The Cleveland Browns are off to their best start to a season in a very long time.
There are many reasons why the Browns have many successful early in the season.
The offense has been clicking thus far and the defense has kept them alive in games.
However, head coach Kevin Stefanski deserves plenty of the credit for the Browns performance this season.
It hasn’t been easy, but Stefanski appears to have turned the Browns into contenders during his first year as head coach.
1. Leadership
Over the last few years, the Browns have hired some rough candidates as head coaches.
Finally, it appears that Cleveland has brought in the right person for the job.
Last season, then-coach Freddie Kitchens failed to get control of the locker room.
The Browns players clearly didn’t believe in him and it changed the way they played on the field.
There needs to be trust between the players and the head coach.
That changed when Stefanski took over during the offseason.
From the start, the players believed in Stefanski and were eager to work with him.
#Browns Rashard Higgins called Kevin Stefanski a "hell of a coach."
"He's doing a hell of a job of leading the pack—and what a great leader he is for us."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 12, 2020
This team has the roster to win now and for a long time with Stefanski in charge.
He is finally bringing a winning culture to the Browns and the players are buying into it.
2. Game Management
First-year head coach Stefanski is already making big decisions for the Browns.
Last season, Kitchens was horrendous when it came to game management.
He would take unnecessary timeouts and it seemed like he had no idea what he was doing.
Kitchens lack of knowledge hurt the Browns significantly last season.
However, that has changed since Stefanski took over as head coach.
Stefanski has been excellent especially when it’s late in the first or second half.
He doesn’t take silly risks that could cost the team and actually understands how to manage the clock.
It’s surprising to see a Browns coach have knowledge of football for the first time in a long time.
Browns fans had to suffer through Hue Jackson and Kitchens who had absolutely no idea how to successfully manage a football game.
3. Zone-Blocking Scheme
One of the big things Stefanski brought to Cleveland when he joined was his zone-blocking scheme.
For those who don’t know, it basically focuses on multiple tight end sets and with heavy usage of play action.
Stefanski believes that pounding the ball on the ground will open up chances for the Browns to successfully use play-action to their advantage.
Thus far, this scheme has worked as the Browns offense appears to be clicking early in the season.
The Browns offensive line has been elite, which has made a huge impact on the offense.
It’s easy to have success on offense when your o-line is able to dominate like the Browns have early on.
Stefanski did an excellent job as the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings last season.
Through five games, the Browns offense has looked the best it has in a long time.
It looks like the Browns have finally found an intelligent coach that can get them back to the postseason.
NEXT: Jim Nantz: 'I Think Cleveland Is Going To Be A Factor For A Long Time'
