Browns Dysfunction Dwarfs Eagles' Issues

Nick Sirianni's troubles must seem like a walk in the park for Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) waits for a play during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at NorthWest Stadium. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Things aren’t exactly going smoothly for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles but it could always be worse.

Take Philadelphia’s opponent this weekend. The Cleveland Browns will arrive in Philadelphia at 1-4 with a quarterback situation that looks untenable from the outside, looking in.

The embattled Deshaun Watson is playing the poorest football of his career. Despite that, the Browns have invested so much in the former three-time Pro Bowl selection with the first fully guaranteed contract in NFL history that head coach Kevin Stefanski can’t move on.

So Stefanski spent Monday playing the kind of defense Jim Schwartz might admire.

Asked bluntly if Watson gives the Browns the best chance to win, Stefanski put on his best political hat on and went to work. 

“I think I’ve been pretty clear, guys, all along. This is not a one-person type of deal,” the St. Joe’s Prep and Penn product explained. “When we’re playing how we’re playing on offense, we need everybody to do their job and do their job better. And I look at myself and how I can do that, but I believe in Deshaun, I believe in what he brings to this offense, and I believe he will play better.”

To the Cleveland reporters who’ve witnessed the Watson era, it seems like Stefanski is being held hostage by the contract and would have turned the page if that avenue was available to him.

“As you guys know, I make decisions for our football team, but I obviously consult with [GM] Andrew (Berry),” Stefanski said. “We talk about everything that goes on with our football team, but ultimately, it’s my decision, yes.”

Berry is a former Howie Roseman right-and man as the Eagles’ vice president of football operations in 2019 and the Browns GM has had a Roseman quote on the whiteboard in his office.

It reads: “To win a Super Bowl, you either need the best player (e.g. Tom Brady) or make a decision that could cost you your job."

That time has come in Cleveland even if sitting Watson costs jobs by a; alienating team owner Jimmy Haslam. The one goal for Berry and Stefanski should be convincing Haslam that a step back from Watson means two forward down the road.

Until then it’s politics as usual.

“Again, I want to continue to reinforce we have to play better as a football team,” Stefanski said. “I know we have to play better on offense. I need to do my part to make sure that we’re playing better on offense. But this is a football team. This is the greatest team sport there is and we have to play better as a football team.”

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