The Cleveland Browns went into the fourth quarter of its contest against the New Orleans Saints knotted at 14, a game that was a must-win for either franchise to have any chance at continuing beyond the 2024 NFL regular season.
New Orleans proved to be the better team on Sunday, earning a 35-14 victory by scoring 21 unanswered points against the Browns in the final 15 minutes.
After the game, several analysts questioned the team’s lack of effort throughout the contest, suggesting a stronger effort would have helped Cleveland earn its third win of the season.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski stood by his players, suggesting that the effort was not an issue on Sunday.
Stefanski doubled down on that take Monday afternoon during his weekly press conference about the team’s effort according to analyst Camryn Justice.
“Browns Kevin Stefanski when asked if had a problem with the effort from the team yesterday: ‘I thought we didn’t play well enough to win is really what I saw,'” Justice wrote on X.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski when asked if had a problem with the effort from the team yesterday: "I thought we didn't play well enough to win is really what I saw."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) November 18, 2024
Stefanski’s take is an unpopular one among fans, however.
Several videos have circulated online that show Cleveland players running at less than full speed in the contest, and those images are an indictment to a coach whose job is considered to be on the line moving forward.
The Browns had multiple chances to score on Sunday, and two missed field goals by kicker Dustin Hopkins hindered the offense despite the 395-yard passing performance veteran quarterback Jameis Winston authored.
Cleveland has a short week to prepare for its next contest as the Browns host Pittsburgh on Thursday.
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