Playing around with the Browns offense

By STEVE KING

I knew the drumbeat would get louder and longer following Sunday night’s 16-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and so it did.

The question is, “Why?”

Indeed, why in the world would Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski turn over the play-calling duties to Alex Van Pelt? What purpose would that serve?

Stefanski called the plays last year when the offense purred and so did the team overall, finishing 11-5 and making the playoffs for the first time in 18 years. He looked like a genius.

Now that that offense is sputtering and misfiring, along with the team overall, which is 3-5 after a 3-1 start and stands at 6-6, being on the outside of the AFC playoff picture looking in, with five games to play, Stefanski is now perceived to be a knucklehead. Did he fall and hit his head?

Stefanski was hired for his work as an offensive coach, and specifically as a coordinator, with the Minnesota Vikings. That’s a good resume since the NFL is an offensive league.

The Browns are running his offense — the one he has put together and thus knows inside and out — so why would he, why should he, give the job of calling plays and, in essence, running that offense, to someone else? What is Van Pelt, or anyone else, going to do, wave a magic wand and correct the issues?

All head coaches are hired to someday be fired. Stefanski’s job security, which is solid now, as well it should be, will ultimately be determined on his being able to produce good offenses and, more importantly, to win games. If I were him, I sure as heck would not turn over my fate to someone else, regardless of who that is.

Stefanski has all this week heading into the bye, to figure this out. I, for one, believe he will.

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