3 Browns players (and 2 coaches) to blame for Cleveland missing NFL playoffs

Finally, after several agonizing weeks of waiting to see when and how the Cleveland Browns would be pushed out of postseason contention, that time finally came in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. The loss officially eliminated them from the playoffs, ending their shot at a second winning season in a row.

Cleveland's priorities are now, officially, shifted. They've gone from being able to think about how to squeeze into a Wild Card spot to draft strategy and how to play spoiler over their next final four games. With some tough games ahead against the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens, the Browns aren't going to be able to go quietly into that good night.

So, who's to blame for this collapse? This is a team sport, so losses are a team effort - or lack thereof. But, there are specific Browns players and coaches that need to bear the brunt of this dud season.

1. Deshaun Watson

Let's start at the top. Week 1 through Week 7 was a nightmare watch for Browns fans. Watson never fully got comfortable under center, and he posted some of the worst numbers for a starting quarterback ever seen. He was, by far, the worst QB in the NFL while he was playing, and it probably wasn't completely apparent to Cleveland just how bad he was until he got hurt.

Read more: Jameis Winston has earned the chance to be the Browns' starting quarterback

Inserting Jameis Winston into this offense as the starting QB has seen mixed results. But, at least you got wins, and you got to see just how good receivers like Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy will be for the team in 2025. Watson was actually making them worse in his time as the starter, never throwing for more than 196 yards in a game in 2024.

Watson is still going to be with the team next season. Whether that's as the starting quarterback or as the backup to a rookie or a free agent signal caller like Winston remains to be seen, as the front office is likely still working up the courage to admit they were completely and utterly wrong to trade for Watson in the first place.

2. Kevin Stefanski

Stefanski did the best he could in 2024. And, that's enough for him to keep his job headed into 2025. He's shown he can work with any QB not named Watson. But, that's the issue - he might be handed Watson again if he's healthy and good to start in 2025. Will he be able to use that as an excuse if and when Cleveland struggles again to score or gain yards on offense? Most likely not.

In addition to this, Stefanski is the head coach. He should have pulled Watson much sooner as the starter prior to him tearing his Achilles. He was giving the team absolutely nothing but check down passes and missed targets, in addition to negative energy on the field after said misses. He never connected with Amari Cooper, who should've been his WR1, and never with Jeudy or Tillman.

Stefanski has to do more than just be a coach that players respect in the locker room - he needs to win games next season. But as of now, he has to take some blame for trotting Watson out for as long as he did to open the year.

3. Dustin Hopkins

69.6 percent. That's Hopkins' percentage on kicks through 13 weeks of football and through one half of play in Week 14. That's good for the worst percentage of his career, which comes after he signed a three year extension with the Browns in the offseason.

Hopkins' misses cannot make up for some of the Browns' losses on the season - for example, their their Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was not going to be flipped had Hopkins gone 2-2 instead of 1-2. But, with games like the ones the Browns needed to win down the stretch - their Denver Broncos game in Week 13 or their Week 14 game against the Steelers - Hopkins was brutal.

If the Browns plan on bringing Watson back at QB1 in 2025, Hopkins needs to be a whole lot more accurate than an abysmal 69.6 percent.

4. Duce Staley

The offense for the Browns has been living and dying by the pass. For the first half of the season, that was understandable - no Nick Chubb meant heavily relying on two unproven backs in Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. After Chubb's return? It's inexcusable. There's no reason for the one dimensionality of the run game, and that blame has to fall on RB coach Staley to some degree.

Some of the flatness from the running back room has to do with the offensive line. They provided next to zero holes for these backs to break off many long runs. But, we saw very little improvement in the play calling for these runners this season. Staley is a well respected coach and is likely going to see better days with this group with a revamped O-line. But, this was a bad year for him.

5. Jedrick Wills Jr.

Speaking of the offensive line, you can't talk about how poor its been all season without mentioning Wills. The team's first round pick from 2020 has yet to make any name for himself with the Browns, and to cap off a tumultous season headed into free agency, Wills landed on the IR ahead of Week 14.

That move came after Wills decided to sit out against the Bengals in Week 7, and was subsequently benched. Dawand Jones, another draft pick by the Browns, was a revelation filling in for Wills. Between the two tackles, and despite a season ending surgery for Jones, it feels obvious who the Browns should keep as a starter in 2025.

Wills' decision to bench himself, which led to his actual benching, put one of the final nails in the coffin for the teams' banged up O-line. Their collective poor pass protection and run blocking can't all be on Wills, but he eventually became a part of the problem for Cleveland looking to find offense.

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