Why Stefanski calling offense’s plays for Browns in 2021 is right decision
Head coach has chance to really put a stamp on Cleveland’s offense.
CLEVELAND — Kevin Stefanski revealed Wednesday that he’ll call the offensive plays again this season, and it’s the right decision.
It’s too early in Stefanski’s tenure to give up the important chore and control over the offense.
It’s not that offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt isn’t up to the task. On the contrary, Van Pelt is an excellent offensive mind and has future head coach potential, like a number of assistants on Stefanski’s staff. Van Pelt also has a full year of playcalling under his belt, with the Bills in 2009.
When pressed into service in the Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh with Stefanski on COVID19 reserve, Van Pelt did a tremendous job, helping the Browns jump out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and hang on for the 48-37 victory. It was the most points for the Browns in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era.
The quickest route to becoming a head coach is to call the plays, but assistants on excellent staffs have made the leap into the head chair without having that responsibility. Besides, as Stefanski was quick to point out on Wednesday, he’s not alone in the headset on gameday.
do it very collaboratively,” Stefanski said. “I’m fortunate to have guys that have called it before, and make sure I have all the information I need.”
Van Pelt and other trusted assistants pitched in on the playcalling last season, and the Browns
erupted for 35, 34, 49, 32, 37, 41 and 42 points. Granted, they finished only 14th in points per game with 25.5, but that’s largely because they had three bad weather games at Firstenergy Stadium in which their wings were clipped.
Last season, Stefanski had to call the plays in part because the Browns had no offseason program amid the pandemic, and no preseason games in which to work out the kinks. He had to stick with what he knew, and that was the Gary Kubiak offense that he called in Minnesota the year before. He didn’t have time to re-invent the wheel and incorporate all the wisdom of the accomplished offensive assistants’
The offense that fans saw down the stretch last season, with a wider variety of personnel groupings and formations and a more intricate passing game, was the beginning of what Stefanski is all about.
minds on his staff, including receivers coach Chad O’shea, who has three Super Bowl rings from his Patriots days, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who’s been a head coach.
This season, Stefanski will not only take advantage of all of that institutional knowl- edge, he’ll draw on his own vast reserves of offense wizardy culled from mentors such as Brad Childress, Norv Turner and Pat Shurmur.
For the first time in his career, Stefanski will have a chance to really put his own stamp on the offense, and that’s a major reason he should be the one to call it. The offense that fans saw down the stretch last season, with a wider variety of personnel groupings and formations and a more intri- cate passing game, was the beginning of what Stefanski is all about.
What’s more, he’s only had Baker Mayfield for about half a season once he mas- tered the offense, and Mayfield should take off in the scheme this season. As it was, he threw 16 touchdowns and only one interception in his final 10 games after that fateful pick on which Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in Cincinnati.
With Stefanski calling the plays, Van Pelt will be able to focus once again on making sure Mayfield is on point in all aspects, including his revamped footwork which is still somewhat of a work in progress. If Mayfield starts sailing the ball a bit like he did Sunday at Firstenergy, an unencum- bered Van Pelt can step in and fix the problem with some new swing thoughts. Again, Van Pelt is undoubtedly a future playcaller and a future head coach.
Anytime you get a ring- ing endors e ment from A aron Rodgers a nd you turn around the career of a Mayfield, you’re destined for big things. But it’s just too early for Stefanski, the reign- ing NFL Coach of the Year, to turn it over now when he’s just getting rolling.
In fact he only started call- ing plays himself with three games remaining in the 2018 season, and has called a total of 35 regular season games. He’s only scratched the surface, and might have the potential to be a brilliant playcaller like an Andy Reid. With his growth mindset and collaborative spirit, that’s entirely possible.
The perfect compromise is to build on what they did last year, with Stefanski calling the plays, and Van Pelt contributing in a huge way on gameday. He’s good enough that teams will find him when the time is right. For now, this is a win-win for all.