It wasn’t just a disappointing season for the Cleveland Browns—it was an outright disaster. Whether due to injuries or a lack of roster talent, everything seemed to go wrong. The team is on track to record its worst season since 2017, the infamous winless year. Unless they win every remaining game, this year’s record will mark a new low point.
What makes this even more disheartening is the quality of their losses. Five of their 11 defeats came against teams with losing records, meaning they’re not even winning games they should. Worse still, seven losses were by two or more scores, showcasing how uncompetitive they’ve been. Simply calling these losses “ugly” doesn’t capture the full extent of the struggles. The issues run deeper than failing to close out games; the offense is utterly broken.
A Collapse on Offense
The Browns have gone from being a top-10 scoring offense to ranking 30th in points this season. Kevin Stefanski made significant coaching changes in the offseason, hiring Andy Dickerson as offensive line coach, Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator, and Duce Staley as running backs coach. However, these adjustments backfired. The Browns now average their worst yards per carry since 2014 and rank dead last in third-down conversions at a mere 28.6%. Despite maintaining the same core offensive players, the team has regressed. Stefanski’s decisions have raised serious doubts about his ability to implement effective changes moving forward.
Andrew Berry’s Leadership Failures
General Manager Andrew Berry’s tenure has been marked by significant missteps, with the Deshaun Watson trade being the most glaring. Watson’s massive $230 million contract has hamstrung the team’s salary cap, and his performance has been historically poor. He currently holds the league’s worst QBR (23) and is the only quarterback this season to post a single-digit QBR in multiple games.
Berry’s poor free-agent signings and draft decisions have also hurt the team. Since taking over in 2020, 12 of his draft picks are no longer with the team, and three were cut after just one season. Only two players, Grant Delpit and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, have received multi-year extensions. Berry’s track record suggests he may not be the right person to rebuild this struggling franchise.
Stefanski’s Discipline Problem
A successful NFL coach must inspire discipline and accountability, yet Stefanski’s teams consistently fall short in these areas. Despite emphasizing qualities like intelligence, toughness, and accountability, the Browns have led the league in pre-snap penalties for two consecutive years. False starts, offsides, illegal formations, and other mistakes have been routine under Stefanski’s leadership. Since he became head coach, the Browns have committed over 100 penalties every season, a stark contrast to the discipline seen under coaches like Sean McVay, whose Rams haven’t surpassed 100 penalties in a season since 2019.
Turnovers are another glaring issue. The Browns lead the league with 27 turnovers this season and ranked 30th last year. Winning is difficult enough in the NFL, but it becomes nearly impossible when a team keeps sabotaging itself. While Stefanski isn’t directly teaching players to commit penalties or turn the ball over, he hasn’t been able to correct these recurring problems. If he can’t stop the team from beating itself, how can he be expected to lead it to success?
