The Cleveland Browns pulled off a memorable upset last week, defeating the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 on Thursday night.
Cleveland looked like a better team throughout the contest, taking an 18-6 lead in the fourth quarter before the Browns gave up 13 points off two Jameis Winston turnovers.
The Browns’ veteran quarterback recovered nicely as he led the game-clinching touchdown drive that culminated in a Nick Chubb touchdown run with under a minute remaining in the contest.
Cleveland has several players to thank for pulling off this remarkable upset.
Browns legend and analyst Hanford Dixon, however, is pointing to another source as the one person who deserves credit for the team’s improbable victory over the Steelers (via X).
“The way they played with the energy and everything they had, they played like a much better football team. I think you have to give (head coach Kevin) Stefanski a lot of credit on that, too. He had those guys ready to go, and I thought they played well in all phases of the game,” Dixon said.
Kevin Stefanski had the team ready for TNF #DawgPound
"They played like a much better team; you have to give Stefanski a lot of credit."
– @HanfordDixon29 pic.twitter.com/qaWmqmxgyH
— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) November 26, 2024
Stefanski entered the week with rumors swirling around his imminent dismissal, a potential firing that analysts believed could happen as early as the morning following the Pittsburgh contest.
Instead, Stefanski earned praise for his game plan and his staff’s ability to adjust as the snow blanketed Huntington Bank Field.
The head coach is in the middle of his fifth year leading the Browns, a feat in Cleveland that has not been matched since the organization’s rebirth in 1999.
NEXT: Jameis Winston Reveals What Nick Chubb Told Him During Thursday's Win
