Bye week couldn’t come fast enough for the Cleveland Browns. Considering how many believed the Browns would be winless to start the season, considering their “gauntlet” of an early schedule, the team came
away with two wins instead of having zero. It’s not much, but you will take that. It’s clear that the team is rebuilding this year (the team gave multiple hints this past offseason), but it’s also fair to evaluate how the team has looked midway through the season.
Browns offense is worse than it was last year
Last season, Cleveland offense was bad mainly due to the quarterback play and the scheme not matching the personnel. This season? It’s still bad, but there are many reasons why. When head coach Kevin Stefanski fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey last season and took back the controls of the offense, many believed that Stefanski would get the offense back to what worked. The issue is that the offense has not evolved and has become predictable.
Having a predictable offense in the NFL usually ends poorly because it ends up with the person responsible losing their job because of it. Stefanski tried to use some trick plays to generate some form of explosives, but it just ended up backfiring. In terms of personnel, it’s lacking everywhere.
It’s likely we will see rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders at some point this season, but I don’t believe Sanders can overcome the scheme being too predictable. Sure, he’ll have a higher ceiling than Dillon Gabriel, but I don’t expect the offense to get better due to the personnel being bad. Any offensive overhaul will likely come during the offseason and the team will likely use the trade deadline to address the skill positions.
Rookie class is the bright spot in a difficult season
I know fans will not try to look for positives in a difficult season, but I will. It’s the rookie class. The rookie class has shown flashes. Defensive tackle Mason Graham has been a stout force on the interior. Cleveland’s interior run defense was bad last season, with Graham alongside Maliek Collins, not many teams are finding success running the ball inside. Linebacker Carson Schewesinger is playing at a Pro Bowl level, rookie running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson have also shown flashes.
As far as the quarterbacks go, rookie Dillon Gabriel has shown he’s a backup at this point (which isn’t a surprise). No one knows about Shedeur Sanders at this point, but if he’s better than Gabriel, then that’s a win for the Browns.
Cleveland has a foundation to build on, and this draft class is the reason for it.
2nd half of Browns season will determine if HC Kevin Stefanski will be here in 2026
Let’s just get this out of the way now. The odds of Kevin Stefanski getting fired midway during the season are low. The team has too much respect for Stefanski and firing him will not solve anything. However, Stefanski has to string together some wins, and the offense has to look better if he wants to formulate a case to keep his job.
So far, it’s not going so good. Some of it is out of his control, but the offense being predictable is something that he can control. Stefanski hasn’t lost the locker room, but it’s clear he doesn’t know how to change the offense or make the offense less predictable than it is now.
Could Stefanski give up play-calling duties? He did it last year, but with Tommy Rees having no experience in that department, it could be risky. However, Stefanski has to try something new or try to be creative to help keep his job. Sunday’s loss against the New England Patriots didn’t do him any favors and it’s up to him to figure it out. The schedule lightens up in the secnd half of the season, so he could win a couple more games but will it be enough to keep his job? We will see.
