CINCINNATI — Shedeur Sanders, who led the Browns on the gamewinning field goal drive during Sunday’s 20-18 victory over the Bengals in the season finale, acknowledged that he learned a lot from Kevin Stefanski, who could be fired on Monday morning.
The Browns’ fifth-round pick out of Colorado, Sanders spent countless hours in Stefanski’s office, pouring over practice film with the coach to get up to speed. Throughout Sanders’ seven starts, he made progress despite playing behind a patchwork offensive line and with a rookie-heavy supporting cast.
But Sanders (11 of 22, 111 yard, six sacks, 0 TD, 0 INT, 64.8 rating) finished 3-4 in his seven starts — albeit with plenty of help from his dominant defense — including back-to-back victories over the Steelers and Bengals.
“Coach Kev, he’s been real tough,” Sanders said. “He’s been tough. And it’s good. I think I grew and learned a lot from him. This week we had a conversation, just about things in general. I feel like we grew to understand each other. We share different things that we both will go through. I know he wanted this win, and I know he wants every win, but I know this one means a lot. I wish we as a team, and I wish everybody, could have more (wins), personally, within this last year.”
Stefanski, fresh off a jubilant celebration in the locker room after the victory, Bengals in the season finale, declined to address reports that he could be fired by Monday morning.
Asked how much he wants to continue on with the Browns and if his job can be saved, he said, “Respectfully, this game is not about me. I told you guys that. I’m proud of that group for fighting.”
Stefanski’s hoodie was still wet from all the water being sprayed around the locker room when he awarded Myles Garrett a game ball for setting the NFL single season sack record with 23.0, breaking the mark of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and tied by T.J. Watt in 2021.
A sack party broke out in the locker room after kicker Andre Szmyt nailed the 49-yard field goal as time expired to ensure that Garrett’s record was set in a victory, and Stefanski was right in the thick of it. Unfortunately for him, the fantastic finish might not be enough to change the Browns’ minds about letting him go after a 5-12 record in his sixth season.
It gave him a 45-56 mark in the regular season, and 1-2 in the playoffs. Plagued by quarterback problems throughout his tenure, he also led the Browns to a 8-26 mark over the past two seasons.
Fighting hard until the bitter end, the Browns beat the Steelers and Bengals in their final two games with Sanders at the helm. But owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam hoped for more coming off the disappointing 3-14 campaign of last season.
The plan was for Stefanski to meet with ownership possibly on Monday morning for one final conversation about his fate. It seemed an enormous long shot for him to remain, but not impossible.
A second attempt to get him to address his job status after the game proved fruitless.
“With all respect to your previous answer, do you expect to be the head coach next year?” he was asked.
“And with all respect to that attempt by you, I’m not making the focus about me,” he said.
Stefanski was asked about the fight in his team, which lost at least two games because of special teams woes, and wasn’t that far from contending in the win-challenged AFC North.
“Listen, there comes a time where you reflect,” he said. “I’m not there yet. I’m just focused on this one. I knew all week these guys wanted to get this one. We wanted to even the series with Cincinnati. We dropped that first one of the season and weren’t happy about that. We and had an opportunity to go out here today and get a win. I’m really proud of the guys that stepped up in that game.”
He cited Sam Webb and D’Angelo Ross stepping in at cornerback after starters Denzel Ward (neck) and Tyson Campell (shoulder) left the game in the first quarter with injuries. The Browns were also without linebacker Carson Schwesinger and tight ends Harold Fannin Jr. and David Njoku.
“I think it’s a great thing to acknowledge with this football team,” he said. “That’s kind of been the story of the season — step up. We need you.”
The victory came two days after Garrett declined to give Stefanski a vote of confidence, saying he’s had “more downs than ups with him” and that he didn’t know if the Browns could be successful with him as head coach. In the same interview, Garrett praised defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, a possible candidate to replace Stefanski.
On Sunday, he answered in more general terms when asked about the widespread Stefanski reports.
“Got to be the same person every single day,” Garrett said. “Come with that same intensity. No matter the result, the outcome, you do this for the journey. There’s suffering in the journey, there’s failures in the journey, but that’s the price we pay for giving everything that we have. No one’s going to win the Super Bowl every year. No one’s going to go to the playoffs every year …. that’s the kind of momentum we need to carry into the next season. We need to appreciate and be grateful for the guys that we have around us and look forward.”
Defensive tackle Shelby Harris, who got a hand on the pass that Devin Bush corraled for a 97-yard pick-six, gave Stefanski an enthusiastic vote of confidence.
“We hear it, we see it,” Harris said. “You’d be a liar to say you don’t. But I love Kevin Stefanski, I love that man. I’ll fight for that man any day of the week. One of my all-time favorite coaches, if not my favorite coach of all time. There’s no other coach I’d rather play for. I love Kevin. And it’s easy to just put the blame on Kev. But man, I’ll tell you this: love Kevin. I love everything he stands for. I love him as a coach and great guy, great coach, one of my favorite.”
Harris cited Stefanski’s down-to-earth nature.
“He can talk to anyone,” So it’s hard to get coaches that are human. You know, you get lost in this football stuff, but Kev’s a human. I feel like every decision he makes has human element to it and that does so much in this league for your players and also for your coaches. He’s loved by his coaches and players. I think it says a lot.”
Left guard Joel Bitonio, who will again contemplate retiring this offseason, re-iterated his admiration of Stefanski.
“He’s the same guy,” Bitonio said. “Maybe he’s gotten a little grayer since he got here, but he’s the same guy. He doesn’t ride the emotional wave. You couldn’t tell me if we were 12-5 or 5-12. That’s just who he is, and I think the team appreciates that.”
He noted that the two division wins to close out the season were impressive.
“He’s going to work, he’s going to fight for this team, and that’s what makes him who he is,” Stefanski said.
Stefanski was also asked what he’s learned about Schwartz, who could be interviewed by the Browns. The two coaches bear-hugged on the field after the game.
“Our offices are right next to each other, so we spend a lot of time together,” Stefanski said. “We see the game very similarly. We see a lot of things about this game very similarly. He reminds me of one of my former coaches when I was playing, just the way he goes about his business. Jim and the entire defensive staff did a great job.”
It remains to be seen if they’ll work together again next season.
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