Amid a disastrous start, the Browns are changing play-callers. Despite winning Coach of the Year twice since arriving in Cleveland in 2020, Kevin Stefanski will hand over play-calling duties to his new top lieutenant.
Ken Dorsey will take over in that role, Stefanski announced Wednesday. This comes nearly a year after the Bills fired Dorsey from his post as their offensive play-caller. While Stefanski is determining if Dorsey will call plays from the sideline or the booth, he is delegating play-calling responsibilities after holding that role for four-plus seasons.
Refusing to bench Deshaun Watson, Stefanski had said he needed to be better in the play-calling role. With Watson out of the picture for the season’s remainder (and potentially for good in Cleveland, though his contract remains an anchor), Dorsey will take over for the accomplished HC. With the Browns set to start Jameis Winston in Week 8, he will hear the former Bills OC calling the shots.
Stefanski saw his offense work with Baker Mayfield in 2020 and again with Joe Flacco, despite a spate of injuries on offense, last season. Both slates ended with the Cleveland HC honored as NFL Coach of the Year. Stefanski also coaxed decent play from Jacoby Brissett during Watson’s 11-game suspension in 2022. The Stefanski-Watson partnership did not mesh and while the latter probably deserves the lion’s share of the blame (as he ranks last in QBR and first in guaranteed money), this has not been the coach’s finest hour either. The Browns enter Week 8 last in total offense and 29th in scoring.
Although Jimmy Haslam placed what can now be labeled blame on GM Andrew Berry for hatching the plan to fully guarantee Watson’s contract to convince him to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland in 2022, Stefanski was believed to be aligned with the front office boss. The Watson vision backfired spectacularly and the Browns now must navigate a season that involves seller’s trades despite a quarterback signed at a fully guaranteed rate through 2026. Despite Berry and Stefanski having signed extensions this offseason, it would not be out of the question ownership is evaluating both long term — given the Watson debacle. Dorsey is suddenly a key player in this chapter.
The Bills fired Dorsey despite coaching a top-five offense. Buffalo began to lean on the run game more under interim OC Joe Brady, with Dorsey playing a role in attempting to influence Josh Allen to run less (for body preservation purposes). As Allen struggled with turnovers and the Bills in a midseason slump last season, Sean McDermott fired Dorsey. In Dorsey’s one full season as Buffalo’s OC (2022), the team ranked second in both points and yards. Of course, Allen played the lead role there. Going from the MVP candidate to Winston will be a steep drop for the second-chance OC.
Stefanski did not initially announce he would keep play-calling duties until training camp. Put in position to justify Watson’s starting role repeatedly, Stefanski will now shift into a CEO role to close out his fifth season as Browns HC. Watson’s endless struggles puts Stefanski in a tough spot and despite Flacco’s success producing a playoff berth, Stefanski — the Vikings’ play-caller before taking the Browns job in 2020 — will take a step back.
