As owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam spent the past few months trying to secure funding for a new, domed, multipurpose stadium in Cleveland’s suburbs, their football team fell apart.
The Browns are in trouble.
A season that seemed to fall apart weeks ago hit a new low on Sunday with a 35-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Saints outscored the Browns 21-0 in the fourth quarter, turning a close game into a blowout.
The final nail in the coffin came from the Saints’ versatile player Taysom Hill, who sprinted 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter without much resistance from the Browns’ defense. This was his third touchdown of the game, and it was one of the easier runs in the NFL this season.
After losing to a team with only three wins, the Browns are facing tough questions about their players’ effort, and there is growing speculation that major changes could be coming. Just a year ago, the team made it to the playoffs and entered this season with high hopes of competing for a Super Bowl.
Instead, the Browns (2-8) are facing a tough stretch in their schedule, starting with a game against Pittsburgh on Thursday, and now looking at the possibility of a major organizational shake-up.
Coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry — both of whom received contract extensions from the Haslams this past summer — are now under scrutiny, with some wondering if they’re fighting to keep their jobs.
The situation in Cleveland is a mess, and it could get worse if the Browns don’t start winning some games. This is a results-driven business.
Stefanski gave his usual “we need to be better” assessment on Monday, which frustrated fans but, unfortunately, sums up the team’s troubling situation. The Browns have struggled in every area of the game, and the variety of issues makes it hard to blame just one person.
“Very disappointing,” Stefanski said during a Zoom call. “Disappointing going into the fourth quarter with the chance and then not finish that game. And we all share in it. It’s an offense, defense, special teams, players and coaches type of thing, so we all share in it.”
However, not everyone will face consequences for the team’s failure.
It’s hard to place all the blame on Stefanski, a two-time AP Coach of the Year who is 39-38 in his time with Cleveland and has led the Browns to the playoffs twice in five seasons.
He did, however, stick with an underperforming Deshaun Watson longer than he probably should have before the quarterback suffered a torn Achilles tendon last month. Stefanski is well-liked and respected by his players.
As for Berry, his draft record has been questionable, and the team has been hit hard by injuries to key players.
When the Haslams announced contract extensions for Berry and Stefanski in June, they praised the two for their “collaborative approach” and their ability to “overcome obstacles,” believing it would set the team up for success in the future.
Now, that sense of stability is looking uncertain.
