5 months ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio – In a file early this week, I presented immoderate facts astir Kevin Stefanski and past asked readers what they thought of nan Browns coach.
In nan first 24 hours, much than 300 emails arrived – and they support coming in.
It’s intolerable for maine to spell done them all. I’ve publication astatine slightest 100 of them, and it’s divided – astir half want him to go, nan others favour giving nan Browns caput coach a seventh twelvemonth connected nan job.
I do judge we each are somewhat prisoners of nan moment. The Browns are coming disconnected their biggest triumph of nan twelvemonth – 13-6 complete Pittsburgh connected Sunday. By far, it besides was nan astir entertaining crippled of this 4-12 season.
That said, present are a fewer of nan comments. I trim down galore of them because group are passionate astir nan mobility and wrote astatine length.
A statement of appreciation: The immense mostly of responses were civilian and well-reasoned.
Here we go:
Enough already!
Six years is much than capable clip to measure Kevin Stefanski arsenic coach. I’m wholly fresh to move connected from him … We person 4 losing seasons and 2 winning seasons nether his coaching.
Kevin’s offenses person ever struggled pinch accumulation erstwhile it comes to scoring particularly successful nan reddish zone. I’ve seen really bad play calling passim nan game. There is mediocre clip guidance from him – particularly during two-minute warnings. The discourtesy is uncreative and unimaginative … penalties connected nan discourtesy regularly.
We are 1 of nan lowest scoring teams successful nan NFL during his tenure, yet he is expected to beryllium an violative mind. Kevin is nan caput coach and it’s his work to correct each of these problems. I haven’t seen 1 subordinate that has been developed nether Stefanski’s tutoring (no subordinate development).
Some individuals support repeating that he needs a backmost that he wants but he has had 13 different quarterbacks successful six years. Lastly, Stefanski has an violative strategy that he wants to tally and refuses to set it sloppy arsenic to nan players and talent he has.
Several teams successful nan aforesaid aliases akin position nan Browns are successful made coaching changes during this past disconnected play specified arsenic Chicago and New England and turned it astir successful 1 season. It’s clip for nan Browns to do nan same.
– Demetrius
Am I alone?
Keep Stefanski. Does anybody other deliberation so? For goodness sake, he’s kept nan squad together and astir apt recovered adjacent year’s starting QB (Shedeur Sanders). Beating nan Steelers anytime, particularly pinch different damaged team? Yeah, 1 much year.
– Marty
Draft for offense
Under nary circumstances should nan Browns occurrence Stefanski. Draft violative lineman, and awesome receivers. Give nan caput coach a chance to win. The past 2 drafts person been defense heavy. It shows pinch a No. 2 classed defense this year. The violative broadside has been neglected and mismanaged, and it shows.
– Amy
I’m not sure
I wholly understand moving connected from Stefanski. But, what sanction screams “Hire me!” The defense is playoff caliber. Give much clip pinch Tommy Rees arsenic violative coordinator and Stefanski much of arsenic caput coach. The promising 2025 draught was promising. The players haven’t fixed up. If Stefanski still wants to coach here, that whitethorn beryllium nan safest way to go? Guess I don’t person a definitive answer.
– Chris
Change is needed
The discourtesy has nary consciousness of creativity. The number of pre-snap penalties is crushing to watch. His accuracy of (not) kicking a section extremity and going for it connected 4th down – this ne'er works. The plays ever rustle up. He ne'er seems to person that (right play) telephone erstwhile you request 2-to-3 yards. A bully coach will person (a correct play) successful his hep pocket.
Now Special Teams … nan coach should person been fired aft Week One. All Stefanski does is protect nan coach pinch nary awesome improvements. This portion is sidesplitting this team. We request a caller fresh violative minded coach. That’s what Stefanski is expected to be, but we don’t person this constituent pinch his coach.
– Mark
Players support him
I deliberation nan Browns should support Stefanski. The players are still playing difficult for him. And immoderate of them person voiced their affirmative sentiment of him. It appears that Shedeur and Kevin are processing a bully relationship.
If they want to proceed pinch Shedeur, I don’t deliberation they should messiness pinch that. It could besides ruin Shedeur for his career. (FYI: I’m not a Shedeur person aliases hater. I conscionable want competent QB play, whoever it is).
The violative coordinator Stefanski picked (Rees) is doing well. Defensive coordinator Schwartz is doing fantastic. Special teams, ugh.
A batch of nan blasted for nan losing lands squarely connected (GM) Andrew Berry’s shoulders. He did not adequately reside nan O statement aliases receivers nan past 2 years. He added chiefly protect players and nan results show. This year’s draught looks awesome, but that can’t really beryllium said for his different drafts. Seems for illustration much misses than hits until this year.
And he traded distant nan 2 seasoned QBs (Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett) this year, truthful did we really expect to person a awesome play aft that? Two rookie QBs pinch a shaky O statement and constricted receivers?
Anyway, bottommost line: I opportunity support Stefanski.
– Ruth
Time to go
I for illustration Stefanski but immoderate of nan decisions he’s made (or deficiency location of) tells maine it’s time. He’s whiffed connected erstwhile violative coordinators and violative statement coaches. His refusal to do thing astir nan typical teams coordinator is besides a people against him.
I don’t clasp nan QB fiasco against him. He didn’t draught Dillon Gabriel. He didn’t waste and acquisition for Deshaun Watson aliases Kenny Pickett. He whitethorn person been consulted, but he didn’t propulsion nan trigger. He besides didn’t make nan determination to move guardant pinch this violative statement and wide receiver group. He’s simply nan personification that had to effort to make it work.
One of nan traits of a awesome leader is to situation yourself pinch group that tin thief present your vision. He hasn’t and there’s nary denotation that he can.
– Don
Three large points
He doesn’t group and enforce precocious standards. Bubba Vetrone is nan astir evident example. Jerry Jeudy astatine times this play is another. His effort has varied based connected his position of nan QB.
He is simply a technician. He doesn’t look to admit that players respond to affirmative feedback connected crippled day.
He has a bias astir subordinate ability. Shedeur Sanders being 4th connected nan extent floor plan until December is an example.
– Cal
(Terry’s note: Sanders became nan No. 2 QB aft October 7 erstwhile Flacco was traded to Cincinnati).
Not each his responsibility
The Browns should springiness Stefanski different twelvemonth … The squad entered nan twelvemonth without a clear solution astatine quarterback, and Stefanski was put successful a very challenging position. While I do judge he had nan platform stacked against him, I do responsibility him for nan Dillon Gabriel draught pick. That was a mediocre decision. It became evident reasonably quickly that Gabriel was not an NFL-caliber quarterback. I besides deliberation Sanders should person been fixed an opportunity to commencement sooner truthful nan squad could decently measure him.
I spot blasted connected Stefanski, Andrew Berry, and Jimmy Haslam for nan Watson waste and acquisition arsenic well. That decision—and everything that came pinch it—has group nan statement backmost for years.
That said, what I admit astir Stefanski is that nan squad continues to play hard. I’ve watched galore Browns teams complete nan years discontinue precocious successful nan play aft disappointing performances, but this squad has not done that. Stefanski has brought a level of stableness that has been missing for a agelong time, and I haven’t heard immoderate denotation that he has mislaid nan locker room. I’m not eager to commencement complete again pinch a new, young coordinator stepping into nan caput coaching role.
– David
I wish I knew
First, does Stefanski moreover want to beryllium present aliases is he worn out? Lots of play complete nan years.
Second, if we can’t judge our QB’s by this roster, tin we judge nan coach?
Third, nan payroll messiness pinch Watson still will restrict this aliases nan adjacent coach successful 2026.
I wish I knew wherever he stood connected nan Watson woody … Where he stood connected rejecting Baker Mayfield and playing him wounded (in 2021) … Why didn’t he make much changes pinch typical teams.
If his expertise was discourtesy he has failed. Even during nan winning play I don’t retrieve it was because of our offense. Based connected not knowing much wrong nan walls knowledge I deliberation a alteration is successful order. And pinch that I deficiency nan assurance nan proprietor and GM tin get it correct nan adjacent time.
– Mike
