Historical win from Kevin Stefanski proves Browns need to extend the head coach

Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns accomplished something on Sunday that has happened just eight times in NFL history. With Joe Flacco leading them to a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, they're now just the eighth team to win using four starting quarterbacks in the same season. That feat should be more than enough for him to earn an extension as he's in the final year of his contract.

Stefanski has had to pivot all season after believing the franchise's quarterback carousel finally ended. After years of searching for a franchise signal-caller, they were turning to Deshaun Watson who signed a five-year, $230 million deal after being traded in 2022. Following a season where he was suspended for 11 games, Watson was primed to lead this franchise back to the playoffs.

We all know by now that this isn't what happened. Watson was injured in their Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans and missed Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens. That was when they turned to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who struggled in his first NFL start.

That led to P.J. Walker taking over until Watson was back. Of course, that didn't last long as Watson suffered another shoulder injury in a Week 10 win over Baltimore. Cleveland went back to DTR this time but he was lost due to a concussion and it became Flacco time — just a couple of weeks after he was signed to the practice squad.

In his two starts, Flacco has brought poise, leadership, and confidence to the offense. He's thrown for 565 yards with five touchdowns and two picks in his two games. With that performance, Flacco has earned the praise — and trust — of his teammates after his hot start. He's also been named the starter for the remainder of the season, which makes sense.

While he's getting all the praise, Stefanski's work shouldn't be overlooked. He's been coaching as well as anyone and while he might frustrate many fans with his penchant for passing the ball, you can't argue that this team has no business being 8-5 considering all the losses they've suffered. That's due to the culture the head coach has created and he should be here for the foreseeable future.

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