Daily Dawg Tags: Browns no longer defined by losing thanks to Kevin Stefanski

For far too long, the Cleveland Browns have been known as a losing franchise. Before Kevin Stefanski was hired, they had just two winning seasons since their re-birth in 1999. And during that span, they made the playoffs just once prior to his 2020 hiring.

Their win on Sunday improved them to 9-5 on the year which is the second winning campaign in his four seasons. They're also closing in on an AFC playoff spot which would also be his second berth — again, they had just one before he arrived. Statistics like this are why Stefanski is being praised as the one who ended the losing stigma for this franchise. That story and more can be found in today's Daily Dawg Tags.

Cleveland Browns News

Thanks to Kevin Stefanski, the Browns Are No Longer Defined by Their Past Losing — Connor Orr, SI.com

"Here is a bit of notable minutiae: Before Kevin Stefanski, the last coach to achieve multiple seasons with more wins than losses was … Marty Schottenheimer, from 1986 to ’88. This is one of those factoids that places decades of confusion, misery and incompetence into a neat little display, allowing us all to properly gauge its true size and scope."

Sunday's win means the Browns will have their second winning campaign in four years under Kevin Stefanski. There will always be those who don't like him simply due to his desire to throw the ball (even though they're still one of the top rushing teams) but what he's done in 2023 is truly remarkable. And it finally has this team relevant again.

TE David Njoku showed how he's a complete tight end in Week 15 — Doc Louallen, ClevelandBrowns.com

"Njoku has been on a tear for the Browns in the past two weeks. After scoring two touchdowns last week against the Jaguars, Njoku kept his momentum going into this week's game against the Bears. He finished with 10 catches for 104 yards, and his 10 receptions are a career high. He also scored a touchdown to bring his total to five for the year."

David Njoku has been playing like a man possessed. For whatever reason, his rapport with Joe Flacco is superior to anything he's had with any other quarterback. This weekend, he was the main reason Cleveland moved the ball on their final drive and he deserves much of the credit for the victory.

Week 15 instant reactions: David Njoku heroics lead to Cleveland Browns comeback win — DPD

It's hard not to praise David Njoku too much for what he did on Sunday. He not only had over 100 yards and 10 receptions but his running after the catch has been a huge factor in their recent success. He's proven to be one of the best tight ends in the entire NFL and is still getting better.

Executive believes Deshaun Watson is 'done' as a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns — DPD

While the Browns are tearing it up on the field, there's still some potential drama ahead of them in 2024. They'll be turning back to Deshaun Watson and there will be questions about how things look when they go from Jpe Flacco back to No. 4. Perhaps the fact that this even leads to a concern might be why one NFL executive or head coach says Watson might be done with the Browns.

Joe Flacco and the play action passing game is a perfect marriage — Mac Blank, DPD

Even before the game Sunday, Mac Blank was looking at the numbers when it came to Joe Flacco and the play-action. It's clear that the veteran quarterback is making the most of this — and has defenses struggling even though the run game hasn't been on fire. That's one of the reasons there's so much belief surrounding this team despite all the injuries.