Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is under a lot of pressure to get his team into contention in the AFC North during the 2023 season. He helped lead the Browns to a playoff win in his first year on the job back in 2020 but the team has followed that up with two straight losing seasons, including a last-place finish in the AFC North last year.
The 2022 season could be viewed as somewhat of a wash for Stefanski, but there's really no doubt that the Browns need to perform in 2023, or else it could end up being another major head coaching change soon in Cleveland. What are the biggest strengths and weaknesses Stefanski has entering his fourth NFL season? Let's take a look.
Top 3 strengths, 2 weaknesses for Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski
Strength no. 1: Off-field issues not a hurdle for the QB1
Relatively speaking, off-field issues are not a hurdle for the QB1 of the Cleveland Browns -- Deshaun Watson. At this point last year, Browns fans were forced to temper their expectations pretty substantially knowing that Watson was going to miss 11 games due to suspension. The season, as a result, was kind of a wash in that regard. The Browns had to live with the results of the 2022 season knowing their long-term plan wasn't yet in place.
Now that Deshaun Watson is available for all practices and games, not suspended by the league, it seems obvious to point this out as a major strength for Kevin Stefanski. He's not dealing with a suspended QB1. He doesn't have to juggle trying to have success with the backup QB and planning for the eventuality of Watson joining the team.
Although there's still the question about whether we're going to get the 2018 or 2019 version of Deshaun Watson in Cleveland, Stefanski at least isn't dealing with a QB controversy.
Kevin Stefanski weakness: Responsible for Deshaun Watson's resurgence
Although this will be shared blame if things don't go well, one of the major weaknesses for Kevin Stefanski looking ahead to the 2023 season is that he will be held responsible for Deshaun Watson's resurgence, or potential lack thereof.
What we saw from Watson late last year was understandably rusty. It certainly wasn't a "vintage" Deshaun Watson performance, by any means. Keep in mind, this is a player who was widely expected to be in the MVP conversation with Patrick Mahomes and other young QBs at his peak. He was almost unanimously considered a top-10 player at the game's most important position.
That's why the Browns traded what they did to get him, and it's why they paid so much money to make him their long-term franchise QB.
But the reality is, what Watson currently gives the Cleveland Browns on the field is an unknown. Most people are giving him the benefit of the doubt for being rusty last year, chalking it up to time away from the game. That's probably a pretty fair way to assess what we saw, but in 2023, the expectation is going to be that Watson has knocked the rust off. And if he goes out there and struggles all year? Well, Kevin Stefanski is going to have a lot of fingers pointed in his direction.
Bringing in Deshaun Watson wasn't just Kevin Stefanski's plan, but the Browns hired him to bring this team success and he's a quarterback expert by trade. He helped Kirk Cousins play some of the best football of his life in Minnesota. He's going to be expected to put Watson in a similar position to succeed and if not? Well, we're fixin' to find out.
Kevin Stefanski strength: Defensive roster and coaching
One of the biggest strengths for Kevin Stefanski this coming season is going to be the defensive coaching staff -- led by coordinator Jim Schwartz -- as well as the personnel the team now has on that side of the ball.
The Browns' defense could be the reason this team actually contends in the AFC North and having Schwartz on that side of the ball will give Stefanski some peace of mind. It's not a new trend in the NFL, by any means, but having a "head coach" of the defense can really help a coach with expertise on the offensive side of the ball.
As we've already explained, the success of the offense this year is really going to put a lot of pressure on Stefanski. He needs that peace of mind every week knowing that his defense is going to be arguably the most consistent unit for this team.
And Schwartz is going to certainly bring that level of confidence. He should, at the very least. The Browns have a tremendous and vastly improved defensive front. They have speed at the second level. Their secondary is outrageously talented.
This could end up being a top-10 overall defense when all is said and done, and the aggressiveness of Schwartz could lead to the Browns being top-5 in sacks and turnovers forced. There may be some level of feast or famine with Schwartz's defenses, but we saw in that 2017 season with Philadelphia what he can do with big-time talent at all levels. That 2017 Eagles team (which won the Super Bowl) ranked 4th in the NFL in points, yards, and total takeaways.
And that 2017 Eagles team is really a case in point of what we're talking about here. The Eagles lost Carson Wentz that year and were still able to ride that defense all the way to the Super Bowl and the first Lombardi Trophy in the team's history.
Now, the Browns are hoping Schwartz can do the same for the city of Cleveland.
Kevin Stefanski weakness no. 2: The brutal AFC North
The unfortunate reality and one of the biggest weaknesses of Kevin Stefanski in 2023, unfortunately, is just the division his team plays in. The AFC North features some of the best, toughest teams in the NFL, and it feels like every team in the division got better this offseason.
Considering three teams had winning records last year, that's a pretty scary thought.
The Browns won 7 games last year, which would have been enough to compete for the NFC South division title, but it's possible that winning nine games in 2023 won't be good enough. That is going to make life very tough on Kevin Stefanski and basically eliminate the margin for error.
The Cincinnati Bengals are obviously one of the premier teams in the AFC right now.
The Baltimore Ravens locked Lamar Jackson into a brand-new contract and they got him a handful of new weapons in the passing game.
The Steelers had a winning record despite the rookie struggles of Kenny Pickett, and they are one of the most well-coached teams under Mike Tomlin every year. That defense in Pittsburgh is also going to keep them in contention all year.
The Browns have to play six games against these teams and you can't help but think they need to at least split their division record at 3-3 at the very least. The AFC North is undoubtedly going to be an uphill battle for the entire season.
Kevin Stefanski strength no. 3: Best offensive weapons he's had in Cleveland
With all due respect to the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, the weapons at the skill positions in Cleveland are the best Kevin Stefanski has ever had.
Deshaun Watson at the quarterback position gives the Browns their best chance to actually win some games since Baker Mayfield was still seemingly an ascending player in this league. Beyond just Watson, though, the Browns have finally assembled a great crew of receivers, backs, and tight ends for him to distribute the ball to.
Starting at running back, Nick Chubb really doesn't need any introduction. Of course, the RB duo of Chubb and Kareem Hunt is no more, but Chubb undoubtedly will provide the Browns with all they need from the position and the team will expect young players to step up behind him.
At receiver, Amari Cooper was a gift from the football gods for this team last offseason. Cooper is such a perfect player for this Browns offense to filter their passing game through, and the team has now added a dynamic receiver with speed to the mix by trading for Elijah Moore from the New York Jets. Moore's insertion into the offense is another godsend for the Browns, but the team was able to steal Cedric Tillman in the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL Draft as well.
Tillman gives the Browns another big-bodied option at the receiver position along with some athletic tight ends in David Njoku and the very underrated Jordan Akins. For my money, Akins was one of the most underrated pickups of the 2023 offseason by any team given the trajectory he's been on.
This selection of weaponry gives Stefanski so many options and is undoubtedly one of his biggest strengths this year, arguably the biggest of them all.