Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should be the NFL’s Coach of the Year
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should be the NFL’s Coach of the Year
Myles Garrett may be the team’s MVP, but head coach Kevin Stefanski’s guidance got the Cleveland Browns back to the NFL Playoffs.
By Evan Dammarell ● Browns ● January 4, 2024
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Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 17, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 17: Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 17, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns and Kevin Stefanski defeated the Bears 20-17. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
After a resounding 37-20 win over the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns had seemingly done the improbable. Even without their star running back, their first three options at quarterback and injuries to so many players at so many key positions, the Browns clinched a playoff berth for the second time in four seasons. Much credit could and should go to Cleveland’s otherwordly defense, headlined by a possible NFL MVP in Myles Garrett and schemed by Jim Schwartz every game. But, on offense, the Browns have made NFL history in a way that feels the most Cleveland way imaginable.
The Browns became the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs despite starting four different quarterbacks under center this year. Injuries to Deshauns Watson’s shoulder twice threatened the 2023 campaign. Despite this, the Browns found ways to win games with former XFL superstar P.J. Walker, a rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who Cleveland picked up off the couch just before Thanksgiving.
Although, describing it as “finding ways to win” regarding Flacco is disingenuous – he is a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback after all. Nevertheless, Flacco turned back the clock by playing some of the best football of his career. With 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns, Cleveland’s unexpected franchise quarterback is the first in franchise history to throw for 300-plus yards in four straight games.
Nevertheless, the Browns have been steady despite starting four quarterbacks and dealing with an injury report that would overwhelm a hospital and somehow made the playoffs. Let’s not forget that Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Watson, Jedrick Wills, Jakeem Grant, Dawand Jones, Jacob Phillips, Rodney McLeod, Maurice Hurst, Juan Thornhill, and others have missed multiple games if not most of the season. Losing so many key players so often would crater a team’s hopes, but one thing kept Cleveland steady whenever things seemed their darkest:
Kevin Stefanski is arguably the best coach in the NFL and the obvious choice for NFL Coach of the Year.
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Joe Flacco #15 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after scoring a touchdown with Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski against the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio.
CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 28: Joe Flacco #15 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after scoring a touchdown with Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski against the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“With everything that’s changed throughout the year, pieces moving in and out, switched around, he’s done a hell of a job and we’ve answered the call,” said Garett. “He’s put us in different positions to make up for some of the injuries and different calls and schemes that we’re trying to adjust to, but it goes hand in hand with us trying to play off of what we’re being put in, but he’s putting us in a lot of favorable positions, and he’s coaching his ass off.”
Funnily enough, Stefanski entered the 2023 season at the top of almost every “First NFL head coach to get fired” list you could find on the internet. Many predicted the Browns to have another disappointing season. Once again, it felt like the franchise would be looking for another head coach to get this team consistently competitive and get the most out of Deshaun Watson at quarterback.
But, with one game left until the beginning of the postseason, Stefanski and the Browns are still standing. Despite everything that Cleveland has dealt with, sometimes leaving more questions than answers, Cleveland is locked into a playoff spot and is a dark horse to play meaningful football until late January and possibly early February.
This Browns team absolutely refuses to give up no matter how much misfortune and adversity they encounter. Even when no one else believed in them, they kept believing in themselves, finding ways to win week in and week out. The belief is palpable whenever you watch this team play; there’s a palpable swagger on the field, knowing that the Browns are locked in to win. And although the wins keep rolling, the Browns are seemingly focused on the next step, never looking too far down the line, never getting too far ahead of themselves.
“Coach Stefanski does a good job with allowing us to know that it’s not Sunday that’s the emphasis or Saturday that’s the emphasis, but it’s the day that we are living on right now,” said linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. “It’s the hour we’re living in. It’s the second we’re living in. And when the young guys step in, they really embrace that. So, for them to focus on the now, focus on the responsibility, each and every player thinks it’s those little things that mean a lot.”
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans speak to each other before the game at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2023, in Houston, Texas.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 24: Head Coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans speak to each other before the game at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2023, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
While naysayers will point to the work first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans has done with the Houston Texans as a more valid case. Or what rookie coach Shane Steichen has accomplished in Indianapolis that carries more weight compared to what Stefanski and the Browns have done. Some might even point to what Dan Campbell has done with the Detroit Lions, who carry similar playoff expectations to Cleveland’s under Stefanski.
None of that remotely pales in comparison to what Stefanski has been able to accomplish this season. Even though Cleveland is riddled with injuries at every major position, Stefanski keeps preparing his team to win any given Thursday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Stefanski has overseen a team that could have stumbled at any point. The Browns haven’t just stayed competitive; they’ve thrived as a top-10 team and are likely the favorite heading into their first playoff matchup against the eventual AFC South champion.
So, with that said, winning Coach of the Year would be the perfect way to notice Stefanski’s emergence as one of the NFL’s best coaches. If he wins, it would be the second time in four years Stefanski has locked up the honors, with the first coming in 2020, his first season as Cleveland’s head coach.
Back then, Stefanski was the calming presence for a Browns team in disarray, guiding them to the playoffs and an 11-5 record. While the record will be almost identical this time, it’s a totally different Stefanski running the show. He has become invaluable for Cleveland going forward and, more importantly, has found a way to keep the Browns winning and, hopefull
y, a consistent Super Bowl threat one day.
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