Stefanski still the man

As the Browns scoured the market for their next offensive coordinator in the wake of the surprising cashiering of Alex Van Pelt, the decision on who it would be elicited the following question:

What difference, really, does it make who they choose? It will make no difference -- none whatsoever -- to what the club does on offense for however long Kevin Stefanski owns the title of head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

As long as he's been on the job -- that's four seasons now since taking over for Freddie Kitchens in 2020 -- everything that deals with the offensive side of the football runs through Stefanski. He is the one and only offensive coordinator.

The prolonged musical-chairs search for Van Pelt's successor concluded Sunday with the announcement that Ken Dorsey gets an up-close-and personal look at how Van Pelt wound up back on the street. I still can't figure out why.

This is Stefanski's show. It's his offense, his philosophy, his own personal stamp on how the Browns operate when they own the football. He will continue to call the plays. Van Pelt held the title of offensive coordinator, which, as it turned out, placed him in the crosshairs when things went crooked. 

Was it really his fault the ground game went to crap and became one of the main causal factors in the quick exit from the playoffs? You think maybe the week two season-sending knee injury to Nick Chubb, the best running back in the National Football League, might have had something to do with  that?

Or perhaps an offensive line, when healthy one of the best in the NFL, was ravaged by injuries throughout the season might have had been a factor? What about losing the starting quarterback for a good portion of the season? 

Van Pelt was kept busy all season making adjustments. Yeah it's part of the job, but the overwhelming number of injuries such as as the Browns suffered eventually began taking a toll to the point it began affecting the outcome of games.

Yep, all that (sarcasm alert) was Van Pelt's fault (end sarcasm alert). The only thing that will change on the coaching roster once Dorsey arrives will be the face and name. It will still be Stefanski's show and it wouldn't surprise if he also had a new multi-year contract in his back pocket for the job he did this season.

By tinkering with the offensive staff -- new running backs coach in Duce Staley (maybe he can keep Chubb healthier than Stump Mitchell), new tight ends coach in Tommy Rees, (can't imagine he can improve Pro Bowler David Njoku any more than T.C. McCartney). Stefanski apparently wants his men to hear different voices. 

Now along comes Dorsey, a backup quarterback for the Browns and San Francisco about 20 years ago before becoming a coaching vagabond with Carolina and Buffalo. He became available after the Bills fired him midway through his second season as coordinator this past season. 

And that's a roster that boasts the likes of quarterback Josh Allen, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, running back James Cook and a solid offensive line that stays healthy. And yet they struggled to make the playoffs until Dorsey 

Now the question becomes what does he bring to the Browns that Van Pelt either did not or could not at least to the satisfaction of Stefanski? The Browns don't have anyone like Allen at quarterback. And the Bills' OL is markedly better. Changing faces for the sake of changing faces does not always work.

To his credit, though, Stefanski in the past on occasion took responsibility publicly if he screwed up. Sort of with an "if I had it to do all over again, I might have done it differently" approach. Taking blame works just so often, though.

Time's nearly up.