If Kevin Stefanski Doesn't Watch His Step These Next Two Weeks Then Myles Garrett Could End Up Forcing The Browns To Sack Him
Cleveland.com -- Kevin Stefanski proved on Saturday that he won’t play favorites.
He benched Myles Garrett for the first drive of the Browns’ 17-10 loss to the Saints on Saturday for a disciplinary reason, stating “that was just a team thing. That was my decision.”
Stefanski declined to elaborate, but a league source also told cleveland.com Garrett was also fined for his misstep, and that the issue was related to him being sick last week and supposedly not properly communicating with the team. He sat out practice Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to the field Friday on a limited basis. He didn’t have an injury designation, meaning he would play.
Of all the stupid shit that has happened with the Browns this season this one barely even registers. Myles Garrett, who had a legitimate argument to be in the NFL defensive player of the year conversation heading into the week, was sat for three plays to start a game that realistically didn't mean much in the grand scheme of the NFL schedule. The reason he was sat was apparently because he failed to properly report to the team that he was sick.
He played just 36 snaps on Sunday and did not add to his 13.5 sacks for the season, which should all but end any hope he had of landing the DPOY award.
Garrett, who sat out practice on Tuesday and Wednesday because of an illness but returned on Thursday, played only 36 snaps for 67%. He made three tackles on the slippery track, and didn’t have many opportunities to try to add to his 13.5 sacks, which slipped from third in the NFL heading into the game to fourth.
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So Myles sat out Tuesday and Wednesday with an illness but he did not properly disclose it to the team? What the hell does that even mean? And why would this deserve a suspension - albeit for just one series - but flipping your Porsche while driving like you are in real life GTA doesn't?
I just wonder what the convoluted protocol is for "properly communicating" being sick to the Browns, a team that seems to try and make every simple thing as difficult as possible. Sorry Myles, I know you shot us a text but next time we're going to need you to take a picture of your stool and send it to us as well. We're experts in looking at shit, we watch it every single week on the field.
Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill here but I'd think Kevin Stefanski would want to be strengthening alliances in the Browns facility and not making enemies. Especially one as powerful as Myles Garrett.
To say fans are unhappy with Stefanski's play calling would be the understatement of the year. If all the gasoline wasn't already bought up by people preparing for the deep freeze in Cleveland this week you would probably have mobs of pissed off Browns fans marching on the facility with burning torches.
I've been around long enough to know that fans' feelings shouldn't play into any decision that ownership makes. But I've also been around long enough to know that Jimmy Haslam is a crazy asshole who will make massive decisions based on what random homeless guys in downtown Cleveland say.
So even though Jonathan Jones of CBS reported that "There’s no question that Kevin Stefanski is safe in Cleveland," Kevin still shouldn't feel comfortable renewing his lawn care company for his home just yet.
I know Tate went nuts on his blog after the game saying the Browns need to fire Stefanski immediately but I still don't see it happening. And quite frankly I'm OK with that. Anything short of Sean Payton would probably be a downgrade. But if Garrett decides he doesn't want to play for Kevin any longer I'm sure his word will carry just as much weight as a homeless guy. So Stefanksi better watch his step these next two weeks.
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Assuming he doesn't dig his own grave, make Stefanski get a new, proven defensive coordinator and open up the offense next season. Deshaun will have a full offseason program and he should like lightyears better. I mean after all, Stefanski is the guy who made Jacoby Brissett look like a top 12 QB through the first 11 weeks. If they start off next year looking like shit then fire him. What's one more wasted year at this point? They've wasted the last 24.