One of the big problems for the Cleveland Browns in 2019 was the playcalling. Specifically, slow starts plagued the offense in the first few drives of games.
Those portions of the offensive game plan are usually scripted, typically the first 15 plays. Offensive coordinators and offensive-minded head coaches plan those first reps out to set the tone until the game situations change the ability to control the game.
New Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski should be able to help. As the Vikings’ OC in 2019 under defensive-minded head coach Mike Zimmer, it was Stefanski who wrote the script for the offense. And the Vikings offense was one of the best in those game-neutral situations, according to Pro Football Focus data.
The graph from PFF’s feature on Stefanski illustrates how well Stefanski guided the run-centric Vikings offense during those first 15 plays.
While it’s not highlighted, the Browns under Freddie Kitchens were lumped in a group of several teams slightly above average on passing but below average on runs in those scripted situations.
Stefanski has not yet declared if he will control all the playcalling, but his influence will be all over the game planning even if he’s not the only person making the calls. That can only help a Browns offense that found some success but struggled to string together positive drives early in games.