Latest news with #Stefanski
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
AFC North has three teams make a list of NFL head coaches on the hot seat
AFC North has three teams make a list of NFL head coaches on the hot seat The AFC North had three head coaches make a PFF list of 10 NFL head coaches on the hot seat for 2025 with the Ravens John Harbaugh avoiding the dreaded list The NFL only has 32 head coaching jobs, and the AFC North is a yearly pressure cooker with two or three teams always in the mix or landing a postseason opportunity. Expectations are heavy, and as teams continue OTAs and mandatory minicamps, PFF is taking an early look at which NFL coaches could be on the hot seat. PFF listed ten head coaches from around the league, with three coming from the AFC North. Kevin Stefanski, Browns In five seasons with the Browns, the Philadelphia native has a 40-44 record (.476) with two playoff appearances. What PFF said: Like Daboll, Stefanski likely heard the chatter about his job security after a dismal season. The former two-time Coach of the Year witnessed his Browns squad go only 3-14 and net the second-overall selection. Stefanski is an interesting case study, given his prior success and offensive abilities, as the Browns finished ninth in EPA per play during the 2020 campaign. More broadly, he has compiled a 40-44 record with two trips to the playoffs and a postseason win — the same number the team had earned since the 1994 season. Still, it's hard to overcome Cleveland's metrics last year, particularly sitting 32nd in offensive EPA per play and 31st in success rate. A once-formidable defense also regressed tremendously, concluding the year 15th in EPA per play and 29th in PFF coverage grade. Zac Taylor, Bengals Taylor has a 46-52-1 record in six seasons with the Bengals. Taylor has led Cincinnati to two postseason appearances, but none in the last two years. What PFF said: The Bengals went 9-8 in 2024, a record many teams would have loved to have reached. But considering the talent on the roster and a waning championship window, it feels like a prove-it year for Taylor. Although Cincinnati's offense finished seventh in EPA per play, its defense languished to 28th in success rate despite Trey Hendrickson's presence (90.4 PFF pass-rushing grade). Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins effectively played like Madden characters each week, and it still wasn't enough to crack the playoffs — largely due to a 1-4 start. Cincinnati extended both Chase (84.9 PFF receiving grade) and Higgins (88.3 PFF receiving grade), keeping the groundwork in place for another high-flying offense. But it's fair to wonder how much better the defense is on paper, even after adding top picks Shemar Stewart (79.5 PFF overall grade) and Demetrius Knight Jr. (82.8 PFF overall grade). Mike Tomlin, Steelers Tomlin has a 183-107-2 record in 18 years with the Steelers, but his playoff win drought is concerning. What PFF said about Tomlin: Tomlin remains among the NFL's most contested coaches. Some feel he's one of the league's very best in his ability to finish with a winning record despite poor rosters, while the other side of the spectrum stresses his consistent failures late in the season. The Steelers have amassed a 38-29-1 record over the past four years but haven't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, which is a staggering amount of time considering the talent they've had in that span and how many opportunities the organization has had to change that. Since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, Pittsburgh has mostly been handicapped by subpar quarterback play, cycling through motley options — even in 2025. Another complicating factor is a high-paid defense that underwhelmed in 2024, sitting 18th in EPA per play and 30th in success rate from Week 10 onward. Tomlin's poor timeout management, questionable late-down decision making, challenge indiscretions and roster building all warrant criticism. If the Steelers end north of .500 yet again, it feels implausible that owner Art Rooney would actually make a change from his 19-year head coach. But how long can a storied franchise that prides itself on achievements be content with doing nothing in January as others in the AFC keep lapping them?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shedeur Sanders' training camp plan revealed by Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are coming up on their spring organized team activities, and the main storyline will be the quarterback battle featuring former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders joins third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett as the four quarterbacks fighting for the top position. Former Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson is also on the roster but is recovering from an Achilles injury. Advertisement On Friday, Stefanski appeared on ESPN Cleveland to discuss his crowded quarterback room and explain how he will divide the offseason reps. "I told the players, 'Don't pay attention to where you are in line because where you are on Tuesday, it may be different than Wednesday," Stefanski told ESPN Cleveland. "So no, we don't pay close attention to that. Certainly, you have to decide what order the guys are gonna go out, and sometimes it may be player X, player Y, whatever it is." It certainly sounds like an open competition, and Stefanski went further, saying that reps will fluctuate throughout the offseason as the Browns continue evaluating the signal callers. "The big thing for us is making sure we give the guys enough reps that they need," Stefanski said. "It's two-fold. Both, they're learning the system, they're developing, and we're evaluating them and finding out more about them. That's why I said before, it's not going to be everybody gets 25% of these reps. It's not how it's gonna be. We want to give everybody enough reps where we can learn more about them and prepare them to get ready to play." The Browns' four-person quarterback competition is unique considering two of the four quarterbacks were not even on the roster a month ago. Drafting two rookie quarterbacks at similar points in the draft is uncommon, but the Browns hope it brings out the best in both Sanders and Gabriel. Advertisement Despite falling to the fifth round, Sanders seems to have every shot at the starting job this season, especially after impressing at rookie minicamp. Stefanski, when asked about Sanders specifically, praised the rookie quarterback for the work he has done so far. "He's in there early, he's getting his work done," Stefanski said. "He's working really, really hard. I like everything there is about Shedeur." Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns training camp plan announced
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Shedeur Sanders' training camp plan revealed by Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders' training camp plan revealed by Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are coming up on their spring organized team activities, and the main storyline will be the quarterback battle featuring former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders joins third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett as the four quarterbacks fighting for the top position. Former Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson is also on the roster but is recovering from an Achilles injury. On Friday, Stefanski appeared on ESPN Cleveland to discuss his crowded quarterback room and explain how he will divide the offseason reps. "I told the players, 'Don't pay attention to where you are in line because where you are on Tuesday, it may be different than Wednesday," Stefanski told ESPN Cleveland. "So no, we don't pay close attention to that. Certainly, you have to decide what order the guys are gonna go out, and sometimes it may be player X, player Y, whatever it is." It certainly sounds like an open competition, and Stefanski went further, saying that reps will fluctuate throughout the offseason as the Browns continue evaluating the signal callers. "The big thing for us is making sure we give the guys enough reps that they need," Stefanski said. "It's two-fold. Both, they're learning the system, they're developing, and we're evaluating them and finding out more about them. That's why I said before, it's not going to be everybody gets 25% of these reps. It's not how it's gonna be. We want to give everybody enough reps where we can learn more about them and prepare them to get ready to play." The Browns' four-person quarterback competition is unique considering two of the four quarterbacks were not even on the roster a month ago. Drafting two rookie quarterbacks at similar points in the draft is uncommon, but the Browns hope it brings out the best in both Sanders and Gabriel. Despite falling to the fifth round, Sanders seems to have every shot at the starting job this season, especially after impressing at rookie minicamp. Stefanski, when asked about Sanders specifically, praised the rookie quarterback for the work he has done so far. "He's in there early, he's getting his work done," Stefanski said. "He's working really, really hard. I like everything there is about Shedeur." Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Dillon Gabriel Has A Better Chance At the Browns' QB Future Than Shedeur Sanders Does
The Cleveland Browns have had a quarterback problem since the NFL granted the regeneration of the franchise in 1999. The legendary Browns quarterback jerseys tell the sad story of an organization that has swung mightily and struck out spectacularly over and over at football's most important position. The biggest swing and miss was obviously the trade for Deshaun Watson on March 18, 2022. Giving three first-round picks to the Houston Texans for Watson, and subsequently signing Watson to a five-year, $230 million, fully guaranteed contract has become one of the worst deals in sports history, because Watson has been an epic disaster both on and off the field. Advertisement That Watson deal will hamstring the Browns for at least the next two years, but the idea is still to put a competitive team on the field. They did so in 2023 despite the quarterback questions with one of NFL's best defense; plummeting from 11-6 to 3-14 last season was more about defensive injuries than anything happening to a quarterback room where the bar was already underground. Now, the quarterback room still demands clarity. There's the return of Joe Flacco, a semi-legend for the team in 2023. There's former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, fighting for his NFL life in Season 4. And there are two picks in the 2025 draft: Oregon's Dillon Gabriel with the 94th overall pick in the third round, and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round. In a public perception sense, Gabriel is the underdog here, because nobody would shut up about Sanders' fall from alleged first-round talent to fifth-round reality for whatever reason. But when you look at the schematic preferences shown by head coach and offensive shot-caller Kevin Stefanski, it's really the other way around. Go back to the 2023 season, before Stefanski switched up the passing game to align with what he thought would make things easier and better for Watson. The 2024 Browns with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey were more simplistic in their concepts and personnel groupings, but if you revert to the years before that, Stefanski wants a passing in which two- and three-tight ends sets are the order of the day and quarterbacks are on the move in designed concepts. Advertisement Even with Flacco as the post-Watson starter in 2023, the quarterback was on the move. Flacco threw from outside the pocket 35 times on 38 dropbacks, completing 24 passes for 482 yards, 275 air yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and a league-best passer rating of 150.9. Stefanski was going to get his quarterback on the move no matter what, even with a quarterback to whom "sneaky athletic" would be an overestimation. Well, when you review what Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry had to say about both Gabriel and Sanders after they were drafted, the preference is clear, and though both men insisted that team owner Jimmy Haslam did not interfere with the Sanders addition as he has quite often in the past with horrible results (the Watson deal and selecting Johnny Manziel with the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 draft)... well, statements say a lot. "We really felt strongly about Dillon throughout this process," Stefanski said. "You know, I think he's a really strong, really, really good prospect. You know, that's not to say that we didn't meet with other quarterbacks that we thought were really talented players and good people. But, we felt strongly about Dillon. We think he's an excellent player and felt like he was the most appropriate player to pick for both.' Advertisement When asked about Gabriel's height as an issue — Gabriel measured 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds at the scouting combine — Stefanski had a ready answer for that, which tells you that the Browns had already audited the issue. 'It's a good question," Stefanski said. "Obviously, there's guys that have come before Dillon. There are guys that will come after him that don't have the, quote, unquote, 'ideal height'. But hasn't held him back in his career. You know, he's been that height for a long time. He finds a way to get it done. And, you know, that's so important. There's quarterbacks, different shapes and sizes. You have to be able to move in the pocket. You have to feel the pocket, you have to find throwing lanes, you have to change arm angles. All that comes innately, I think, to players based on how they've kind of played the game their whole life.' A lot of shorter quarterbacks avoid throwing to the middle of the field simply because they can't see over the behemoths in front of them, So, the best adaptive strategy is to get outside the pocket and force throwing lanes. Gabriel had no issues with that last season. When throwing outside the pocket to areas of the field charted as left or right middle or middle, Gabriel completed 29 of 39 passes for 432 yards, 188 air yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 149.8. These were the statements of an organization that got a quarterback they believed in. Interestingly, Berry was asked at the end of Day 2 what he thought about Sanders still being on the board. Advertisement 'You know what, I think it's unfair for me to comment... I guess, maybe on behalf of the industry," he said. "All I can say is this: You know, the time that we spent with Shedeur and what he's done throughout his college career is impressive. He's an impressive young man. He's a really good quarterback. Sometimes, fit comes into play, and I'd also say this, there are four more rounds of the draft. Lastly, it's less about where you get picked, and what you do after you get picked. That's really the most important thing. Getting to know him over the course of the spring, he has a ton of resolve, and I think he's going to find himself in a really good spot.' Well, if fit comes into play, and the Browns had already selected the quarterback they thought brought the best team/player fit, what does that tell you? At the end of Day 3, when Sanders had been selected, Berry explained it thusly: 'I just say the biggest thing for us, you know, we live by our board. We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position. We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it's a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot. So, I wouldn't say it's any more than that. Obviously, Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing's been promised. Nothing will be given. So, I may hesitate to characterize it as a blockbuster. That's not necessarily how we thought of the transaction, but we are excited to work with him.' Advertisement One thing Berry said put a different cast on the whole thing. "I can't really speak on what other people think. I can describe how we view him. We view him as a highly accurate pocket passer. He does a really good job of protecting the ball. He has enough of the physical characteristics, whether it's arm strength or mobility. Like all young players, there are things to improve. I think probably much has been said about the number of sacks he's taken. Some of that is environment and some of that is improvement on his end, for sure. But he has probably a little bit more of a, call it retro or classic style of play. Again, I can't speak to how others view him.' If it sounds as if the Browns had evaluated Gabriel more specifically and Sanders more generally, that might indeed be a thing. Perhaps they got the man they wanted in Gabriel, and Sanders in the fifth round was a flyer pick just too good to pass up. And who knows what happens when everyone gets on the field? What we do know is that while Sanders did throw outside the pocket a lot, it was far less by design and far more out of desperation when the Buffaloes' offensive line performed its usual implosion. What we also know is that while Sanders tends to drift in the pocket to his own detriment when under pressure, Gabriel is generally more adept at redefining his launch point to re-set and make the accurate downfield throw. This is not to say that Shedeur Sanders is utterly miscast in the Browns' offense, or that he has no chance to succeed. But when you look at what this particular coaching staff has preferred schematically when the Deshaun Watson albatross wasn't hanging around their necks, it's also clear that Dillon Gabriel is the better fit. Advertisement Which explains the Browns' more detailed answers about Gabriel's place in that offense, and how things might organically develop in the end. Related: How the Seahawks Can Turn QB Jalen Milroe Into Their Future King Related: Shedeur Sanders Isn't Being Blackballed — He's Being Tebowed
Fox News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Travis Hunter's 'fisherman' habit makes being a 2-way star possible, Browns coach says
Top NFL Draft prospect Travis Hunter has made his intentions clear for his rookie season – he only intends to play for a team that will utilize him on both sides of the ball. While some NFL coaches have expressed reservations about being a two-way star at the professional level, one coach seems to believe it's possible. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he spoke with the former Colorado star about those concerns. He said based on their conversation, he believes Hunter is "equipped to do both." "You know, I remember having a conversation with him about, 'There's only so many hours in the day, so you're going to have to meet extra with this coach or that coach,' and he made a comment that he's a fisherman. He gets up at 5 in the morning quite often, so that's not a problem for him in terms of maximizing his day." Stefanski added that Hunter "is somebody that is uniquely equipped to do both." Hunter is projected to be selected by the Browns with the No. 2 overall pick, and the move would make sense for the Heisman Trophy winner based on Stefanski's remarks. Hunter recently said he would rather quit football altogether than be stuck to just one position. "It's never playing football again," he told CBS Sports. "Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it." Some NFL coaches have questioned the reality of that outcome. "It's going to be interesting to see how they do it, wherever he goes. But to say that you're going to be completely immersed in everything that there is to know on offense and everything there is to (know on) defense, I don't know if there's enough hours in the day for a player to be able to do that and to have every detail locked down," Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said last week. "You could certainly do it, I would think, on one side of the ball and then have some sort of a package on the other side of the ball, which is my guess is how the team will do it, wherever he goes." Last season, Hunter played 713 snaps on offense and 748 snaps on defense and was still incredibly productive despite the enormous amount of snaps. He had 96 catches for 1,258 yards with 15 touchdowns as a wide receiver, while he had 35 tackles with four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and one forced fumble as a cornerback. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
