CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – From injury to a lack of execution, there are a multitude of reasons why the Browns passing game failed so miserably in 2021.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski expressed determination to fix what held his team back last season while speaking with reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Wednesday.
“We have to,” Stefanski said according to a transcript provided by the Browns. “That is going to be a major focus and has been a major focus of ours as we start this offseason and as we look at the tape of what we are doing – some things we are doing well, and some things we are not doing so well – and then really studying hard some other teams, seeing what they are doing and seeing how it applies to what we do.”
The Browns finished 27th in passing averaging just over 195 yards per game and they ranked 20th in scoring at 20.5 points per game – a 5-point drop-off from their playoff season in 2020.
“We were just too inconsistent,” Stefanski said. “There were times we just had to do a little bit of a better job at every spot – coaching, playing and you name it. We have to nail down the details of our system, give our guys the best chance to succeed and then ultimately make a couple more plays a game is what it comes down to.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been the target for much of the blame from fans and media.
Wednesday Stefanski echoed executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry in expressing his confidence in Mayfield and expectation the 2018 No. 1 pick will remain their starter.
Stefanski also pushed back on the notion that Mayfield hasn’t been challenged with competition when asked about the prospect of bringing in a veteran to compete with him in camp.
“I think Baker and all of our players understand that it is a competition, and you are getting challenged every single day,” Stefanski said. “They treat every day like a challenge. I am comfortable with how that goes, but how the rest of the offseason goes, we will see.”
In 2021, Mayfield’s numbers were down significantly, in part due to the torn labrum suffered in Week 2 that he had repaired in January, but the fact of the matter is that Mayfield has yet to play at an elite All-Pro or Pro Bowl level required to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender since being drafted and the Browns haven’t rushed to sign him to an extension as he enters the fifth and final year of his rookie deal.
“He played through those injuries, but I do not think it is fair to put what percentage was on that,” Stefanski said in response to how the injury affected Mayfield. “I think he knows he wants to play better. I know I want to coach better. All those type of things. We are really focused on how we are going to do that now moving forward.”
Like Berry, Stefanski believes Mayfield can bounce back.
“Baker is a confident player,” Stefanski said. “He has done it. We have all seen him do it so I do not think he lacks for confidence. I think this is a great offseason for him to get healthy and then have an offseason together to get him in the building with the rest of the team, work together and try and get better. That is kind of our focus.”
Following his evaluation, Stefanski adjusted his staff this offseason including replacing tight ends coach Drew Petzing with T.C. McCartney and moving Petzing to coach quarterbacks. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt handled that role the last two seasons.
One would think the move would free up Van Pelt to call plays, but Stefanski remains steadfast.
“I will still call the plays,” Stefanski said.
“I will tell you this, I really, really value AVP’s role on our staff. What he does for or offensive staff and really what he provides for our entire staff and the voice he provides in the quarterbacks room is vitally important to what we do.”
Tight ends are the foundation of Stefanski’s offense, yet they don’t make the explosive plays consistently seen by the dominant players at the position around the NFL begging the question if it is wise to stay with it going forward?
“We talked a lot about 13 personnel because those are our tight ends, and we feel strongly about those players,” Stefanski said. “If your roster evolves, you better be ready to evolve, but we are not tied to any one specific personnel.”
Cleveland didn’t boast a single 600-yard receiver this season and they accounted for just seven of their 21 touchdowns through the air.
Jarvis Landry, who has led the team in receptions the pas four seasons since being acquired from Miami, appears destined to be a cap casualty if his contract isn’t extended or restructured.
“With all of these things, you wait and see how it all plays out,” Stefanski said. “I think you guys know how I feel about Jarvis. I know Jarvis knows how I feel about Jarvis. We will see how it all plays out.”
Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony, both drafted in each of the last two years, have shown some promise but are not proven to be the No. 1 deep threat Cleveland needs.
“With Anthony, it was really his mental makeup that impressed us right away. We knew he was a world-class sprinter, but until we got him on a Zoom in a Combine setting, then we understood what kind of learner he was,” Stefanski said. We felt confident he could come in and contribute with his versatility in terms of where he can line up. He was hampered by injuries a little bit and then had a concussion that he battled but made some plays for us this season, which you do not often see for a young guy. He can still run, and we are going to hopefully develop him in some of the finer points of route running. Donovan is a guy who is steady for us and very, very trustworthy.
Quarterbacks love throwing to him because he is going to be where he has to be every single time. Good ball skills. A guy who we are looking forward to taking another step forward.”
This draft class is thought to be rich with receiver talent.
“There are some really good ones in this draft, I have been told,” Stefanski said. “I am still diving into the tape as we speak, but I think it is a fun time of year because we get to look at all of these guys we have watched on Saturdays and see how these classes are put together. All of these positions we are looking at. We are meeting with every position. I want to get to know all of these guys. Excited about that.”