The Cleveland Browns have been one of the least successful teams in pro sports in the past couple of decades. Long gone are the days of the franchise being an NFL powerhouse.
That has been the case regardless of who’s been the head coach, the quarterback, or the general manager. Clearly, the issues run deep.
With that in mind, analyst Bruce Drennan recently named who he believes is responsible for the Browns’ losing culture.
“Culture. I repeat: culture. The culture of the Cleveland Browns is that they always find a way to lose, not to find a way to win. Question: Is the losing culture going to change if [Kevin] Stefanski remains the coach? I don’t think so,” Drennan said.
“Is the losing culture going to change if Stefanski remains the coach? I don’t think so.” #DawgPound
Bruce is DONE with Kevin Stefanski after Sunday.
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To be fair, Stefanski isn’t the only person to blame for the state of things. He’s done a good job with the hand he’s been given.
But at this point, it might not even matter whether he’s a good coach or not. It’s a matter of accountability. It’s hard to keep players focused and motivated when everybody gets to keep their jobs regardless of the outcome.
Almost no one gets benched. It doesn’t matter how bad a game they have.
Things may have run their course under this coaching staff. While getting a new head coach isn’t going to fix all the underlying issues with the Browns and their culture, the turnaround has to start somewhere.
The talent is there, especially with the young rookies, but there has to be a clearer standard for performance. Coaching leadership goes a long way in establishing an identity.
A big move, whether the front office or leadership, may be necessary to signal a new era and give both fans and players reason to believe change is possible.
The Denver Broncos are 8-2, but after their close 10-7 win over the lowly Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night Football in Week 10, there has been some pushback on the Broncos’ record and contender status.
One of the main subjects of criticism has been Broncos’ second-year quarterback Bo Nix. He’s had his ups and downs in his NFL career, but lately, he’s struggled a bit more than usual.
Those struggles led Super Bowl Champion cornerback Asante Samuel, whose son just signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, to blast Nix on Twitter/X. Samuel doesn’t understand why people (fans, media, etc.) believe in Nix.
“Please don’t tell me anyone believes in Bo Nix.” Samuel posted. “He isn’t like that!”
Nix has gone through his fair share of struggles, but for a former NFL player, one who still has connections to the NFL, to blast Nix like this is surprising.
The 25-year-old quarterback has been inconsistent this season. He’s had incredible comebacks, the wild wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, but has also had poor performances surrounding those comebacks.
Against the Raiders, he went 16 for 28 for 150 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. It’s the fourth straight game for Nix with at least one turnover.
He has 2,126 passing yards and 18 touchdowns on the year, but his eight interceptions are not great, especially with four coming in the last three weeks.
With his latest game coming in primetime, his struggles were brought to the center stage. While Nix isn’t the worst quarterback in the league, he does have some struggles he needs to get over.
His 60.9 completion percentage is nearly six percent worse than it was in his rookie season. He’s slightly worse in most categories this season.
But there’s still one reason to be optimistic in Nix and believe in him, unlike Samuel. Nix is great at avoiding sacks, with a league-leading 2.78 sack percentage.
Samuel’s blasting of Nix is just another hater of Nix. He’s faced plenty of boo’s, including from his own fanbase, and if he doesn’t turn things around, those boo’s and criticism will continue.
But Denver is 8-2, and a Week 11 win over the Kansas City Chiefs would be a great way to deny his haters. Samuel might not believe in Nix, but there’s reason to believe the second-year quarterback can prove him wrong.