Cleveland Browns: 3 reasons Kevin Stefanski should lead the Coach of the Year race
By Josh Brown
Kevin Stefanski should be leading the way in the coach of the year race.
Cleveland Browns rookie head coach Kevin Stefanski has been incredible this season and should be at the top of the coach of the year race.
Most will argue that Mike Tomlin is 10-0, and he certainly deserves consideration, especially if they finish undefeated. They will likely lose a game or two by the end of the year, but he still has been phenomenal.
Still, what the former University of Pennsylvania alum Stefanski has done this season has been nothing short of incredible. The deck was stacked against him as a new coach, and he never let it be an excuse. Through it all, Stefanski has persevered as a coach, and his team has followed, leading to an astounding 7-3 record after the win over the Eagles.
3. Overcoming Injuries
The Browns have lost key players throughout the season. Odell Beckham Jr. is gone for the year, along with key rookie safety Grant Delpit. Cleveland has also lost key players Nick Chubb, Wyatt Teller, Myles Garrett, Greedy Williams (for the season?), Jack Conklin, and Austin Hooper throughout the season. These players are crucial to what the Browns do, yet here we sit in second place in the AFC North and in the thick of a playoff race. Stefanski has instilled the next man up mentality into his players, and they are fully bought in.
Rookies Harrison Bryant and Donovan Peoples-Jones stepped up with some big plays after losing OBJ in Week 7. Chris Hubbard has been invaluable as a sixth man on the offensive line after struggling as the starting right tackle in 2019. Kareem Hunt gave the Browns a strong four-game stretch when Nick Chubb went down. While all of these players did their part in stepping up, Stefanski put them in a position to be successful.