Trust Kevin Stefanski To Play Right Cards This Weekend
Credit: Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
Between Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., and Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns have had enough drama themselves for the entire NFL for the previous three offseasons. While the drama hasn’t been zero over the last few months, it certainly has been less than what fans have gotten used to.
Well, it appears that drama has come back to terrorize Cleveland once again after the Browns were dominated in their first preseason game vs. the Green Bay Packers. Even though the preseason is all but meaningless, the Browns’ lackluster performance in every facet of the game instantly had people questioning Kevin Stefanski.
Fans should be displeased with how the team performed last week, but the roster was limited in that game, as Stefanski preserved many of his starters for this week’s joint practices. Unlike a preseason game, coaches can protect their quarterback by blowing a whistle, which means for the starters, joint practice week has all but replaced the preseason.
So now after a full week of practices with the Minnesota Vikings, we will see any starters vs. the Vikings in the preseason game on Saturday? We don’t know quite yet, but whether the Browns’ top players play or not, it’s crucial for Stefanski to play the starting offensive line.
From what the beat writers are reporting, Watson has continued to look sharp, but the offensive line still seems much shakier than it should be. When Watson had time, he was able to find receivers, but that wasn’t always the case, as the inconsistency at the tackles has caused Cleveland to shuffle the deck at the position.
Because of this, Stefanski must throw the starting offensive line out there on Saturday afternoon. Even if it is for 8 to 10 plays, getting this struggling group some good reps in pass protection is key for them to regain confidence. Even if guys like Watson, Amari Cooper, and David Njoku are idle again, it will be a benefit to get the offensive line out.
If the line is struggling in drills, what reason is there to believe they will gain confidence in a game? The major difference is that drills will always favor the defense, even in 11-on-11 drills meant to simulate game action. The offense doesn’t ever get a chance to get in a rhythm like during a game, and since there’s no real penalty for getting burned by blitzing, it’s easy for defensive linemen to just pin their ears back.
As for the defense, don’t expect to see guys like Myles Garrett or Denzel Ward because of their importance to the team, nor are injured players like Dalvin Tomlinson and Za’Darius Smtih likely to play. After Michael Hall Jr.’s arrest following a domestic incident, he will probably not be active this weekend.
Fortunately, the unit has been reported to look solid all week, and it was fantastic to see the team finally work out a long-term deal with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Martin Emerson continues to shine and Garrett proves he can’t be blocked. Given the track record of Jim Schwartz and what we saw last year, the starters on defense aren’t likely to need any real preseason time to get cohesion. With so many guys already struggling with injuries, look for Stefanski to completely punt on playing any starters.
Remember, there is a fine line that Stefanski has to walk when it comes to playing his starters. If he throws Watson and the offense out there and they fall flat on their fact two series in a row, does that really help prepare them for the season? And honestly, what does it tell you if he puts them out there and they go score on a second-team vanilla defense? After a heavy contact week with the Vikings in joint practices, just trust what he decides (except, he should really get that offensive line out there). Although we haven’t seen this team live up to its potential just yet, Stefanski has at least done enough to earn our trust.
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