Some Reasons Not to do What Seems Inevitable
No news is not necessarily good news.
With that in mind, then, I am thinking more and more that Sunday’s season finale against the Bengals in Cincinnati will be Kevin Stefanski‘s last game as head coach of the Browns.
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If that weren’t the case, then wouldn’t owner Jimmy Haslam have come out and announce Stefanski was going to remain so as to quell all of the rumors to the contrary? Yes, of course, he would. That silence is loud in the way it speaks volumes.
I have come full-circle on Stefanski. As recently as late November, I wanted him gone. Now, I want him to stay.
Why?
For a number of reasons, such as:
*The Browns are playing better. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday and nearly defeated the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago. When a team’s record goes in the tank, what usually happens is the effort of its players goes with it. They quit. They go through the motions. That certainly hasn’t happened this season. If Stefanski can get a struggling Browns team to play hard, then he certainly should be able to get a good one to play even harder.
*Stefanski is finally playing rookie quarterback Shadeur Sanders. He is much better than fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. That was always my biggest complaint. I still say Sanders has what it takes to be the Browns’ franchise passer.
*Stefanski had no real say in the thing that has crippled the team, the trade for Deshaun Watson. That’s on General Manager Andrew Berry, with Haslam’s blessing.
*I like Stefanski’s calm on the sideline and in press conferences. He has never lost his cool. Screaming at people will serve only to make matters worse. Coaches teach, and that’s especially the case with a young team such as the Browns.
*The easiest thing to do is fire someone. But if you do fire them, then you have to be able to hire someone who is better. Who would be that guy? Mike McDaniel? Are you kidding me? Now, if you want to promote defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, then you might have my ear. If you do make a change and it isn’t Schwartz, then he is probably going to go elsewhere. He is the best defensive coordinator in the game right now. The Browns can’t afford to let good minds get away.
*If the Browns fire Stefanski, then they also have to fire Berry. They are a match set. I am thinking Mr. Sullen stays put regardless. Ugh. I want to ask that guy why it took him until 2025 to finally have a good NFL Draft. Did he have some kind of epiphany?
*There are reports that if Stefanski is fired, then he would immediately become a candidate for the opening with the New York Giants. That should be a red flag for Haslam. It should make him re-think such a move.
*People outside the organization usually have praise for Stefanski. That should also cause Haslam pause.
*And finally, I am sick and tired of change at the top. Starting over sends the organization backward. Yes, it can get worse, and it would, at least at the start. Nobody wants that.
Steve King
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