Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

3 keys to victory for the Cleveland Browns in AFC Wildcard

By Zane Harris

Jan 3, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) runs the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Chris Wormley (95) moves in for the tackle during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) runs the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Chris Wormley (95) moves in for the tackle during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal] /

3. Competent coaching

The first thing that the Cleveland Browns must achieve if they want to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in their first-round matchup is competent coaching. Mike Priefer will be filling in as the head coach for the Browns as COVID will keep Kevin Stefanski out of the stadium.

Priefer has a very valid track record as a coach in the NFL. He began his NFL coaching career in 2002 as the assistant special team’s coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent the next two seasons with the New York Giants working under coaches Jim Fassel and Tom Coughlin as the assistant special team’s coach. From 2006-2008 Priefer would be the special team’s coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He would stay in the AFC West for his next coaching job and be the special team’s coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2009-2010. He would then spend 2011-2018 with the Minnesota Vikings where Stefanski was also on the coaching staff. Priefer would come to the Browns in 2019 where he currently stands as the special team’s coordinator and the standing head coach until Stefanski returns.

This point is not to take a dig at Priefer as he has obviously been great as a special teams coordinator during his lengthy career in the NFL. The question rises if he will be able to make the jump as the team’s head coach in the most important game of this franchise’s recent history.

Fans have seen just how bad the Browns can be if they don’t have the right coach. For the most part, not too much has changed on the roster from last season to this season besides the head coach. Despite this, the Browns took a substantial jump in wins along with a playoff birth.

It is essential that the Browns stick to Stefanski’s style on offense as it has been a system that Baker Mayfield has flourished in. Opposed to last season in which he nearly had a 1:1 ratio in touchdowns to interceptions. Also, a lot more pressure was put on Mayfield in the passing game rather than being a run dominant offense.

Home/Browns News