The Cleveland Browns offense under Kevin Stefanski was quite good in 2020. There are a lot of measures to prove that point but, at the end of the day, the team’s record (11 – 5) and playoff victory tell the biggest tale.
With Baker Mayfield in his fourth system in as many years, including being under center primarily for the first time, the Browns utilized their weapons quite well. Stefanski’s goal of making runs look like passes and passes look like runs, kept defenses off balance throughout the season.
This was quite apparent in the redzone where the Browns were able to run or pass for success. Instead of kicking field goals or failing on 4th and goal, as had been their history, the Browns were quite successful as scoring touchdowns.
In 2020, the Browns were fourth in the league in redzone touchdown percentage and within a percentage point of second place:
Teams with the best redzone TD % last season…#Packers – 76.8%#Titans – 74.2%#Seahawks – 73.7%#Browns – 73.3%#Saints – 71.6%
Teams with worst…#Panthers – 50.9%#Cowboys – 50.0%#Bengals – 50.0%#Giants – 46.3%#Jets – 42.1%
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) June 21, 2021
Each team makes the list for different reasons. Green Bay has the mobile and deadly accurate Aaron Rodgers with Davante Adams and a good run game. Tennessee had Derrick Henry bulldozing his way ahead and two quality receivers. Russell Wilson’s scramble ability kept plays alive while Drew Brees continued to be deadly accurate in his last season and had the versatile Taysom Hill causing havoc as well.
Interestingly, three of the top five teams run the zone-blocking scheme made famous by Mike Shanahan and continued on by his son, Kyle.
Not surprisingly, the teams at the top of this stat all were winning teams while the teams at the bottom were not.
Can Stefanski and Mayfield take much of a step up in this category or will their improvement come from outside of the 20-yard line? Either way, in year one the Browns had a stellar offense when it mattered the most.
