Browns Kevin Stefanski is here to stay
Coach of the Year? Contract extension? Everything is in play for the Browns head coach
time I wrote about an article about Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, it was more of a defending piece. This piece will be a bit different. It will be more of an endorsement for the job that Stefanski has done this season.
No need to bring out the soapbox, instead I will be giving out pamphlets and spreading the good word about why Stefanski has coached himself to not only a new contract extension but potentially winning coach of the year this season.
As someone who has played football before, from youth league to NCAA Division 3, I’ve had a fair share of coaches I’ve been around. Some have been good, others not so much. What makes a great coach?
Leadership
Honesty
Organization
Consistency
I have more but I’m going to leave it at that.
Stefanski checks at least all four of these traits. For years, the one thing Cleveland lacked at the head coach position was a leader. Stefanski has grown into being a leader of this football team. When you look at how he addresses the team in his post-game victory speeches, the team is dialed in. He believes in his players, and the players believe in him:
My three candidates to win Coach of the Year this season it would be these three candidates (in no particular order)
Houston Texans HC DeMeco Ryans
Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski
Indianapolis Colts HC Shane Steichen
All have strong cases to win the award but if you were to ask me who is the front-runner to win it, it would be Stefanski.
Why? Allow me to explain.
Everyone would have been shocked if you were to say that Cleveland would be 9-5, in full control of gaining a Wild Card spot in the AFC despite losing multiple key players due to injuries, whether it is season-ending or missing time (players in bold out for season):
QB Deshaun Watson
RB Nick Chubb
LT Jedrick Wills
RT Jack Conklin
DT Maurice Hurst
S Grant Delpit
CB Denzel Ward
S Juan Thornhill
DE Ogbo Okoronkwo
Multiple injuries. The team is 9-5. There is a narrative going around that the Browns are winning due to “luck” and that they are “the worst 9-5 team ever.” For starters, it is hard to win in the NFL. Not every win is a guarantee. Here are some numbers to share with you.
9th in Team DVOA
+20 Point Differential (12th)
You might ask, why did I bring those numbers up? It’s simple. If you want to measure how good a team is, those two stats are key in determining how good a team is. Hate it or not, Cleveland is a good team.
If I were to tell you that the Browns would have multiple wins with 4 different quarterbacks this season, would you believe me? Quarterback Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Joe Flacco are the 4 quarterbacks that have been under center and have won a game under Stefanski.
Insane to think about.
Cleveland is getting competent QB play which is why the team is in the position that they are in currently. Stefanski has a lot to do with it:
In terms of the playcalling, please miss me with the “Kevin needs to give up play calling.” or “We need to run the ball more.”
Flacco has his moments of putting the ball in harm’s way and throwing amazing passes, but Stefanski has a lot to do with why the offense has looked competent as of late. Go back to a few weeks ago on the 4th and 3rd play call against the Jacksonville Jaguars:
With the way that Stefanski schemed up the play, the design and how it was executed Stefanski deserves credit. 38-year-old Flacco looks revitalized and Stefanski has helped, utilizing RPOs (run-pass-options), play-action and multiple short-quick game concepts:
With the way the Browns are playing, Stefanski has not only played himself into Coach of the Year but a new contract extension as well. He’s earned it with the way that he’s coached this season.
Has this season ended your questions about Stefanski as the Browns head coach of the future?
Leave a Reply