Three ways new Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski won his opening press conference, after his hire was met with public angst.
In what seems like its becoming an annual tradition, the Cleveland Browns introduced Kevin Stefanski as the 18th (non interim) head coach of the franchise.
The introductory press conference was highly anticipated after a coaching search that publicly seemed to pit Stefanski, an analytics disciple, against local favorite Josh McDaniels, who has six rings as a member of the New England Patriots.
Admittedly, I favored the hiring of Josh McDaniels, but Stefanski is growing on me.
Fans knew Freddie Kitchens was a dead man walking on the shores of the Ohio River in Week 17. His firing was expected and promptly came in the immediate aftermath of a 6-10 season .
What got the fans out, though, was the parting of ways with general manager John Dorsey.
It’s hard to defend ownership. The record speaks for itself. I do believe the Haslams want to win, but with that said, they just haven’t figured out the recipe for success. In their reign as owners, the Browns have become an easy joke and there isn’t anyway to dispute that.
Your outrage is warranted, especially because you’ve been shelling out thousands of dollars on season tickets, in addition to $100 jersey after $100 jersey.
Ownership has no choice but to prove it to you, and that only happens when the Browns play meaningful games in January.
We all want to fast forward, but since we don’t have Doc Brown’s DeLorean, we’ve got no choice but to observe the new coach. It’s easy to win a press conference. Heck, Freddie Kitchens delivered a knock out performance exactly 363 days ago.
But with all the angst around the recent search and the distrust with the organization, Stefanski came through, specifically in these three ways.
1. Game day analytics– not so scary
It’s a little surprising to hear sports talk radio, and to read Twitter and to see the outrage being flung the Browns’ way over Stefanski’s hire.
Some of that was due to a report that Stefanski would have to give his game plan to the analytics department on the Friday before game day. The new coach shut down that rumor, stating that it is “Silly Season.”
Stefanski seems to be a bystander, with all the outrage meant for analytics Paul DePodesta. After all, his philosophy is the reason the 2017 Cleveland Browns lost every game that season and went 1-31 in a two-year span.
“Analytics” is a dirty word and that perception won’t change until the organization wins meaningful games.
Fortunately, Stefanski addressed “analytics” during his introductory presser, basically stating that he’s open to learning as much information as possible.
He cited an example of someone in the analytics department being able to tell him at what points the opposing defensive coordinator is more likely to blitz.
This is not a bad thing because knowing and predicting opponent tendencies stands the test of time. Ask Hannibal, or Caesar or Napoleon.
Skepticism should be in how analytics is used to pick players. Fans were fed an awful lot of stale Dawg biscuits in 2016 with phrases like “SPARQ Scores.” The results speak for themselves: Corey Coleman anyone?
As for coaching on game day, the Browns have a talented roster. There won’t be a repeat of 1-31 and analytics will be a friend of Stefanski’s, not an enemy.
2. He’s human
It said a lot about Stefanski that he put family first on the biggest professional day of his life.
After going through the process and uprooting his wife and his three kids from Minnesota to Cleveland, the new coach said that his family will be welcoming a new dog to their household, as well as a trip to Disney World.
No, this doesn’t help win football games, but it does show that this guy is human, and not some robot born out of analytics.
Data can help get an edge, but this is still a game where people and relationship matter.
The same was true when Stefanski was asked whether the team would hire an offensive coordinator. Freddie Kitchens, who didn’t even know that he was on a sinking ship, refused to give up play calling duties at the end.
It’s yet to be determined, but Stefanski said he’d do whatever was in the best interest of the team.
You can bet he wants to do it, because why wouldn’t he? He wouldn’t be an NFL coach if he didn’t have an ego. My guess is there’s an understanding that if the Browns feel, collaboratively, there is a strong signal caller out there, then Stefanski will cede the responsibility.
3. Ready to deal with the star power
Stefanski was asked about what he could do to get Odell Beckham into team OTAs next week, and he had no choice but to duck the question.
He said those workouts were important in terms of team building, but are ultimatley voluntary. He’s been on the job for one day, so he probably wasn’t looking to upend the collective bargaining agreement currently in place.
That said, he later addressed the team’s star power, stating: “Personalities are welcome. Production is required.” Everyone single one of Cleveland’s 1,000,000 T-Shirt companies will have a shirt to present to you with that phrase printed on it in the next six hours.
As for the mentality, Isn’t that something every single card carrying member of the Dawg Pound could get on board with?
Baker Mayfield could make 50 commercials and no one would give a flip if he was breaking Brian Sipes single-season touchdown record. Beckham had 1,000 yards, but Ricky Seals-Jones was a more dangerous red-zone threat.
The calendar will be the judge on Mayfield, but you’d hope Stefanski is the guy who can turn No. 6 around. It all seems to revolve around the former Heisman winner getting his act together, because if he’s not good, the Browns will be back picking in the top 10 again.
Stefanski said he had talked to Mayfield, and that there is a detailed plan to help him “Take off in 2020.”