Browns 1st and Goal Report: How warm is Stefanski’s seat?

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Browns return to the football field on Sunday when they play the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome. It’ll be a matchup between two teams that aren’t going anywhere this season having both lost seven games already. So not exactly a Super Bowl matchup. Both squads have been floundering this year. The Saints fired their coach Dennis Allen and have brought in Darren Rizzi as the interim coach. The Browns haven’t fired their coach Kevin Stefanski yet, but that seat is getting very warm.

Let’s discuss that and much more in this week’s edition of 1st and Goal. 

1st Down: Stefanski’s seat is getting hot

There’s been a lot of debate amongst Cleveland fans about whether coach Kevin Stefanski’s seat is hot these days. Some fans are adamant that the coach’s job is safe and that the team needs to stick with the two-time NFL Coach of the Year.

Those who think Stefanski is about to get fired point to the inconsistencies as a play caller and the team’s lousy season. He’s now had three bad seasons compared to two good ones.

Stefanski recently gave up the play-calling duties to the offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Not much has changed as the team still has struggled to score points.

With mounting pressure on the coaching staff to produce wins or at least signs of improvement this season, the results the rest of this season will either solidify Stefanski’s time in Cleveland or be the last straw. While I think Stefanski’s done some good things as the Browns coach these last five seasons, I don’t think he’s got the coaching ability to take this team or future Browns teams to the Super Bowl.

There are a couple of coaching alternatives if the team does decide to part ways with Stefanski. They have Mike Vrabel and Jim Schwartz waiting in the wings. If things continue the way they have been this season don’t be surprised to see a change.

 

2nd Down: Mike Hall injured and likely out for the remainder of the season

There was a lot of promise to Mike Hall’s career in Cleveland, but it’s been a very shaky beginning and that only got worse when we found out that Hall was injured seriously at their Thursday practice. The team is reporting it as a knee injury and likely surgery is next as he was immediately put on the IR list.

Hall, the second-round draft pick of the Browns didn’t start his career until Week 6 because the league suspended him for the first five weeks because of a disorderly conduct charge off the field. It was thought that Hall would start at defensive end the rest of the season after the team traded Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions.

3rd Down: Browns face a familiar coach of the past

Joe Woods is currently the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints. He had the same role in Cleveland for three seasons dating back to 2020. Woods was often a hot topic when he was here because his defensives struggled. Also, players like Myles Garrett would call out his coach from time to time. Eventually, he was fired. Wood’s defenses were often in the bottom half of the NFL rankings. His defenses struggled mighty against the run. In 2022 the Browns were ranked 25th against the run and were 29th in giving up touchdowns to opponents.

So, Woods was let go and landed in New Orleans in 2023. Things haven’t improved much for his new team. They are ranked 28th in giving up points and 27th against the run.

Last week the Atlanta Falcons ran wild for 181 yards on the ground and had 468 yards of total offense. The Browns should be able to move the ball on Sunday against the Saints.

4th Down: Browns lead this series 13-6 against the Saints

The Browns and Saints have battled it out 19 times with the Browns leading the series 13-6. Cleveland won the first eight times starting in 1967. But that hot series start as cooled off in recent times. The last time they played was two seasons ago on Christmas Eve of 2022. The Saints came into a frozen Cleveland and beat the Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson 17-10. Before that the Browns lost 21-18 down in New Orleans back in 2018.

The Browns last won in New Orleans in 2010 by the score of 30-17 when they relied on their defense and little-known linebacker David Bowens who had two “pick 6’s”  against Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Let’s hope we see the Browns defense step up in this current game. They have struggled to turn teams over. They are ranked 28th in the NFL and have a -7-turnover ratio. They’ve only had one interception and forced four fumbles as a team this season. That’s not good and a big reason this team has a 2-7 record this season.