasn’t the coach - he was the player. But if they would have dealt with the injury, Baker would have gotten healthy, came back healthy, and he would be in Cleveland right now. Baker is really the type of quarterback that Stefanski is better with. He’s not good with a guy like Deshaun. Or Lamar Jackson. Stefanski can’t match their talent. They can do anything and more than what he wants done. Every quarterback he has coached passed for over 300-yards except for Deshaun. All he had to do was not to make wits with Deshaun’s talent. Andy Reid ain’t worried about what Patrick can do – he’s calling his game and if Patrick makes things happen, he makes things happene.
DBN: What is your fondest moment of being a Cleveland Brown?
Mitchell: Seeing Case Keenum and D’Ernest Johnson against Denver playing their butts off. They had the respect of the team because of how they worked. Everybody really, really loved Case. That’s why I don’t understand why when we were paying Case over $6 million in 2020 when Baker experienced almost every injury known to man why we wouldn’t play him.
BEING A BROWNS FAN IS A TEST TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN TAKE -
Not sure of where to put this...but I'll stick it here. Found it interesting. I don't think he finished up with us liking Berry or Stef.
Browns history: RB Coach Stump Mitchell talks being let go, his college/NFL career and so much more
DBN: Some folks think you came to the Browns when Kevin Stefanski was hired in 2020, but you were actually hired by Freddie Kitchens the year before as his RB coach. After a head coach gets fired, usually all the assistants get fired, yet Stefanski kept you on as his RB coach. What is that process like waiting around to see if you have a job?
Mitchell: I didn’t get interviewed by Stefanski. After Freddie got fired, we all had exit interviews with the Haslams. My interview took about 45 minutes because we had a good team there. I was asked if we could win with Baker Mayfield and I told them absolutely. He was the right guy for the team. I told them we just didn’t manage the situation right. I asked them to allow me to be the head coach. If you don’t run it right, you are going to be in the same situation a few years later. They asked me if I would continue to be the running backs coach and I said sure. They told Kevin I was the running back coach. That’s the way it is with a lot of these teams now. The General Managers pick who they want to keep or pair people with. RB coaches are usually pretty safe because they do a great job. Usually, they are dealing with the toughest players on the team because of ego or personality. Not all of them are like that, but you do have some of them that you have to manage.
DBN: Your first season, the Browns had signed Kareem Hunt from being suspended, drafted Nick Chubb one year earlier, but Duke Johnson was considered the main runner who ended up being traded. Were you part of that decision to trade Duke to Houston?
Mitchell: No. I was not part of that decision. I loved Duke who was a Miami Hurricane. One thing about all those backs who played for Miami – they could frickin’ pass block. Duke could do it all. He was a heckuva back, a good receiver, and a four-down back. I don’t know why they traded him. He was very talented but beyond me. He and Nick together would have been outstanding. Loved the game and practiced well.
DBN: You had the task of grooming Nick Chubb into a beast in the NFL. What can you tell us about his skills, his attitude, and the amount of coaching you had to put into him?
Mitchell: First of all, it was the easiest job I ever had. I won’t take credit for nothing. His carries started to go down so I wanted his production to go up and have him average over six yards a carry. That’s exactly the pace he was on when he hurt his knee against the Steelers. The biggest thing I hit Nick on was patience. He is a powerful back and sometimes would cut back too soon on counterplays that he would cut up too soon. During the course of a year, that would only happen two or three times playing in 16 or 17 games. And he improved and worked extremely hard. He broke a lot of tackles.
DBN: We thought one of your greatest triumphs in Cleveland was the development of D’Ernest Johnson. He came in raw and left a productive back. We really thought he would be Chubb’s sidekick, especially after that Broncos game when he balled out and was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Why didn’t the Browns keep him?
Mitchell: I did everything I could for the Browns to keep D’Ernest. He averaged over five yards a carry and worked really hard, especially on special teams. He improved in pass protection, third-down protection, and pass-catching. But sometimes it is not what you do but who has the last word. In Cleveland, the coaches didn’t have the last say. That was left up to Andrew Berry. He made those decisions.
DBN: When Chubb got that horrible knee injury in 2023 against the Steelers, why is this type of injury so devastating to a running back?
Mitchell: Because you have to make so many cuts and avoid so many people. I think Nick did a great job coming back from that injury. I have texted him many times including last week to let him know he was back. I saw everything I needed to see on that two-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh. He had to come to a sudden stop, make a jump cut, and then do all this in a two-yard span. No question in my mind he was back and ready to go. Now, people may question why he is only averaging three point-something yards a carry, they aren’t looking at the fact that the Browns weren’t going to win this year. They didn’t take into account when they got rid of the coaches, a lot of players were coming back from an injury. And now, you got them trying to learn a new system. Which was awful because they weren’t going to be practicing. The opponents were going to take advantage of the guy they had out there playing as the offensive linemen even though they had big hearts they weren’t able to get it done.
DBN: When Chubb went down, all of a sudden, your running back room was in shambles. You had Jerome Ford, who was a fifth-round pick, and Pierre Strong, a fourth-round guy, who was expected to replace one of the league’s best running backs. Did you suggest that maybe GM Andrew Berry try to sign or trade for another running back? Or was the conversation just, ‘Let’s go with what we got?’
Mitchell: I suggested to Andrew to bring in David Johnson. He played in Houston with Deshaun. They had a good connection in the passing game when things broke down. It was a big part of Deshaun’s game and they had a great relationship and Andrew Berry would not bring David Johnson in. Plus, I coached David in Arizona. He and Nick would have been a helluva combination. An unselfish player and talented in the receiving portion and would return kicks. In his first season as a true starter, he had almost 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. They would not even bring him in for a workout. I was fine with Jerome and John Kelly. Pierre was drafted by Bill Belichick so I knew there was something in him although he lacked a little trust in himself. Then they brought in Kareem.
DBN: After seeing Chubb come back from his injury, do you think he has anything left?
Mitchell: There is no question he has something left. Christian McCaffrey was hurt in Carolina and when he went to San Francisco and had a good offensive line he got a chance to do the things he can do. Saquan Barkley goes to the Eagles and their offensive line and sometimes doesn’t get touched until the second level and sometimes never. Derrick Henry goes to a team where the offensive line is good and has a helluva year. There is no question Nick can do, but those guys up front you are depending upon them in the passing game as well as the run game. You know Coach (Bill) Callahan ranted and raved about tackle Tristan Wirfs who was there when we picked. But we didn’t pick him and took Jedrick Wills instead. Wirfs has been a Pro Bowler since Day 1 plus has a Super Bowl ring.
DBN: The 2023 Browns won 11 games with five quarterbacks, made the playoffs, and were the highest-seeded Wild Card team, yet their All-World running back was gone for the year. Your players loved you. You did a great job at making this room into a productive group. Yet, at season’s end, you got the call. The reason we are told is that you were “a media leak.” Is that why you were released?
Mitchell: That’s a lie. People can say whatever they want to say. Our meetings with the offensive staff were supposed to be on a Wednesday. Kevin went into T.C.’s (McCartney) office on Tuesday and told him he wasn’t coming back, and then into my office and said he wanted to go in a different direction. I said, okay, no problem. And then he decides to let go of Alex Van Pelt as well. They can spin it any way they want, that’s a bunch of bullshit. Now, I was adamant. Any time we brought up a conversation about a running back I was a big David Johnson fan respectively. Always respectively. And that happened all the time. Plus, Duce (Staley) had already gotten fired and worked with Andrew in Philadelphia. And he was younger and was no reason for him to have to listen to me anymore. I move a little slower than I used to do. But I was still vocal. There was an opportunity for them to bring in Duce. But that part was BS. He didn’t have to explain to me why he wanted to go in a different direction. Why did he want to make a change with Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator when he was with Kevin when he was named Coach of the Year twice? Those moves were crazy.
DBN: When you were a player in the NFL teams had one dominant running back like Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, or Eric Dickerson. But teams now are by committee and the RB position has been devalued. With the emergence of Derrick Henry and Saquan Barkley this year, do you think teams will revert back to a single workhorse back again?
Mitchell: The smart coaches who have a back that can do it all will allow that. But a lot of these young backs don’t pass block a lot in college. And they get free releases in protection they want to get a guy out because they are passing the ball over 60% of the time. If that guy exists, I think a good offensive coordinator will put their best players in positions to make plays whether catching passes or running it from the backfield.
DBN: In 2020 when Baker Mayfield injured his shoulder and kept playing, if the Browns had sat him and dealt with the injury early, do you think Baker would still be Cleveland’s quarterback?
Mitchell: They had an opportunity to get into the playoffs sooner when Baker threw those four interceptions against Green Bay. He didn’t practice all week and flew him in on the day of the game on a private plane. They could have gone with another quarterback that was healthy. If they had gotten shoulder surgery on Baker and let Case play during the season, Baker would have been ready for the playoffs. The defense was playing well that year. Baker wasn’t the coach - he was the player. But if they would have dealt with the injury, Baker would have gotten healthy, came back healthy, and he would be in Cleveland right now. Baker is really the type of quarterback that Stefanski is better with. He’s not good with a guy like Deshaun. Or Lamar Jackson. Stefanski can’t match their talent. They can do anything and more than what he wants done. Every quarterback he has coached passed for over 300-yards except for Deshaun. All he had to do was not to make wits with Deshaun’s talent. Andy Reid ain’t worried about what Patrick can do – he’s calling his game and if Patrick makes things happen, he makes things happene.
DBN: What is your fondest moment of being a Cleveland Brown?
Mitchell: Seeing Case Keenum and D’Ernest Johnson against Denver playing their butts off. They had the respect of the team because of how they worked. Everybody really, really loved Case. That’s why I don’t understand why when we were paying Case over $6 million in 2020 when Baker experienced almost every injury known to man why we wouldn’t play him.
Mitchell: I did everything I could for the Browns to keep D’Ernest. He averaged over five yards a carry and worked really hard, especially on special teams. He improved in pass protection, third-down protection, and pass-catching. But sometimes it is not what you do but who has the last word. In Cleveland, the coaches didn’t have the last say. That was left up to Andrew Berry. He made those decisions.
This is one of the nuggets in there where I've stated, at least a couple of times, my opposition to anyone other than the HC having control over who is kept on the roster and who isn't. To me, one (the GM or HC) should not have control over the other. You bring a GM in to find and bring in talent, and manage the salary cap. The HC decides if that talent should be starting, a backup, or if he should be released. As well as how to run the games. The GM & HC need to work together and should be on the same page, but if they're not in agreement on something then either the owner or team president (or alike) should be the tiebreaker.
----
And at Stump's exit interview when Kitchens & Doresy were fired (the Haslem's doing the interview) he was asked if they could win with Baker Mayfield. Which seems to mean that the Haslems had doubts about Baker. Now Stump says he told them that they absolutely could win with Baker...and like everything else he told anyone in the organization, they didn't listen to him. They DID however offer him to stay as RB's coach. And then when Stef was hired they told him that Stump will be the RB coach.
- I don't like the way the Haslems do things!
-
Not sure of where to put this...but I'll stick it here. Found it interesting. I don't think he finished up with us liking Berry or Stef.
Browns history: RB Coach Stump Mitchell talks being let go, his college/NFL career and so much more
DBN: Some folks think you came to the Browns when Kevin Stefanski was hired in 2020, but you were actually hired by Freddie Kitchens the year before as his RB coach. After a head coach gets fired, usually all the assistants get fired, yet Stefanski kept you on as his RB coach. What is that process like waiting around to see if you have a job?
Mitchell: I didn’t get interviewed by Stefanski. After Freddie got fired, we all had exit interviews with the Haslams. My interview took about 45 minutes because we had a good team there. I was asked if we could win with Baker Mayfield and I told them absolutely. He was the right guy for the team. I told them we just didn’t manage the situation right. I asked them to allow me to be the head coach. If you don’t run it right, you are going to be in the same situation a few years later. They asked me if I would continue to be the running backs coach and I said sure. They told Kevin I was the running back coach. That’s the way it is with a lot of these teams now. The General Managers pick who they want to keep or pair people with. RB coaches are usually pretty safe because they do a great job. Usually, they are dealing with the toughest players on the team because of ego or personality. Not all of them are like that, but you do have some of them that you have to manage.
DBN: Your first season, the Browns had signed Kareem Hunt from being suspended, drafted Nick Chubb one year earlier, but Duke Johnson was considered the main runner who ended up being traded. Were you part of that decision to trade Duke to Houston?
Mitchell: No. I was not part of that decision. I loved Duke who was a Miami Hurricane. One thing about all those backs who played for Miami – they could frickin’ pass block. Duke could do it all. He was a heckuva back, a good receiver, and a four-down back. I don’t know why they traded him. He was very talented but beyond me. He and Nick together would have been outstanding. Loved the game and practiced well.
DBN: You had the task of grooming Nick Chubb into a beast in the NFL. What can you tell us about his skills, his attitude, and the amount of coaching you had to put into him?
Mitchell: First of all, it was the easiest job I ever had. I won’t take credit for nothing. His carries started to go down so I wanted his production to go up and have him average over six yards a carry. That’s exactly the pace he was on when he hurt his knee against the Steelers. The biggest thing I hit Nick on was patience. He is a powerful back and sometimes would cut back too soon on counterplays that he would cut up too soon. During the course of a year, that would only happen two or three times playing in 16 or 17 games. And he improved and worked extremely hard. He broke a lot of tackles.
DBN: We thought one of your greatest triumphs in Cleveland was the development of D’Ernest Johnson. He came in raw and left a productive back. We really thought he would be Chubb’s sidekick, especially after that Broncos game when he balled out and was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Why didn’t the Browns keep him?
Mitchell: I did everything I could for the Browns to keep D’Ernest. He averaged over five yards a carry and worked really hard, especially on special teams. He improved in pass protection, third-down protection, and pass-catching. But sometimes it is not what you do but who has the last word. In Cleveland, the coaches didn’t have the last say. That was left up to Andrew Berry. He made those decisions.
DBN: When Chubb got that horrible knee injury in 2023 against the Steelers, why is this type of injury so devastating to a running back?
Mitchell: Because you have to make so many cuts and avoid so many people. I think Nick did a great job coming back from that injury. I have texted him many times including last week to let him know he was back. I saw everything I needed to see on that two-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh. He had to come to a sudden stop, make a jump cut, and then do all this in a two-yard span. No question in my mind he was back and ready to go. Now, people may question why he is only averaging three point-something yards a carry, they aren’t looking at the fact that the Browns weren’t going to win this year. They didn’t take into account when they got rid of the coaches, a lot of players were coming back from an injury. And now, you got them trying to learn a new system. Which was awful because they weren’t going to be practicing. The opponents were going to take advantage of the guy they had out there playing as the offensive linemen even though they had big hearts they weren’t able to get it done.
DBN: When Chubb went down, all of a sudden, your running back room was in shambles. You had Jerome Ford, who was a fifth-round pick, and Pierre Strong, a fourth-round guy, who was expected to replace one of the league’s best running backs. Did you suggest that maybe GM Andrew Berry try to sign or trade for another running back? Or was the conversation just, ‘Let’s go with what we got?’
Mitchell: I suggested to Andrew to bring in David Johnson. He played in Houston with Deshaun. They had a good connection in the passing game when things broke down. It was a big part of Deshaun’s game and they had a great relationship and Andrew Berry would not bring David Johnson in. Plus, I coached David in Arizona. He and Nick would have been a helluva combination. An unselfish player and talented in the receiving portion and would return kicks. In his first season as a true starter, he had almost 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving. They would not even bring him in for a workout. I was fine with Jerome and John Kelly. Pierre was drafted by Bill Belichick so I knew there was something in him although he lacked a little trust in himself. Then they brought in Kareem.
DBN: After seeing Chubb come back from his injury, do you think he has anything left?
Mitchell: There is no question he has something left. Christian McCaffrey was hurt in Carolina and when he went to San Francisco and had a good offensive line he got a chance to do the things he can do. Saquan Barkley goes to the Eagles and their offensive line and sometimes doesn’t get touched until the second level and sometimes never. Derrick Henry goes to a team where the offensive line is good and has a helluva year. There is no question Nick can do, but those guys up front you are depending upon them in the passing game as well as the run game. You know Coach (Bill) Callahan ranted and raved about tackle Tristan Wirfs who was there when we picked. But we didn’t pick him and took Jedrick Wills instead. Wirfs has been a Pro Bowler since Day 1 plus has a Super Bowl ring.
DBN: The 2023 Browns won 11 games with five quarterbacks, made the playoffs, and were the highest-seeded Wild Card team, yet their All-World running back was gone for the year. Your players loved you. You did a great job at making this room into a productive group. Yet, at season’s end, you got the call. The reason we are told is that you were “a media leak.” Is that why you were released?
Mitchell: That’s a lie. People can say whatever they want to say. Our meetings with the offensive staff were supposed to be on a Wednesday. Kevin went into T.C.’s (McCartney) office on Tuesday and told him he wasn’t coming back, and then into my office and said he wanted to go in a different direction. I said, okay, no problem. And then he decides to let go of Alex Van Pelt as well. They can spin it any way they want, that’s a bunch of bullshit. Now, I was adamant. Any time we brought up a conversation about a running back I was a big David Johnson fan respectively. Always respectively. And that happened all the time. Plus, Duce (Staley) had already gotten fired and worked with Andrew in Philadelphia. And he was younger and was no reason for him to have to listen to me anymore. I move a little slower than I used to do. But I was still vocal. There was an opportunity for them to bring in Duce. But that part was BS. He didn’t have to explain to me why he wanted to go in a different direction. Why did he want to make a change with Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator when he was with Kevin when he was named Coach of the Year twice? Those moves were crazy.
DBN: When you were a player in the NFL teams had one dominant running back like Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, or Eric Dickerson. But teams now are by committee and the RB position has been devalued. With the emergence of Derrick Henry and Saquan Barkley this year, do you think teams will revert back to a single workhorse back again?
Mitchell: The smart coaches who have a back that can do it all will allow that. But a lot of these young backs don’t pass block a lot in college. And they get free releases in protection they want to get a guy out because they are passing the ball over 60% of the time. If that guy exists, I think a good offensive coordinator will put their best players in positions to make plays whether catching passes or running it from the backfield.
DBN: In 2020 when Baker Mayfield injured his shoulder and kept playing, if the Browns had sat him and dealt with the injury early, do you think Baker would still be Cleveland’s quarterback?
Mitchell: They had an opportunity to get into the playoffs sooner when Baker threw those four interceptions against Green Bay. He didn’t practice all week and flew him in on the day of the game on a private plane. They could have gone with another quarterback that was healthy. If they had gotten shoulder surgery on Baker and let Case play during the season, Baker would have been ready for the playoffs. The defense was playing well that year. Baker wasn’t the coach - he was the player. But if they would have dealt with the injury, Baker would have gotten healthy, came back healthy, and he would be in Cleveland right now. Baker is really the type of quarterback that Stefanski is better with. He’s not good with a guy like Deshaun. Or Lamar Jackson. Stefanski can’t match their talent. They can do anything and more than what he wants done. Every quarterback he has coached passed for over 300-yards except for Deshaun. All he had to do was not to make wits with Deshaun’s talent. Andy Reid ain’t worried about what Patrick can do – he’s calling his game and if Patrick makes things happen, he makes things happene.
DBN: What is your fondest moment of being a Cleveland Brown?
Mitchell: Seeing Case Keenum and D’Ernest Johnson against Denver playing their butts off. They had the respect of the team because of how they worked. Everybody really, really loved Case. That’s why I don’t understand why when we were paying Case over $6 million in 2020 when Baker experienced almost every injury known to man why we wouldn’t play him.
I was asked if we could win with Baker Mayfield
Now, I'd like to go over this question that Stump was asked by the Haslems at his exit interview after Kitchens was fired. It is THE question regarding a football team. Can you win with the QB that you have? You wouldn't ask that question with any over player position. Will we be able to run with the RB we have? With the OL that we have? Will we have time to pass with the OL we have? Will we be able to rush the passer without Myles? Because even if you have all of those...you still can't win if you have a bum at QB. Clearly, the Haslems (The Clampets
) had doubts about Baker. This is before Berry & Stef were on the scene. My Little Grey Cells tell me that Berry was, at least asked, if not charged, with evaluating options for upgrading the QB position that Baker Mayfield currently held.
BEING A BROWNS FAN IS A TEST TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN TAKE
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