BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski rarely shows his emotions on the outside.
But Cleveland’s stoic coach couldn’t contain himself in Sunday’s 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On a key fourth-and-three call early in the fourth quarter, Browns quarterback Joe Flacco dodged a Jaguar rush and found second-year wide receiver David Bell.
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Playoff Car »• playoff arm, tournament design »• Complete program” | Status” | More “When Bell returned and ran 41 yards untouched, the first of his career, Stefanski sprinted to the sideline and roared with his players.
“This game was a really big moment for our football team,” Stefanski said Wednesday.
“And then after I saw (Floco) play the pressure, I saw D-Bell go inside. … “
I feed off the emotions of our players and it was an emotional game for our football team.
“A football team that keeps winning despite the players always losing.
The Browns are already the first NFL team to start four different quarterbacks in a season since the Houston Texans in 2015.
Cleveland also lost several key players to season-ending injuries, including All-Pro running back Nick Chubb (knee), quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and Jack Conklin (knee) and backup Dwand Jones (knee) and more recently safety Grant Delpit (groin) and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (groin) all suffered injuries in the win at Jacksonville.
Despite injuries and quarterback musical chairs, Stefanski has the Browns at 8-5 and alone in the AFC playoff race for the No. 1 seed. 5.
“He’s coachable,” Browns All-Pro quarterback Myles Garrett said.
Stefanski battled through a series of season-ending injuries and played four different quarterbacks to give the Browns a tough playoff run.
Stefanski enters the 2023 season looking like one of the best coaches in the league after two losing seasons.
In his first year with the Browns in 2020, Stefanski led Cleveland to their first playoff appearance in 18 years en route to winning NFL Coach of the Year honors.
But the past two seasons, the Browns have struggled to make the playoffs, first with quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2021 and then with Watson, who missed the first 11 games last year while serving a suspension for violating NFL policy. making the playoffs.
As the Browns bounce back this season, Stefanski appears to no longer be on the right bench.
Editor’s Choice Browns QB Flacco is the starter through the remainder of 2023.
3D Jake Trotter The Browns will lose two key defensive players to injuries 21:00 Jake Trotter Garrett:
This win was a tragedy for the Browns4 dIn fact, heading into the final month of the season, he could be a strong contender to win NFL Coach of the Year honors.
He could be extended this season. “He’s doing a great job and I think he deserves a lot of credit because of the number of variables he’s had to deal with this year,” Flacco said.
“He’s the first person I look at when I talk about it.”No NFL coach has dealt with more variables at quarterback than Stefanski.
Sophomore P.J. Walker and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson were ruled out for all three games after Watson suffered two right shoulder injuries.
Cleveland won that game 3-3 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
That included a shocking 19-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, a stunning 39-38 comeback victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 with Walker behind center, and then a 13-10 win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Thompson-Robinson came up with the game-winning layup.Stefanski also plays as a striker.
Because he called the plays, the Browns failed to light up the scoreboard in any of the wins. But they attacked enough to win.
Play 1:13Peyton Manning explains Joe Flacco’s ’38 success. Peyton Manning credited Joe Flacco with his resurgence as a quarterback for the Browns.
“He has three big strengths,” general manager Andrew Berry said of Stefanski. “His intelligence, creativity and emotional control.”
Stefanski’s approach helped Cleveland weather the storm of injuries and avoid locker room chaos.
A direct connection to the 38-year-old Flacco could give the Browns a chance to make the postseason.
Cleveland signed Flacco on Nov. 20 after Watson was scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.
On December 3, Flacco made his season debut and gave up three hits, but the Los Angeles Rams rallied late to win.
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Browns’ Stefanski ‘practices to death’• Dolphins must overcome losses and distractions.• Vikings, Mullens focus on postseasonWith his performance in Jacksonville, Flacco became one of five players in NFL history (since the 1970 merger) to score five touchdowns in the first two games with a new team.
And the Browns became the eighth team since 1950 to win four different quarterbacks in a season.
“When I was there, he understood more about what we were doing and we were able to talk more in the conference room. “
The more you play, the more stories you have,” he said. Flacco, who is three years younger than Stefanski, says:
Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Browns have gone through dozens of head coaches.
No coach has lasted more than three seasons since owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam took over the team in 2012. Stefanski is looking to break that infamous pattern by giving the Browns the winning coach they’ve been craving.
“Everything changed throughout the year, moving pieces, substitutions, they did a great job and answered our calls,” Garrett said.
