The Cleveland Browns have parted ways with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson less than 24 hours after wrapping up a 3-14 campaign.
Both Dorsey and Dickerson spent just a single year with the Browns. The results were not pretty. Cleveland finished last in points per game (15.2) and near last in total yards and rushing yards. The Brown didn’t score more than 10 points in their final four games.
“Just bottom line, I want to go in a different direction,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Sunday. “We need to improve, as everybody knows, on the offensive side of the ball, and that’s what we plan to do.”
Kevin Stefanski Unsure About Browns’ Play-Calling Duties
Stefanski gave up play calling for the first time as a head coach in October, hoping it would spark the offense. The Browns started to score more points after the move but that could also be attributed to the gunslinging Jameis Winston taking over at quarterback for Deshaun Watson. Stefanski was asked if he regretted handing over the play-calling duties.
“Listen, we are where we are. There are decisions that you make every week, every season, seemingly every quarter of a game, and then you learn from those decisions,” Stefanski said. “What I’m always trying to do, as you guys know, is just trying to do what’s best for the team.”
Stefanski said he’s unsure if he’ll take play-calling back, opting to wait on the hiring process. The team will start the search for their next coordinator right away, per Stefanski.
Browns Hope for Shift in Offensive Scheme
The Browns hoped Dorsey’s hiring could help Watson. He was coming off season-ending shoulder surgery but hadn’t played up to standard in Stefanski’s offense.
It didn’t help, and Watson struggled before a season-ending Achilles rupture. The offense failed to break the 20-point mark even once, and Watson never threw for more than 200 yards.
Offensive linemen Jack Conklin and Joel Bitonio both expressed that they’d like to shift back to a wide zone, which worked very effectively for the Browns previously.
“I think that’s what coach Stefanski is comfortable with. … I think it’s what we’ve had the most success with,” Conklin said.
Bitonio added, “Where we had the most success was as a wide zone team. We brought in guys that do that and that do that and we’ve been very successful doing that. So I just hope that’s what we return to.”
Stefanski didn’t go into detail about what the changes going forward could look like, and he also did not want to point the finger at Dorsey.
“Not to get too far into specifics other than to say we will get back to a sound system that gives our team a chance,” Stefanski said. “And again, I want to make it clear this is not about one person or one particular part of the scheme. This is about all of us owning it and fixing it.”
A big part of the Browns’ equation will be getting quality quarterback play. Watson is expected to return to compete for the starting role, but the rest of the depth chart is uncertain.
