Kevin Stefanski could also be on the proverbial sizzling seat within the social media world, but it surely seems the Cleveland Browns’ head coach just isn’t in any hazard of being dismissed after this season.
The Browns have badly underachieved with a 3-8 report however have gained two of their previous 4 video games, each towards AFC North rivals within the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
And the win over the Steelers got here in frigid, snowy circumstances through which a foul workforce may fold.
Cleveland even blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead towards Pittsburgh however remained engaged and recovered for a 24-19 victory. That is a workforce that’s nonetheless enjoying extraordinarily laborious for its head coach.
Stefanski definitely hasn’t been pretty much as good a coach as final season, when he gained 11 video games and was named NFL Coach of the 12 months for the second time in 4 seasons. The Browns have misplaced 4 video games by no less than 16 factors.
Getting blown out that many occasions is rarely a superb factor.
However humorous, the workforce appears extra cohesive now that Deshaun Watson is out for the season with an Achilles’ tendon damage.
Watson has been a large $230 million mistake, and his fame is even worse, with greater than two dozen therapeutic massage therapists accusing him of sexual misconduct.
It doesn’t matter what gamers say outwardly, simply know that many discuss otherwise in personal to one another about Watson and are not impressed together with his off-field habits.
So maybe the actual determination is whether or not or to not go one other course at quarterback and half methods with Watson.
In that case, discover your quarterback of the long run and go together with Jameis Winston because the bridge sign caller till the teen is prepared.
I take a look at these two 11-win seasons the Browns loved underneath Stefanski and take into consideration how Cleveland did not actually have a single profitable season from 2008-19.
You might recall they skilled the embarrassing winless season in 2017 whereas going 1-31 in two seasons underneath Hue Jackson.
At that tempo, it will have taken Jackson 22 seasons to get 11 complete wins.
Or how about that playoff victory over the Steelers underneath Stefanski in 2020? That marks the lone postseason win in 25 seasons since this model of the franchise started play in 1999.
Granted, issues did not go effectively final January because the Browns had been clobbered 45-14 by the Houston Texans within the AFC wild-card spherical.
Stefanski is 40-38 with the Browns, and his earlier worst report for Cleveland is 7-10 in 2022.
The Browns must actually rally to succeed in seven wins this season, however maybe splitting their remaining six video games and ending 6-11 is doable.
The one actual technique to think about letting Stefanski go could be if the workforce completely collapses down the stretch and finishes 3-14 or 4-13.
In fact, proprietor Jimmy Haslam is not identified for his persistence, so maybe this season is disappointing sufficient for him to make a transfer.
In that case, he must take inventory of a few of the coaches the Browns have had over the previous 16 seasons.
Freddie Kitchens. The aforementioned Jackson. Mike Pettine. Rob Chudzinski. Pat Shurmur. Eric Mangini.
None of these guys had a single profitable season.
Stefanski won’t ever be the subsequent Paul Brown, however he is definitely a greater coach than anybody on that record.
These two 11-win seasons—for THIS franchise—ought to say all of it.
Convey again Stefanski and provides it yet another go. If he underachieves in 2025, then present him the door.
However for subsequent season, Stefanski is clearly the very best man for the job on the shores of Lake Erie.
