Forget The Hot Seat, Kevin Stefanski Deserves An Extension From Browns
The air isn't the only thing cooling down in Cleveland in November. That hot seat Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski started the season on: ice cold at the moment.
In a season marred by an epidemic of injuries, Stefanski keeps finding ways to win. His latest act? A 13-10 nail-biter of a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It marked a third straight victory for the Browns who improved to 7-3 on the season, propelling them into the fifth seed AFC Playoff Picture and keeps the Baltimore Ravens within reach for a division title.
"It wasn't pretty, it didn't have to be," Stefanski said after the win. That could be the motto of the Browns 2023 campaign.
With rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center, Stefanski had a brilliant game plan prepared in the first half. It was balanced, featuring 18 runs and 19 passes, including a seven-play, 50-yard touchdown drive that included a heavy dose of runs to help DTR settle in.
To help him get comfortable in the pocket, Stefanski schemed up short, quick routes to get his weapons open and give DTR opportunities to get rid of the ball quickly. The dink-and-dunk philosophy worked to the beat of 13-19 passing for 98 yards.
Problems arose in the second half though, when the Steelers started honing in on the quick reads, closing down on them and quickening the fifth-round pick's decision making. They dared the the Browns to beat them over the top Keven Stefanski didn't take the bait and for all but 78 seconds of the half it looked like his coaching in his fears was going to cost them a win.
Then came the final drive. Thompson-Robinson delivered. Four-for-four. 39 yards. A couple pin-point throws. A game-winning field goal. Should Stefanski have tried to challenge the banged up Steelers defense vertically? Perhaps. But he stuck to what was best for his young QB and it worked out in the end.
In the words of Al Davis, "just win baby."
Retracing the steps of this season, Stefanski has now accumulated wins over the 49ers, Colts and Steelers with backup quarterbacks under center. He nearly pulled off an addition one in Seattle in Week 7, but came up a little bit short. In those four games games, which have now featured a combination of Thompson-Robinson and former XFLer P.J. Walker, the quarterbacks have combined for 735 yards, 6 interceptions and one touchdown. Hasn't mattered.
Injuries to Jack Conklin, Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, Jedrick Wills, Dawand Jones could be enough to derail any team's season. Not these Browns, they just keep winning.
Like a game of Frogger, Stefanski's dodged it all. Armed with an elite defense, a few shiny toys he gets the most out of on offense and his lengthy play sheet, he's got his team playing with an overwhelming sense of belief. That can be a powerful thing, and in back-to-back weeks it's been enough in wins over two division rivals.
Stefanski is putting together his Sistine Chapel of a season. Pretty soon he'll finish it off with a playoff berth – the second of his tenure in Cleveland – and the Browns will have no choice but to follow it up with a contract extension.
Stefanski is 33-27 during his four years at the helm – by far the best record for a Browns coach in the expansion era. He's now 12-11 against division opponents. Oh and he's done it with seven different quarterbacks starting games for him since his inaugural season. In a business where winning is the bottom line, he's winning and in 2023 in particular he's doing it with the pressure of his job, potentially Andrew Berry's job, the future of a number of key veterans on the roster, riding on the results.
Against all odds, here his team sits at 7-3. No coach is perfect. Stefanski's got his warts, his quirks. He's also a pretty brilliant offensive mind.
Time to put away to torches and pitchforks. Stefanski's earned the right to see this thing through beyond 2025.
