Ultra late Sunday leftovers

Kevin Stefanski is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, an oddity because the Browns' head coach seems to have communications problems with his team.

His underperforming but abundantly talented players have not responded to what he has preached for the better part of the last two seasons after making a spectacular splash as a rookie head coach with an 11-5 record in 2020.

He's the same stolid coach with a much better team now and yet the results do not reflect his efforts to glean smart, tough and accountable football from them. Something is definitely being lost in the translation. And that something seemingly rests with the man calling all the shots.

Whatever motivation Stefanski is employing is not working. Hasn't for nearly two seasons. The Browns' 6-9 record this season could easily be the exact opposite and on the verge of returning to the postseason were it not for numerous unexplainable breakdowns that cost them at least three victories early on.

When the number of losses that should have been victories reaches a number that high, someone has to take the blame. Several times this season, Stefanski has owned significant mistakes in strategizing or playcalling that meant the difference between winning and losing. That's not good enough.

In order for the Browns to get better, he's got to get better at being a head coach. As the head man, a major part of his duties is coaching the coaches. The record reflects that's not happening. Perhaps because he's too tied up with the offense and has lost focus as the boss? Rhetorical question.

Before continuing, this is in no way suggesting the third-year coach should not be around much longer to complete his five-year contract. He should be given -- and no doubt will get -- one more crack with Deshaun Watson for a full season before a final judgment.

But after Saturday's loss to the New Orleans Saints in the home finale, where shoddy coaching and playcalling and just plain old ignorant thinking cost the Browns yet another victory, residents of the Ivory Tower at 76 Lou Groza Blvd, in Berea cannot be pleased.

The extreme weather conditions -- 8 degrees, wind chill of negative-25, wind gusts up to 30 mph -- dictated limited passing and a preponderance of running. The icy-slick field caused wide-open Amari Cooper to slip and drop a touchdown pass late in the second quarter.

"Those are tough conditions," Stefanski said after the game. "They are tough for both teams. I know we want to make plays. I now (Watson) did make a few plays. We just didn't ultimately make a few of those. Those were the conditions. It was what it was." Word salad.

I recall saying a few times during the game, "(The bad field) is why you should RUN the ball." The Browns, last time I looked, have one of the best ground games in the National Football League. Use it often on a day like that.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen, whose team plays under a dome, got the message. He knew running was the key to victory on this day and called on quarterback Andy Dalton to throw the ball just 15 times, a mere six in the second half in outsmarting Stefanski.

Historical timeout: When explaining his three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust philosophy, Ohio State coaching legend Woody Hayes said, "Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad."

But the very smart -- remember he's an Ivy League graduate -- head coach of the Browns didn't see it that way Saturday. After the Saints grabbed the lead late in the third quarter, turning a Watson interception into a touchdown to break a 10-10 tie, Stefanski panicked.

Instead of relying on the ground game with a full quarter remaining, he thrust Watson into the spotlight, calling for a pass on 18 of the fourth-quarter's 28 snaps, including 15 of the last 18 and the last 10 in a row. Mind you, the Browns trailed by only one score with five-plus minutes left and all three timeouts at the two-minute warning.

All three were burned by the time the Browns reached the Saints' 15-yard line with 43 seconds left which, of course, took away the run. Three straight incompletions, including a bullet tight end David Njoku failed to handle inches from the goal line, and a sack later, loss number nine that could have been victory number eight with smarter coaching was history.

Another abject failure by a team that needs better coaching. And playcalling. 

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It's interesting -- and somewhat surprising -- Stefanski hasn't lost the team with all the frustration built up this season. Players hear positive vibes from the coaching staff all season and yet all their hard work and efforts end up walking away as losers in nine of the 15 games.

That's got to be frustrating and yet bodes well for Stefanski. It doesn't take much for a coach to lose the locker room, but his hold seems to be solid to the probable dismay of a significant portion of Browns Nation.

For the second season in a row, the initial goal has not been reached. With rare exceptions, players are keeping their opinions to themselves. Most of them are packing up right now to beat it out of town in a couple of weeks. But not before the end-of-the-season exit interviews, which should be interesting.

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According to CBS Sports, Jimmy Haslam III is more than a little interested in what head coach Josh Heupel is doing at his alma mater this season. The high-scoring Tennessee Volunteers have leaped into the national spotlight under their first-year coach, whose dynamic Air-Raid offense caught Haslam's eye.

The Browns owner, according Jonathan Jones of CBS, "has closely watched" the Air Raid, the writer suggesting there might be some coaching and philosophical changes to the Cleveland offense next season based to a degree on Heupel's philosophy, which heavily features numerous receivers and the passing game. The sixth-ranked Vols (10-2) lead the nation in scoring this season with 568 points (47.3 a game).

The quick-strike offense is the antithesis of Stefasnki's tame and conservative Wide-Zone offense, which features a more balanced attack. It will be interesting to see how far Haslam takes this with his sometimes-stubborn head coach if he chooses to do so. Or doesn't because right now, this is just a rumor. 

If he does, though, he could make the case Watson's unique talents is a better fit for the Air Raid than the stodgy and game-managing style Stefanski prefers. Whether it translates to successful football in the NFL is the best argument against it. If it moves from rumor stage to reality, an interesting battle looms.

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Finally . . . Next up, the Washington Commanders, who still have a slim shot at making the playoffs. It is believed the Browns will see Carson Wentz at quarterback. Wentz was 2-4 when he broke a finger on his throwing hand in week six and missed nine games, during which backup Taylor Heinicke was 5-3-1. Wentz relieved Heinicke in the latter stages of the 37-20 loss to San Francisco Saturday and played well. . . . Watson is 2-2 in his first four starts, completing only 57.5% of his passes for 703 yards, two touchdowns and three picks. He has run the ball 22 times for 100 yards and a touchdown. . . . Donovan Peoples-Jones, shut down Saturday by the Saints with only two receptions for 15 yards, needs 216 yards to reach the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time.