The Cleveland Browns seemed to have secured a victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Then, poor late-game management cost them the game.
Kevin Stefanski’s late-game play-calling was head-scratching, and he left too much time on the clock late in the fourth quarter for the Vikings to score a touchdown.
That’s why, following the loss, the Browns’ head coach admitted that everybody needed to do better:
“We need to do a better job closing out. That’s an offensive thing, defense, special teams, coaches, players, you name it. We got to come away and be at our best in those moments, and we were not,” he said, per Camryn Justice.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski: "We need to do a better job closing out. That's an offensive thing, defense, special teams, coaches, players, you name it. We got to come away and be at our best in those moments, and we were not."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 5, 2025
Unfortunately, this has become a weekly speech at this point, and while Stefanski has earned the benefit of the doubt for all he has accomplished in previous years, he’s starting to sound like a broken record now.
Also, the team executed well for the most part.
Special teams weren’t an issue for a change, the defense held its own for the most part, except for that final drive, and the offense played its best game of the season.
All in all, it all came down to the poor play-calling and decision-making at the worst possible time.
Stefanski had called a great game for the most part, and he even showed that he trusted Dillon Gabriel and Quinshon Judkins by going for it twice on fourth down.
There were certainly some encouraging signs of improvement and progress, but morale victories can only take a head coach so far.
It’s time to win some football games, or it will be quite difficult to justify holding onto the head coach for much longer, especially if he keeps admitting that he hasn’t done well enough.
NEXT: Everyone Said The Same Thing After Browns' Loss To Vikings
