Mid-week thoughts

Full confession: When new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski decided to become the team's playcaller on offense instead of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, my radar kicked in. Immediately.

Thoughts of a similar situation leaped into my mind. It was just last season that new head coach Freddie Kitchens installed himself as the playcaller over offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The results were disastrous. That's why Kitchens is now tight ends coach for the New York Giants.

No, not again, I thought. Why does this franchise keep making mistakes like this? Why can't they learn their lessons? The fans are getting it in the neck again, And then they played the games.

I'm here to confess I was wrong to believe Stefanski would fail. Wrong to think he would be like Kitchens. Wrong to assume history would repeat itself and the Browns once again would have to launch yet another search for a head coach.

It did not take long to notice Stefanski is the polar opposite of Kitchens. First of all, he is smart. And organized. With sound communication skills that have enabled him to bond with his team. He is the antithesis of Kitchens.

He has managed to do in 13 games what his nine head-coaching predecessors in the last two decades have failed to do in spectacular fashion. In that brief span, he has taken this justifiably well-flogged franchise and turned it into a winner. And not just any winner.

This team no longer slinks up on opponents. They batter them, at least on offense, which is controlled by the Ivy League-educated Stefanski. The defense is another matter, a situation the front office assumedly will correct in the offseason.

It is said a team develops the personality of its head coach. Sort of a trickle-down kind of thing. It's difficult to argue that point about Stefanski, who stoically and methodically has won nine of his first 13 games as a rookie head coach.

It's about the qualities he brings to his position. He appears to be an even-keel guy. Nothing seems to bother him. At least outwardly.  Maybe his impassive nature on the sideline belies a more combative competitiveness. Then again, maybe he's the kind of coach who internalizes everything to protect his players.

The bottom line is he connects with them. They play hard for him. Not necessarily well, mind you, but hard. Effort never seems to be a problem. 

His philosophical approach in every game is simple. Emerge with a 1-0 record. Anything else is not acceptable. No such thing as moral victories in his lexicon. It is quite clear the players are buying into what he is selling.

His success thus far is built on three major attributes. All he asks of his men is to be tough, smart and accountable. That's it. The tough part is self explanatory in the game of football. Smart football wins games. And accountability helps minimize mistakes.

The Browns employed eight head coaches in their first 50 seasons (1946-95) before taking a three-year break from 1996 to 1998. In the first 29 seasons, they employed just three head coaches. Overall, 18 men have held that title.

In the 22 seasons since the Browns reentered the National Football League, they have hired 10 head coaches as the franchise floundered year after miserable year. That's a new head coach every two years. They made the playoffs once (2002) and won as many as 10 games once (2007). 

This time, they got it right with Stefanski. Not appeared to get it right. Got it right.

It has been only 13 games, but it has become abundantly clear this franchise after all these years is now headed in the right direction. It has displayed the sort of discipline and resilience that define good teams and have been absent for too long.

At long last, the Browns have established their legitimacy. And when General Manager Andrew Berry, who should get major credit with improving the offense this season, turns his attention to the defense in the offseason, this will become a  dangerous team.

That's because they finally have the right head coach.