Mid-week thoughts

If there was any question whether the Browns were satisfied after making the National Football League playoffs for the first time in the last 18 years, they were dispelled right after their victory over Pittsburgh last Sunday.

"Was the goal ever to just go to the playoffs?" asked head coach Kevin Stefanski of his team.

No," they replied in unison. "No, sir."

"You got more in you?" intoned Stefanski.

"Yes, sir," they bellowed.

There is no doubt the Browns will be ready from an emotional and psychological standpoint when they meet the Steelers for the third time this season Sunday night in Pittsburgh, this time without their leader and head coach.

There are times in the NFL when non-physical attributes can lift a team to the the point where overachieving every so often results in the team with lesser talent emerging victorious. Perfect example even though it took place 56 years ago: The seven-point underdog Browns shut down the Baltimore Colts, 27-0, in the 1964 NFL championship game.

Oddsmakers say the Steelers are six points better than the Browns in this one. It was four points before Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. That's how much respect they give to the rookie head coach.

It's just another chance to overcome adversity in a season loaded with it. By now, this group of players should be used to making adjustments on the fly. Playing the role of underdog is something they have dealt with since the opening-game thrashing in Baltimore.

Stefanski guided the Browns to an 11-5 record in spite of numerous roadblocks, not to mention the runaway coronavirus mess that has played havoc with the roster the last month. And yet here they are playing the most meaningful game of the season.

Mike Priefer, the special teams coordinator who will be the acting head coach Sunday night, fully understands the situation. As the only other coach on the staff who deals with the entire team, he ostensibly knows how to handle every situation from a personnel direction.

He has his head coach's full support. "I think the players understand it really doesn't matter who's the head coach," Stefanski  said. "They know what our identity is. Coach Priefer will be the guy Sunday. I have a ton of confidence in him. I know they do as well."

Priefer's main job will be to think like his head coach when important decisions need to be made. Like managing the clock,  penalties, officiating challenges, fourth-down decisions, making sure everyone is on the same page, thinking at least two plays ahead. Sort of operating in a "what would Kevin Stefanski do in this situation" kind of world.

The Browns don't need much in the way of motivation. They have a ton, anyhow, with Joel Bitonio, one of the respected veteran leaders on the team, and their head coach unable to be part of a game their fans have been waiting for for nearly two decades.

It might be hackneyed -- but appropriate here given the circumstances -- but this is win-one-for-the coach (and Bitonio) time. 

It'a also a "got nothing to lose" game where the smart money says they won't win. So why not play loose and see where that leads?

As Stefanski correctly said, "We have to find a way."