5 months ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio – When you perceive to Kevin Stefanski, you get a consciousness that nan Browns coach is very tired.
Perhaps I’m conscionable projecting my ain feelings astir nan Browns onto nan coach. But if I sat successful Stefanski’s office, I’d beryllium suffering from Deshaun Watson fatigue. It besides would transportation complete into different parts of nan job.
That monolithic nonaccomplishment of a 2022 waste and acquisition … The “big plaything and miss” arsenic proprietor Jimmy Haslam called it … continues to haunt nan franchise.
Stefanski often recovered himself successful nan middle, answering questions astir Watson that should person been directed to ownership and nan beforehand office. There were civilian suits for intersexual misconduct against Watson. Then came nan 11-game suspension.
The Browns near Stefanski retired location to grip those endless questions because that’s what they do successful nan NFL. The coach is expected to beryllium nan sound of nan franchise – nary matter what.
It’s stupid and unfair to nan coach, particularly successful nan unsocial circumstances of nan Watson situation.
The atrocious woody
The trading of six draught picks (including 3 first-rounders) on pinch a salary-cap-crushing $230 cardinal afloat guaranteed statement was supra Stefanski’s salary grade. He whitethorn aliases whitethorn not person been successful favour it, but he had to unrecorded pinch it.
Watson struggled connected nan field. He had a 9-10 grounds arsenic a starter. He besides was 1 of nan NFL’s lowest-rated QBs successful respective important categories. Then he had awesome enarthrosis room and 2 Achilles tendon surgeries.
Watson was a three-time Pro Bowl subordinate successful Houston earlier nan 2022 trade. Cleveland only saw little snapshots of that guy.
He besides went 700 days betwixt appearing successful regular-season games.
Why?
Because of his 2021 holdout pinch Houston and past his suspension aft joining nan Browns. Yes, nan Browns made a huge waste and acquisition for a feline who had signed a four-year deal pinch Houston successful 2020, played 1 play and past sat retired – demanding to beryllium traded.
The Browns conscionable ignored that evident informing sign, on pinch nan off-field problems.
That waste and acquisition has haunted and sidetracked nan franchise.
Coaches connected nan violative broadside of nan shot were fired aft nan Browns classed No. 10 successful scoring successful 2023 and Stefanski was nan NFL Coach of nan Year. He had an 11-6 grounds utilizing 5 different QBs.
Why?
Changes were made because personification had to find a measurement to revive Watson’s career. No 1 could.
The Browns became obsessed pinch Watson, and they mislaid their measurement successful nan process. In nan past 3 years, they person been done 3 different violative coordinators. In nan past 2 seasons, Stefanski began calling nan plays – past gave it up to 1 of his coordinators.
Why? Why? Why?
It’s for illustration nan full statement mislaid its way.
The awesome debate
Stan wrote: “How galore coaches could person had winning seasons aft nan barbaric waste and acquisition that stripped nan squad of first-round draught choices and millions of dollars that could person been utilized to motion free agents? This isn’t difficult. Unless he was nan logic for nan Watson trade, Kevin Stefanski should beryllium retained. If he was nan logic for nan trade, he should person been fired years ago.”
That is nan lawsuit for keeping Stefanski for a seventh play successful 2026, a lawsuit that has been made by hundreds of readers.
Yes, I said hundreds! I asked readers to send maine their opinions of Stefanski. As I constitute this connected New Year’s Day of 2026, location person been 516 responses. I would not beryllium amazed if different 500 arrive.
The instrumentality guidelines is very divided. No measurement tin I spell done each of them. I asked for feedback to return nan somesthesia of nan fans regarding nan coach.
The mobility is this: Does nan Watson waste and acquisition entitle Stefanski to a seventh year?
The Browns person a 7-26 grounds complete nan past 2 seasons heading into Sunday’s finale successful Cincinnati.
Alan wrote: “If Kevin Stefanski’s sanction was Freddie Kitchens, he would beryllium fired correct aft crippled 17. Seven victories successful 2 seasons is simply a fireable offense.”
Kitchens was fired aft a 6-10 grounds successful 2019.
In his six seasons, Stefanski has 2 winning records and 2 playoff appearances (2020, 2023). He was nan NFL Coach of nan Year successful those seasons.
But among nan 10 NFL coaches who person been pinch their existent teams for astatine slightest six years, he has nan lowest winning percent and nan astir losing seasons.
Randy wrote: “I judge a alteration has to beryllium made. The deficiency of subject aliases accountability successful nan shape of changeless presnap penalties, sideline disorder and typical teams collapses are straight connected nan caput coach. (They) found a shape that cannot beryllium ignored and is improbable to amended without a change. Ultimately, I deliberation Stefanski is simply a bully coach who has reached nan extremity of his clip here.”
Quennie wrote: “Kevin Stefanski deserves to enactment connected arsenic caput coach. He joined nan squad successful bully faith, trusting ownership, and could not person foreseen nan setbacks caused by nan Watson deal. The Watson transaction has group nan squad backmost astatine slightest 3 years. If nan owners enactment pinch integrity, Stefanski should get a caller commencement and a beardown draught to rebuild nan squad he was promised. The Watson woody is simply a stain connected nan Browns’ and Cleveland’s history.”
The large decision
As I glimpse done nan emails, it seems Stefanski has nan support of a flimsy mostly of nan fans. My conjecture is nan 13-6 triumph complete Pittsburgh helped nan origin of Stefanski erstwhile it came to my mobility early successful nan week.
Many fans besides are conscionable huffy astatine ownership and nan beforehand agency astir nan Watson deal. I person been 1 of nan biggest critics of nan trade, penning 2 columns begging them not to do it erstwhile rumors came retired moreover earlier it was finalized.
But nan Watson waste and acquisition can’t beryllium nan main logic to support Stefanski.
In past columns, I person dealt pinch immoderate coaching problems that person thing to do pinch nan Watson deal. I still can’t judge nan Browns led nan NFL successful passes attempted successful 2024.
I’m still stunned by really nan Browns called 48 passing plays earlier this play erstwhile they mislaid 23-9 successful Pittsburgh. Stefanski was nan play-caller for that game. Rookie Dillon Gabriel was nan quarterback. He really threw 42 passes and was sacked six times. They were down only 9-0 astatine halftime.
It made nary sense.
There are awesome problems pinch nan roster. The violative statement needs to beryllium rebuilt. Receivers must beryllium added. Who knows if Shedeur Sanders is nan reply astatine QB.
That said, I retrieve erstwhile Lenny Wilkens resigned from nan Cavs aft nan 1992-93 season. They had a 54-28 record. They had been swept by nan Bulls successful nan 2nd information of nan playoffs.
I was adjacent to Wilkens, having covered nan Cavs for nan Akron Beacon-Journal successful those days. He was disappointment by losing Ron Harper successful a 1988 trade. He besides was beaten down aft losing to nan Bulls 4 times successful nan playoffs.
We had a agelong talk. Wilkens told maine really sometimes nan players request a caller sound – and yes, nan coach needs a caller challenge. He had been pinch nan Cavs for 7 years. Before nan Cavs made a determination astir bringing him back, Wilkens made it for them – and for him.
He was past hired by nan Atlanta Hawks and had a successful run, making nan playoffs six times successful 7 years. Changing jobs revived him.
The aforesaid could beryllium existent for Stefanski and nan Browns. They person been done truthful much. It has worn him down. Like nan Wilkens/Cavs situation, some request a break from each other.
