In his first four seasons in Cleveland, head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns has amassed a respectable resume.
Stefanski is a contender for a contract extension this offseason thanks to two postseason appearances, two NFL Coach of the Year Awards, the fifth-most wins and fifth-best winning percentage by a full-time head coach in franchise history, and a steady presence in the locker room and on the sidelines.
Despite the fact that about one-third of the head coaches in the league call their own plays, this hasn’t stopped some fans’ persistent ire against Stefanski for calling offensive plays. Or the endless speculation about whether offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will eventually take over as play-caller this season, replacing Stefanski as the team’s preferred offensive coordinator.
Derrik Klassen of The 33rd Team, who evaluated each of the 32 offensive play-callers based on the fundamental ideas of “flexibility, creativity, call sequencing, and the ability to craft specific game plans,” suggests that, should that day ever come, it might be a mistake.
Stefanski is ranked No. 9 on Klassen’s list, which is undoubtedly sad news for the crowd that always complains about Stefanski and his “Denny’s menu” of plays.
Kevin Stefanski’s quarterbacks in 2023 were Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, and the worst version of Deshaun Watson. The offense was obviously inefficient.
When you watch the film it’s hard not to be impressed by Stefanski. He so perfectly crafted the offense to each quarterback’s needs.
For Watson, it was a lot of screens, play-action, and shotgun formations. Thompson-Robinson got more RPOs and a simple quick game. Walker got more vertical shots. Flacco, somehow the best of the bunch, got a ton of pure dropback passes and more volume than the other three.
None of that even touches on Stefanski’s run game, which is the best part of his call sheet. He is well-versed in zone and gap runs and can adapt his scheme to whichever is best at the moment.
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