Cleveland Browns: Biggest questions needed answered vs the Vikings

Cleveland Browns Question No. 2: What’s up with the fourth-down play calls?

Kevin Stefanski has done a lot during his tenure with the Browns, which is why the franchise has seen such a drastic turnaround since 2020.

One of those things he has done is be aggressive and trust in his team to execute whatever play is called.

On the season, Stefanski has elected to keep the offense on the field on fourth down, which has come with mostly success. The Browns have converted four-of-seven fourth-down conversions on the season, a high success rate.

However, in Week 2 against the Bears, Cleveland was 0-2 on fourth down conversions, both occurring on the opening two drives. On each play, quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked twice, with the second play resulting in miscommunication where the play clock was winding down and the Bears perfectly timed the snap count.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Stefanski opting to keep his offense on the field in hope of extending the drive. After all, the Chiefs put the Browns out for the count in the AFC divisional round by converting a late fourth down. With that being said, there is an issue with the team not executing.

These plays should be able to be executed in the offense’s sleep. For whatever reason, the team failed to look in sync against Chicago.

Stefanski will no doubt elect to go for it on fourth down in the future, especially early in games to try and give his team a chance to strike first. The question is whether or not the Browns offense can execute the play called and keep the chains moving.