The Cleveland Browns wasted no time addressing their struggles following a disappointing 2024 season that ended with a loss to Baltimore. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made his first moves by firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson, marking the beginning of what will be a busy offseason for the franchise.
The Browns finished with a 3-14 record, closing the season with a six-game losing streak. They now have a guaranteed spot in the top three of the NFL draft, a far cry from the playoff expectations they had after last season.
“Just bottom line, I want to go in a different direction,” Stefanski said after the team’s 35-10 loss in Baltimore. “We need to improve, as everybody knows, on the offensive side of the ball. That’s what we plan to do.” He added that he didn’t expect any other “major” changes to the coaching staff.
Dorsey and Dickerson were informed of their dismissals shortly after the loss. This marked a difficult end for the team after one of their most disappointing seasons in history.
Stefanski, a two-time AP Coach of the Year, and general manager Andrew Berry, who will meet with the media soon, both survived the challenging year. Stefanski is already searching for his third offensive coordinator since 2020, with tight ends coach Tommy Rees reportedly a potential internal candidate.
The Browns’ troubles go beyond coaching changes. There are key decisions to be made at the quarterback position and with superstar defensive end Myles Garrett’s future.
Garrett hinted after Saturday’s game that a contract extension could be in the works. He has made it clear to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild and has even suggested the possibility of requesting a trade.
Garrett, who still has two years left on his $125 million contract, wants to see the team’s plans for the offseason. While the defense didn’t perform as expected, the offense was even worse.
Under Dorsey, the Browns’ offense ranked last in scoring and only reached 20 points in three games. Dorsey had been hired to help structure an offense around quarterback Deshaun Watson’s abilities.
However, Watson struggled after returning from shoulder surgery, and the Browns went 1-6 in his starts before he ruptured his Achilles tendon in October. Stefanski handed play-calling duties to Dorsey, but the offense only showed brief promise when Jameis Winston took over.
However, Winston was benched after throwing eight interceptions in three games. Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe also started games, with Zappe playing against the Ravens, making him Cleveland’s 40th starting quarterback since 1999.
Replacing Bill Callahan, who left to coach in Tennessee, was always going to be a tough task for any coach. Dickerson’s tenure struggled as the Browns’ running game never got going, partly due to running back Nick Chubb recovering from knee surgery. The offensive line also gave up 66 sacks.
Right tackle Jack Conklin expressed sympathy for Dickerson, stating, “It was a tall task for anybody to take over. I feel bad for Andy having it go this way.” Conklin said the change in offensive philosophy didn’t help. “Obviously wanted to have success in doing this other offense, but it just didn’t work.”
Left guard Joel Bitonio also spoke about the changes to the offense. He believes a return to a run-heavy, play-action system would be beneficial, as that’s what Stefanski is most comfortable with. “The line was kind of built that way as well,” Bitonio said.
“I thought me and Wyatt (Teller) as pullers running some outside zone… that was what I did well in my career, and I probably pulled less than 10 times this year overall. And there were games in my career where I pulled eight or 10 times in a game, so it was different, for sure.”
