If it isn’t broke, why fix it?
Last year, despite being a first-time head coach during a global pandemic, Kevin Stefanski called the offensive plays for the Cleveland Browns. The young coach was hired due to his offensive acumen but also for his ability to lead the whole team.
Stefanski hired Alex Van Pelt to be his offensive coordinator without certainty of who would call the plays on game day. With everything up in the air and the two top offensive coaches getting to know each other, it was unsurprising that Stefanski held the reigns of the offense in 2020.
It worked for the Browns especially in the second half of the season. With a year together and a full offseason to plan, it was thought that Van Pelt might take over the play-calling duties in 2021. This would allow Stefanski more time to focus on the whole team’s needs during the game.
Instead, Cleveland’s head coach once again will be calling the plays:
#Browns Kevin Stefanski said he’ll call plays again this season.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 11, 2021
With this decision being up in the air in 2020, it is somewhat surprising to see it continue in 2021. It is possible that Stefanski, much like Andy Reid, Sean McVay and others, will call plays the majority of his career if things go well once again in 2021.
For Van Pelt, taking over play-calling, whether with the Browns or elsewhere, will be the next step in his professional career. Will he get the chance in Cleveland?
