Kevin “It’s on me to Coach Better” Stefanski

Unlike many longtime Browns fans, I don’t hate the Steelers. Both my parents are from Western Pennsylvania. My Dad actually won an Art Rooney sponsored contest to name the Pittsburgh Football Team in 1940. Plus, I also went to college in Clarion, Pennsylvania.

The feeling I have for the Steelers franchise is jealousy and envy. Jealousy over six Super Bowl Championships AND envy over having only 3 head coaches in 53 NFL seasons. That is one unbelievable statistic!

With that being said, I am NOT advocating for owner Haslam to fire Kevin Stefanski. Haslam has excelled at the firing part. However, the hiring is much more complex. His firings have not been effective in helping the Browns win more nor earn playoff berths.

Stefanski stubbornly continues to cling to the play calling duty. Thus in his third year, the results are mixed at best. Any diehard fan has plenty of head scratching moments over the type and timing of offensive plays that are called. This season is a continuation of last year’s troublesome play calling, especially in the red zone.

If the Browns are a running team, you would not know that by analyzing the Browns 233 pass attempts versus 222 rushes. Nick Chubb goes unused for long stretches of offensive possessions. It has happened consistently for two seasons. Stefanski has justifications, but when you don’t win games, those justifications have to be analyzed.

Passing on first down, and then staring at 2nd and 10, often ends up not moving the chains. If Jacoby Brissett is a game manager, then why isn’t he handing off more often, especially on first down?

On 2nd down and four or five yards needed, with more liberal usage of Chubb and Hunt, has worked on some long drives this season. But Stefanski veers away from that success and starts playing to Brissett’s weaknesses.

When opponents stack the D box, and “force” us to pass, Stefanski does not have to quickly get pass happy. Chubb has shown that running him repeatedly will lead to multiple broken tackle big gains.

Screens can be used as run plays as well. So, where are the screen passes to Hunt? Hunt in open space in the flat is a nightmare for defenses. Yet, that known strength is not getting exploited by Stefanski. It is occasionally mentioned, but not consistently part of offensive game plans.

It is also time to match Chubb and Hunt together. Our offense is stumbling from game to game, so why not mix it up? Never having our two RB’s together on the field makes little sense, but Stefanski just sticks with the plan of playing one, while the other watches from the sideline.

Giving the play calling duties to Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt will enable Stefanski to spend some much-needed time with the defense and special teams. Changes are drastically needed, perhaps even dismissing coaches. Stefanski is ultimately responsible for their performance, and the more time he can spend in those two underperforming areas, the better.

Special teams Coach Mike Priefer is on the proverbial “hot seat” — but how much of Stefanski’s time during the week is diluted by his offensive responsibilities? He needs to place more of his head coaching emphasis on the special team area, which continues to contribute to Brown’s losses. Our kicking teams, coverage teams, and return teams remain lousy. It is an ongoing multi-year issue that is not getting fixed, despite declarations after losses that it needs to be corrected.

Kicking has won a game but has easily contributed in negative ways to at least three losses. Watching the special teams help lose games has become a Browns fan habit that we all want to get rid of.

This is a shout out to Kevin Stefanski that his post-game statements of “It is on me, I have to coach better,” and “I have to put our players in positions to succeed” are now rote and stale. Initiating change is most necessary, and it needs to come from Stefanski – now!

Hopefully, before Haslam initiates changing Kevin Stefanski.