Kevin Stefanski Under Fire: Browns Loss to Vikings Highlights Key Issues

[ad_1] I've been a long-time Kevin Stefanski believer, but it surely’s changing into more and more troublesome to defend among the selections he’s made this yr.

With an opportunity to win on the highway in London, Stefanski utterly mismanaged the clock. They'd an opportunity to burn the entire Vikings' timeouts or get the clock beneath three minutes, however Stefanski determined to go on a third-and-long, stopping the clock and giving Minnesota method an excessive amount of time.

Then, Carson Wentz was by no means actually pressured on a game-winning drive the place he picked aside Cleveland’s protection. And to high it off, Stefanski used the entire Browns' timeouts on that drive, attempting to maintain time on the clock if (when) the Vikings scored.

That call was mind-numbing. You might have your elite protection. When you maintain them to a area objective, you’ll have an opportunity to arrange a game-winning drive the place you solely have to get three as an alternative of into the endzone. And when the opponent has Justin Jefferson, you may’t hold giving them free timeouts to scheme up methods to get him open.

Talking of Jefferson, having a participant like that's exactly what this Browns offense is lacking. In fact, there’s no person within the league like Jefferson, however the Browns don’t also have a stable quantity two receiver on this workforce proper now.

Dillon Gabriel performed about in addition to he might have given the troublesome circumstances he’s inheriting. Like I simply mentioned, he has no receivers on the surface to throw to. Even when he did have somebody to throw to, would he even have sufficient time to really throw the ball downfield?

I doubt it.

This Browns offensive line is possibly probably the most pathetic I’ve ever had the displeasure to look at. Each time this offense made any kind of momentum play, it was instantly known as again with a holding or an unlawful formation. It’s unimaginable for a rookie quarterback to get into any momentum when each different drive the offense is beginning on a first-and-20.

The protection for Cleveland was stable as soon as once more, however the final drive actually soured me on their total efficiency at this time. The one man I’m genuinely happy with at this time is Quinshon Judkins.

He’s the one piece on the offense that I can assure to be on the workforce subsequent yr. I’m not even certain what I’m most impressed by with Judkins. He has elite imaginative and prescient, an unimaginable bounce after his first reduce, and his potential to soak up contact is without doubt one of the finest in soccer. The Browns completely nailed this decide. Now they’ve acquired to begin constructing round him.

It is a good factor the schedule opens up subsequent week with a sport in Pittsburgh following an extended flight house from London. It may be a very lengthy season of Cleveland Browns soccer.