The Cleveland Browns had back-to-back double-digit loss seasons. The NFL is a results-driven league. Nobody wants anything to do with losing 26 games in two years. No Hue Jackson clone repeat, please.
RELATED: BROWNS NEW HEAD COACH MUST BE OFFENSIVE-MINDED
So, Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said their niceties to head coach Kevin Stefanski on Black Monday, wished him well, and sent him on his way to his next employer. And Stefanski will be hired sooner rather than later.
When a head coach is fired, everybody on his staff is also now unemployed. The new guy usually brings in his own people, who are guys he has worked with in the past, whom he trusts, and everyone on board knows who the boss is without any interference or power plays.
Cleveland has a tremendous defense. They are slotted at #4 in overall defensive rankings, with a breakdown of #3 in pass defense and #16 against the run. This is the work of DC Jim Schwartz, who has built up a great defense every place he has been hired.
What if the new head coach simply kept Schwartz to work his magic with the defense? This would allow the Browns to hire an offensive-minded guru to mold a very stagnant offense, work with young quarterbacks, and round out the team’s roster to finally become a force on that side of the ball.
This would solve the entire situation with the coaching staff.
But easier said than done. Who would run this offense and get it flowing upwards? Can we un-retire Steve Spurrier? What about Norv Turner? Vince Lombardi certainly knew the offense. Does he have any of his coaching tree still living? Summon the ghosts of Don Coryell or Bill Walsh?
There are several offensive coaches currently not affiliated with an NFL club who have vast head coaching experience: Mike McCarthy, Frank Reich, Doug Pederson, Bill O’Brien (Boston College), Brian Daboll, Pete Carroll, Bobby Petrino (North Carolina), and Urban Meyer.
And the list of young current NFL offensive coordinators is lengthy this year: Kliff Kingsbury (age 46), OC Washington Commanders, Mike LaFleur (38), OC Los Angeles Rams, Klint Kubiak (38), OC Seattle Seahawks, Klayton Adams (42), OC Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy (62), no affiliate, and Joe Brady (36), OC Buffalo Bills.
The NFL has always been a copycat league. The recent success of young offensive-minded head coaches such as Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers has created a sense that offensive innovation can lead to a quick turnaround for NFL clubs. With this accomplishment, owners and front offices have taken notice.
Why hire an offensive head coach?
One thing the NFL wants to make sure of every year is that the scoreboard lights up often. Nobody is interested in a 1-1 pitcher’s duel. They just aren’t. So, if the scoring can be something like 38-35 in every contest, yeah, for our side.
And in doing so, the NFL has slanted rules over the decades to assist the offensive side of the ball.
The defense can’t grab a facemask, or even touch it for that matter, but an offensive player can use a stiff arm, and as long as they don’t grab hold, it is a legal maneuver. We asked Derrick Henry, and he confirmed. A defender can’t touch a QB’s helmet. Can’t land on him either during a sack. Five yards to harass a receiver and then let him go? Throw the ball out of bounds as a defender is wrangling the QB towards the turf? Defenders’ limited use of their helmets. Penalties that used to be just yardage now have an automatic first-down kicker. And on-and-on.
If the Browns hire an offensive-minded head coach, the rules lean favoritism towards that side of the ball.
An offensive coach will have experience with not only quarterbacks, but also a process of dealing with younger signalcallers. The Browns most likely will have Deshaun Watson in training camp next season, along with youngsters Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. It is also possible that Cleveland will select a young buck in this year’s NFL draft, whether he is in the top rounds or as a Day 3 project.
Why wouldn’t the franchise want to pursue the most likely routes? An experienced offensive coordinator with a history of quarterback success should fit the bill. Then, he can build a quality staff and install one offensive scheme. It is proven that NFL teams with good offensive coaches are more likely to have a good quarterback who has been worked with, which is the most important position in sports.
And isn’t it true that offensive-minded coaches are more aggressive? Defensive coaches are more conservative when their team is on offense, and analytics seem to show that a more aggressive approach leads to more wins.
The right choice for Cleveland
So, let’s just get right to the meat and potatoes. The Browns should hire Klint Kubiak, the current OC of the Seattle Seahawks.
Kubiak is an up-and-coming coordinator with a track record of developing QBs and running productive offenses. He has pro coaching in his blood as his dad, Gary Kubiak, played quarterback with the Denver Broncos for years behind John Elway, then he coached in the league for 26 years with head coaching stints with the Broncos and Houston Texans. His son is one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL.
Last year, Kubiak was being considered for their open offensive coordinator position and received face time with the Browns front office. He is a talented play-caller but has never held a head coaching position at any level, but has been the OC with the New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and the Seahawks. He offers discipline and game preparedness.
With Seattle earning the #1 seed and getting a weekend off, Kubiak can interview this week.
Kubiak has had to manage the roller coaster ride of QB Sam Darnold this year. This would be helpful with the return of Watson. He has also been instrumental in the development of the Seahawks’ offensive line, which Cleveland will need to address this offseason in a major way. Plus, he has developed their two-headed running back pair in Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet. The Browns have their own dynamic duo in Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Samson to develop.
Kubiak could easily step out on his own and is considered one of the top offensive candidates this cycle. The plum to this hire would be to retain Schwartz, and it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to offensive line coach Bill Callahan about returning to the Browns.
The thing to notice about Kubiak’s offense is that he places the quarterback in a position to succeed. He is respected in the league for his creativity and is influenced by his father’s pedigree in the understanding of West Coast principles and the ability to adapt as the game rolls along.
His offensive scheme is similar to Shanahan’s in that it is play-action, heavy pre-snap shifts and motion, blocking is wide zone, uses 12-personnel quite a bit, with a mix of shotgun and taking snaps under center, designed to keep the quarterback moving. But it also requires athletic offensive linemen who are physical and can adjust.
Basically, Kubiak’s offense systematically attacks defenses by creating leverage and exploiting space. His quarterback play relies on quick decisions and some ability to scramble if needed, with some designed runs and rollouts. Kubiak is a student of the Shanahan scheme.
By being in full control of the offense, his offensive philosophy could align with the Browns’ personnel.
