BEREA, Ohio — Less than a week after saying a change in offensive playcaller was “not something we’re talking about,” Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski seemed to change his tune after his team’s third straight loss.
When asked Monday if he would consider handing over playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Stefanski didn’t dismiss a potential change.
“I think there’s a bunch of different things that we want to look at and see how we’re doing from an operation standpoint on offense,” Stefanski said. “I think Ken’s been an outstanding partner in all this. So those are the type of things that I will always look at. But really it just gets back to making sure that we’re putting our guys in position is what we’ll look at ultimately.”
In a 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders, the Browns failed to reach 20 points for the fifth straight game, the longest streak to start a season since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999, according to ESPN Research.
Stefanski has called plays in Cleveland since being hired as head coach in 2020. The Browns hired Dorsey, the Buffalo Bills‘ former offensive coordinator, to replace Alex Van Pelt, who is now the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. Dorsey, who was given the title of coordinator in Buffalo before the 2022 season, called plays before being fired 10 games into the 2023 season.
Stefanski also reiterated he will stick with Deshaun Watson as starting quarterback, despite Watson posting the worst total QBR (21.0) in the NFL among qualified passers.
“Deshaun can play better. He will play better,” Stefanski said. “He’s had some obviously good moments and then there’s times that we have to play better around him, but he’s committed to getting better. We’re committed as an offense to putting our guys in position to succeed.”
He said the decision to continue to start Watson was ultimately his to make.
“I make decisions for our football team, but I obviously consult with [GM] Andrew [Berry]. We talk about everything that goes on with our football team, but ultimately, it’s my decision,” he said.
