Kevin Stefanski on Browns Mindset: "How Do We Win This One?

Kevin Stefanski joined Cleveland Browns Daily Co-Host and Browns GameDay Radio Color Commentator Nathan Zegura on Wednesday's "Kevin Stefanski Show" to discuss all things Browns, including his plan for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson

After the dust settled on the Browns' emotional and hard-fought victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, some called into question Kevin Stefanski's second-half playcalling in the game. 

Cleveland Browns Daily Co-Host and Browns Radio Color Commentator Nathan Zegura asked Kevin Stefanski about that and if he could envision opening the playbook up for DTR. Stefanski's reponse:

"We go into every game saying, 'How do we win this one?' That's just our focus."

The Browns appeared to control the tempo of the game and put together a great first half against Pittsburgh. All of that was nearly wiped completely away when on the second play of the second half, Jaylen Warren went 74 yards to the end zone to cut the Browns lead to 10-7.

Nov 5, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (5) argue a call with down judge Mike Carr (63) during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

From there, the Browns' play-calling felt incredibly conservative. They leaned heavily on the run game and kept Dorian Thompson-Robinson in a very structured offense making short, quick throws. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Thompson-Robinson led all of the NFL with a 2.34 second time to throw over the entire game.

The concerns over play-calling went disappeared on the last drive of the game, as DTR went four-for-five for 39 yards and led a game-winning field goal to break 10-10 tie.

All Stefanski had to do was turn on the tape of Week 2 to see what the Browns needed to avoid to beat Pittsburgh, and that was simply turning the ball over. The conservative nature of his play-calling was a big reason why the Browns won the football game on Sunday and why they can win more games going forward.

For Browns fans, this is going to be more of the norm than the outlier. This team and this roster are so good that if the quarterback just doesn't lose you the football game, they are going to win a ton.

For this week in Denver, expect to see more of the same from the Browns offense but as Thompson-Robinson gets more comfortable, Stefanski could try to open things up a little more. This is DTR's first road start so it is going to look very similar to the first half of the Steelers game. The Broncos feature the worst passing defense in the NFL so if at any point the Browns feel like they are in control of the game, they may let Dorian loose. 

But, the way that Denver wins football games is with their ability to turn opponents over at an incredible rate. Stefanski is going to protect Thompson-Robinson and make sure he doesn't lose them the football game.

Until the rookie gets more reps under his belt, expect conservative play calls as they lean on the defense and win games with an old-school mentality offensively.