Browns’ Kevin Stefanski must show he’s right for Deshaun Watson
CLEVELAND ― With Sunday’s 23-17 overtime victory, the Browns kept their playoff hopes on life support, but the ice on which Kevin Stefanski stands has melted some this year.
Whether it becomes thin enough for owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam to execute a head coaching change at the end of what’s still likely to become a wasted Browns season could hinge on whether Stefanski can convince them ― and Deshaun Watson ― he is capable of maximizing the elite talent the controversial quarterback possesses.
Barring injury, the feel-good, swan-song win of Jacoby Brissett over fellow quarterback Tom Brady and the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the final time the Browns will play without Watson this season. He will return from suspension to face his former team, the Houston Texans, and debut with his new one on the road Sunday.
On one hand, Stefanski will have a three-time Pro Bowl selection manning the sport’s most important position, thereby increasing the team’s chances for success and creating the potential for a no-holds-barred approach on offense.
On the other hand, the Browns underachieved en route to a record of 4-7 during Watson’s 11-game suspension tied to allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, so there is pressure for the franchise to show promise and produce positive results with the Stefanski-Watson pairing in place down the stretch.
Unless the Browns miraculously win out, they will squander the first of Watson’s historic five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract.
Will Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam stick with Kevin Stefanski for another season?
Do you believe the Haslams would risk punting on another season by keeping Stefanski if he fails to satisfy them with Watson on the field?
Some owners definitely would give Stefanski a full season with Watson, no matter how the last six games unfold. The Haslams might.
However, it’s fair to remind everyone testing the patience of this Browns ownership group is not wise. Jimmy Haslam, by his own admission, is inpatient by nature. Of the five full-time head coaches the Haslams have hired since they bought the Browns in 2012, Stefanski, who landed the job in 2020, has lasted the longest, surpassing Hue Jackson, who was fired after two and a half seasons.
Changes likely to Cleveland Browns coaching staff
Changes will likely be made to Stefanski’s staff in January. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer have not held up their end of the bargain this season. Some of the warts on defense and special teams will be masked if Watson plays like a top-tier quarterback, although heavy damage has already been done to whatever confidence anyone has left in Woods and Priefer.
Defeating the Bucs (5-6) is a good step ― and the defense stepped up versus Brady ― but the 2022 Browns have yet to consistently deliver in two of the game’s three phases.
As the play caller tasked with squeezing as much juice as possible out of a Brissett-led offense amid the Watson ban, Stefanski has been respectable. Some backbreaking late-game mistakes aside, Brissett deserves credit for playing well and even more praise for his leadership and locker-room presence. His teammates genuinely love him.