When the Guardians, the Cavaliers and the Ohio State Buckeyes do something I don’t understand and/or I don’t agree with, I trust that they know what they’re doing, they know more than me and that it will work out. Fortunately, I am seldom disappointed.
With the Browns, though, when those situations arise, I shake my head and wait for the crash. Unfortunately, I am seldom disappointed in that regard, either.
I SERIOUSLY WANT TO WORK IN THE @Browns FRONT OFFICE!!!
— Eric Metcalf (@EricMetcalf21) November 10, 2025
As with that, then, the special teams disaster in Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the woeful New York Jets, when Cleveland’s coverage teams gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown and then a punt return for a TD in the span of only 36 seconds, was hard to believe — I had never seen anything like that before at any level of football — and is the picture postcard of what’s wrong with not just the special teams, but the club overall. It screams dysfunction and absolute chaos. What in the world have the Browns been practicing all season, especially the last two weeks when they were working through their bye? Obviously, nothing — at least nothing good, or positive, or productive.
KENE NWANGWU 99-YARD KICK RETURN TD FOR THE JETS ✈️
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 9, 2025
(via @nyjets) pic.twitter.com/oL7b1xZ1rl
That falls, of course, on special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, but more so on head coach Kevin Stefanski, for he is ultimately responsible for everything that happens with this team.
I think back to Oct. 28, 1993 when the Browns rallied to defeat Pittsburgh 28-23 at Cleveland Stadium on two punt returns for touchdowns by Eric Metcalf covering 75 and 91 yards. Steelers head coach Bill Cowher stood on the sideline and seethed. While with the Browns in the 1980s, he had cut his teeth as a player as one of their top special teamers, and then in coaching as their special teams coordinator, racing up and down the sideline to keep pace with the action on the field.
And there he was back on that same field losing a big game because of . . . special teams. He fired his special teams coordinator that night.
Fast forward to now and the Browns have about the same problem and they just smile and say they need to get better and that they will learn from the experience.
Arghhh!
Where is the accountability?
The Browns, under head coach Paul Brown, were the first team to place importance on special teams. At one time in the early 1950s, they had the best place kicker in the NFL in Lou Groza, the best punter in Horace Gillom and the best returner in Kenny Konz.
Even in the first half of this’ otherwise miserable expansion era, the Browns had one of the best kickers in the game in Phil Dawson, one of the best punters in first Chris Gardocki and then Dave Zastudil and one of the best returners in Joshua Cribbs.
And now this, with the Browns embarrassing themselves on special teams.
It is inexcusable and unacceptable.
Steve King
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