3 things Cleveland Browns need to avoid in Week 1
By John Suchan
No.2: Penalties
When Kevin Stefanski landed in Cleveland, the hope was that he would bring more discipline than previous regimes. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case as the Browns still hover in the bottom tier of the teams when it comes to penalties.
In 2021, Cleveland was ranked 27th averaging 6.6 penalties per game. In 2019 when Freddie Kitchens was in charge, they finished 29th, with 7.6 penalties a game. When you start looking at rankings in these categories like penalties, you quickly notice that the teams that make it all the way to the Super Bowl — such as the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals — averaged far fewer penalties per game.
Good teams don’t make that many mistakes and although Stefanski and his coaching staff come across as students of the game, it’s not reaching their players.
Cleveland’s coaching staff needs to find a better way to keep the players focused and disciplined. Being one of the bottom dwellers in penalties isn’t just an embarrassment but it’s what separates a team with talent — such as the Browns — from the contenders.
As for this Sunday, they need to find some discipline and keep the penalties at a bare minimum, if so, they will have the advantage.