The Cleveland Browns became one of the best stories in the NFL this season.
Somehow, after losing his starting quarterback Deshaun Watson midway through the season, Kevin Stefanski made a bold move that paid off — at least for a while — by bringing in veteran Joe Flacco for a tryout.
Watson missed three games and most of a fourth with a right rotator cuff injury early in the season. He returned to start against the Cardinals on Nov. 5, a game the Browns won 27-0, and a week later suffered a fractured shoulder in the first half of a game with the Ravens in Baltimore. Remarkably, he completed 14 of 14 passes in the second half and brought the Browns back from a 31-17 fourth-quarter deficit to win the game.
“That second half versus Baltimore is something that I don’t know how many people on Earth can do, what he did with the injuries that he had in that second half, so very excited for him,” Stefanski said. “He’s excited. I know he wants to get back healthy and he’s well on his way to doing that.
“He’s in great hands with Dr. (Neal) ElAttrache out there (in Los Angeles) in his rehab, he’s doing great. He’s on schedule, if not ahead of schedule, so I’m confident he’ll be ready to roll this spring. He’s feeling great. He’s right on track, so I know he’ll be ready probably sooner than most just because of how hard he works.”
The Cleveland Browns eventually turned to the veteran — who was sitting on his couch all season hoping to get a call for the right situation — and the NFL world became enamored. With just a few days to study the playbook and no time to develop chemistry with his receivers, the former Super Bowl Champion looked like the same QB that won the Lombardi for the Ravens
Flacco has been on the winning side of many playoff games, including a Super Bowl with the Ravens that saw him take home the game’s MVP trophy. But it wasn’t meant to be on Saturday for Flacco and the Browns, who made the playoffs despite starting five different quarterbacks during the regular season.
Still, despite key injuries on both sides of the ball — most notably losing star running back Nick Chubb on offense — and Watson at QB, Flacco was able to finish the season with a (4-1) record for the Browns and they entered Saturday’s AFC Wildcard game as favorites. But a combination of two key interceptions, both returned for touchdowns, a nearly non-existent running game and one of the league’s top defenses never finding an answer for CJ Stroud in company, their season ended in Houston.
Cleveland Browns Make Surprising Move, Fire Offensive Coordinator And Other Key Staffers
While the 2023 Browns ranked middle-of-the pack in rushing offense and No. 19 in passing offense, most outsiders would consider the job of their offensive staff remarkable considering the circumstances.
They still managed to finish the year with the No. 10 scoring offense in the league, averaging 23.3 points per game.
That’s better than the Packers, Chiefs, Texans and Buccaneers who are all advancing in the playoffs.
It’s hard to pinpoint who was responsible for Flacco’s late success, or whether it was just a veteran QB coming into a system he was familiar with and finding a way to make plays.
Yet still, the Cleveland Browns made several surprising offensive staff changes on Wednesday morning according to NFL Insider Josina Anderson.
Breaking: I’m told the #Browns have fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, per source.
Some of the players are upset from the news.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 17, 2024
”Breaking: I’m told the #Browns have fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, per source.,” Anderson reported on X early Wednesday. “Some of the players are upset from the news.”
It will be interesting to hear Stefanski’s reasoning for parting ways with three key offensive staffers, particularly OC ALex Van Pelt and running backs coach Stump Mitchell. They can only thrive with the players they have to work with, and it’s impossible to believe Saturday’s playoff loss played any role in the decision.