One Seahawks head coach candidate has great track record vs. Kyle Shanahan
For the first time in a long time, the Seattle Seahawks are searching for a new head coach. The transition away from Pete Carroll is sure to be a difficult one – both emotionally and in football terms. Not many coaches are able to win 147 games over the course of 14 seasons in this league.
The primary challenge for whoever fills Carroll’s impossibly large (presumably Monarchs) shoes will have to deal with the juggernaut in the City by the Bay, the San Francisco 49ers. Led by offensive guru Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers have become the class of the league.
But one potential candidate might just have the silver bullet: Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
We were kicking around some names today on MTS pod for SEA HC opening. One that came to mind- Jim Schwartz. He has HC experience, won SB as DC with PHI & has CLE defense playing lights out. However, the main reason was his record vs Kyle Shanahan. I believe he's 8-1 in their…
There is one thing inaccurate about this tweet from Daniel Jeremiah: Schwartz’s teams are now actually 9-1 against Shanahan, which includes Cleveland knocking San Francisco from the ranks of the unbeatens in a 19-17 Week 6 win. Schwartz’s success is documented here.
It is unknown which direction the Seahawks will go when it comes to finding their next head coach. Carroll was known as defensive-minded, but his defenses for the last two years have been atrocious. Perhaps Seattle will buck the trend of offensive coaches and find someone to right the ship on the other side of the ball.
Schwartz has not been a head coach since he was fired by the Detroit Lions in 2013. But given how good his defenses have been everywhere he’s gone, perhaps now is the time for a second shot.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud vs. Jim Schwartz’s Browns defense is one of the best matchups of wild-card weekend. Here’s how it could play out.
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik comes from the Kyle Shanahan tree, so you know that he wants to fool your defense with personnel. Slowik had been a defensive assistant and passing game coordinator under Shanahan both in Washington and San Francisco, so if there’s a 49ers-ish tint to what the Texans are doing, don’t be surprised.
One thing you’ll see from the Texans is explosive passing plays out of heavier personnel. It’s a Shanahan staple, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniels (Shanahan’s former run game coordinator in San Francisco) draws on it as much as anybody, and Slowik continues that trend. Rookie sensation C.J. Stroud has 62 explosive passing plays in the 2023 season, and 22 of those plays have come out of 12, 13, 21, and 22 personnel — with multiple tight ends and/or running backs on the field.
Why is this effective? In preparation for his team’s wild-card matchup with the Cleveland Browns’ outstanding defense, Slowik got into why he likes to run things the way he runs them.
“That was very intentional coming into the season that we did that,” Slowik said when asked why ne needs his personnel looks to be interchangeable. “Obviously in San Francisco that’s kind of how that offense was built. I was lucky and fortunate enough to be there kind of when that evolution happened and we really started getting different pieces like that with guys that could play multiple positions. Really, you just see how freeing it is as someone who has to game plan, as a play caller, but also, it’s freeing for the quarterback. Just being able to know, ‘Wherever I distribute this ball, on my four reads on this play, I trust and I love all these dudes. I want to get all of them the ball.’ That’s really important.”
Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik smiles before the game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Slowik also deploys different guys in different positions because it makes things easier for the quarterback, giving him more pure progression reads against match-style coverages.
“I feel like a lot of it now, more across the NFL, there’s more just zones and different versions of zones, in particular soft zones where you can’t always determine where the ball’s going when teams are doing that,” Slowik said. “So sometimes – I think that’s part of why a lot of NFL teams have gone to so much pure progressions where you just go from one to two to three because it just simplifies that whole process and at some point you know you have to get a completion, and you can’t always determine who that’s to. I know for us, that’s why we coach how you handle yards after the catch, how you handle transition, how you handle when the ball is thrown to you in eight yards or less, how we’re making the most of those opportunities and getting the most yards, getting vertical on that stuff.
“We coach that a lot, namely because those are the teams that it’s really hard to game plan against when you can’t pin-point where the ball is going and the quarterback has to go and distribute it all the way across the field. That would be the No. 1 thing to me.”
One thing Slowik knows he’s likely to see from Jim Schwartz’ Browns defense is single-high coverage. The Browns have played middle-of-the-field-closed coverage at a 64% clip, most in the NFL. Now, Schwartz loves to mix that up with different looks and inverted coverages, but you know what you’re going to get there. The task for Stroud, who missed Houston’s Week 16 loss to the Browns with a concussion, is to wade through all of that with the personnel he has. And that’s tough, because the Texans are missing a lot of their top receivers right now — Nathaniel “Tank” Dell is out, and Noah Brown and Robert Woods are questionable.
Fortunately, Stroud still has world-beater Nico Collins. And this is where the matchup could tilt in Houston’s favor.
Per @robertmays and @Nate_Tice of The Athletic Football Show, the Browns have faced 143 snaps of 12 personnel this season. They've put eight defenders in the box against on 90 of those snaps.
Another bit of good news for the Texans is that Stroud has absolutely annihilated single-high coverage this season. Against Cover-1 and Cover-3, Stroud has completed 141 of 228 passes for 2,054 yards, 1,335 air yards, 11 touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 105.4 – only Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson have higher passer ratings against MOFC coverage this season. Stroud is great at challenging single-high with crossers underneath, and quick-to-intermediate out routes to displace cornerbacks playing to the numbers.
And it’s not just Collins. Stroud can find openings against anybody with heavy personnel, as he showed on this 26-yard pass to fullback Andrew Beck against the New York Jets in Week 14. It was a hard crosser underneath the Jets’ Cover-3, and another example of a great defense a step behind what Slowik drew up, and what Stroud executed.
Explosive plays out of heavy personnel. A Shanahan staple, a Mike McDaniel non-negotiable, and @HoustonTexans OC Bobby Slowik is killing defenses with it, too. pic.twitter.com/Ue9NCeQdJv
Remember that Mays/Tice statistic regarding how the Browns stack the box as a default reaction to heavy personnel? Schwartz is smart enough to know what his own tendencies are, and how it might be time to switch things up.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 24: Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the first half in the game against the Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
“Obviously a rookie, but has command that goes beyond usually the scope of a rookie,” Schwartz said this week of Stroud. “Decisive with the ball, accurate passer, buy some time time, makes big plays down the field. I think when it’s all said and done, the fact that he’s passed for as many yards as he has without turning the ball over is really impressive for a young guy. Usually the cost of doing business if you’re going to throw a lot of yards is you also turn the ball over a lot. It’s been impressive what he’s been able to do. We’re going to have to play tight coverage. We’re going to have to stay after him in the pass rush. We’re going to have to limit run after the catch because he does a good job of giving his guys opportunities to run after the catch, including Nico Collins. That’s one of the things he does best.”
Pair that with Slowik’s quote about why he aligns his passing structures against match stuff that limits YAC, and you have fodder for an amazing matchup.
In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys go deep into this fascinating matchup.
New "Xs and Os with @gregcosell: The @Browns have played more single-high coverage than any other team this season. C.J. Stroud of the @HoustonTexans has annihilated single-high coverage all season long. This one is going to be FUN. pic.twitter.com/YGy7yeavhn
What moves had the biggest impact on Cleveland’s 2023 season?
Coming off of back-to-back losing seasons, the Cleveland Browns needed to make big changes. And whether that was hiring defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz or the late addition of quarterback Joe Flacco, they took the necessary steps to become a winner.
As a result, they won their final four meaningful games, allowing themselves to get some much-needed rest in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Finishing 11-6 on the season, the Browns locked down the fifth seed in the AFC and will take on the Houston Texans this weekend as they look to make a Super Bowl run.
What were the most meaningful moves the Browns made, however? We take a look here at the top five moves that have defined Cleveland’s 2023 season.
Honorable Mention: Overhauling the defensive tackle room with Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst, Shelby Harris
General manager Andrew Berry and his team made numerous moves that deserve recognition, and sometimes one or two get left out. An honorable mention is in order here, as the additions of Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, and Maurice Hurst played a huge role in the overhauling of an abysmal defensive front a year ago.
Tomlinson has been every bit of the player the Browns expected him to be as he is a professional’s professional.
While Jordan Elliott deserves a ton of credit for taking a massive leap forward this season, having the rotational depth of Harris and Hurst gave the Browns an undeniable force up front.
After their Thursday night win over the Jets, the Browns actually have a chance to become the AFC’s one-seed through the playoffs.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.
After their 37-20 win over the New York Jets on Thursday night, the 11-5 Cleveland Browns not only clinched their second playoff berth since 2020 (the team had not made the playoffs before that since 2002), but they have an actual shot at the AFC’s one-seed.
Which means that the AFC playoffs might go through Cleveland.
Here’s how it needs to go.
This is WILD…The path to the #1 Seed for Cleveland doesn’t seem that crazy:
▫️The Browns need the Ravens to lose out & the Browns need to win out to win the AFC North
▫️If this happens & Dolphins lose in Week 18 vs BUF, Browns would finish as the #1 seed in the AFC.
So. If the Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, January 7, and the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Dolphins lose to the Buffalo Bills? Yeah. The Dawg Pound will be home base.
As Chase Daniel said, this is wild. The Browns currently have a league-high 26% of their salary cap on injured reserve, they’ve turned Joe Flacco into Kurt Warner, and the guys they were without due to injury against the Jets was… well, remarkable.
The #Browns have clinched a playoff berth with their win over the Jets. They now have 11 wins this year.
A reminder of all their significant injuries…
Offense: • QB Deshaun Watson • RB Nick Chubb • OT Jack Conklin • OT Jedrick Wills • OT Dawand Jones • WR/KR Jakeem… pic.twitter.com/wBDn2rddOD
Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns deserves serious consideration for NFL Coach of the Year.
When considering the NFL’s Coach of the Year candidate, voters (and I’m honored to be one) will often consider the head coach who has done the most with the most adversity. At this point, you have to consider the case of Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
After their 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Browns are 9-5, right on the heels of the Baltimore Ravens for command of the AFC South. And they’ve done this with a ridiculous number of injuries — right now, a full 25.8% of the team’s salary cap is on injured reserve, the highest such rate in the NFL. That includes alleged franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson, and running back Nick Chubb, the team’s best offensive player. The Browns’ walking wounded has also included large parts of their offensive and defensive lines and secondary,
With Joe Flacco, who Stefanski picked up off the couch a couple weeks ago, the Browns are now on their fourth quarterback this season. But on both sides of the ball, Stefanski (the primary offensive shot-caller) and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz have done everything possible to maintain excellence. Coming into Sunday’s win, the Browns ranked 12th overall in DVOA — first on defense, and 28th on offense. But in the second half of the season, once Flacco became The Guy, they’ve risen from 28th to 21st with a bullet.
Moreover, Stefanski and his crew are pulling wins out of the most improbable situations — that includes the Bears victory, because Cleveland was down 17-7 nearly all the way through the third quarter.
The Browns finish their 2023 regular season with games against the Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Cincinnati Bengals, which gives them a very good chance of a double digit-win season. And if that’s the case, Stefanski could get a whole lot of votes for Coach of the Year.
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the Browns defense as Sean Payton of the Broncos and Sean McVay of the Rams have out-schemed them badly. They have shown the blueprint on how to beat the Browns defense: use their aggression to your benefit with motion and misdirection.
Jim Schwartz’s unit has had no answer for zone reads with athletic quarterbacks or jet motion runs. The Browns defense has been so aggressive this year and for a while, it was working until they got a little too aggressive. They aren’t playing assignment-sound football and haven’t had many answers in the run game.
Against the Rams, it was clear that McVay was not going to allow the Browns pass rush to disrupt his offense. They got the ball out of Stafford’s hand so quickly that it neutralized the pass rush and Schwartz couldn’t adjust. The injury to Denzel Ward has been huge for the Browns, as the past couple of weeks, teams have taken advantage of Greg Newsome II, who has been playing poorly in Ward’s absence.
The good news is this is fixable. The Browns have the talent if they can show they are willing to adjust their game plan on game day if things go wrong initially. We have seen them do it before, but Cleveland has got to fix its run defense and stop biting on play action and misdirection. They must get it figured out as Cleveland controls its own destiny for the playoffs and it all starts at home on Sunday.
A look at the five most impactful people in the Cleveland Browns loss to the Los Angeles Rams in week 13 of the NFL season.
The Cleveland Browns return to the city without a win from their two weeks out west, wrapping up the trip against the Los Angeles Rams. The team comes back injured and badly bruised. The injuries became insurmountable as they finished the remaining Browns’ stars: Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Amari Cooper. The team returns home to lick their wounds as they prepare for the Jaguars and a battle for wildcard positioning. Wide receiver Elijah Moore had his best game as a Brown, and guard Wyatt Teller continues to stack weeks.
The Browns were competitive against a well-coached Rams team for the first three quarters. The Browns stuck to their roots and showed an effective play-action passing attack off the backs of an inefficient run game. The Browns were unable to generate much offense outside of those staple concepts.
Joe Flacco did an admirable job quarterbacking the Browns after signing with the team’s practice squad just weeks ago. However, the unfamiliarity between the quarterback and offense hamstrung the Browns in obvious passing situations. The Browns will need to spend the week deciding if they want to start Flacco or Dorian Thompson-Robinson on Sunday. Flacco played well enough to beg the question as the Browns are desperate for any offense.
In this week’s studs and duds, we look at five difference-makers in the loss against the Rams.
What stood out most as Joe Flacco, Jim Schwartz, and the Browns could not pull out a win against the Rams?
After back-to-back losses, most recently on the road to the Los Angeles Rams, the Cleveland Browns now sit at 7-5. While they still have favorable odds to make the playoffs, the number continues to drop. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz needs to make some corrections, and Joe Flacco needs to continue to play as he did in Los Angeles.
However, what we saw on Sunday was not good enough to pull out a win at SoFi Stadium. With the Jacksonville Jaguars next on the schedule, the Browns must find a way to bounce back. And fast. If the Browns can find a way to scrape out three wins down the stretch, they likely find themselves playing in the postseason.
What stood out in this game on all ends of the spectrum? Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly as the Browns must do some soul-searching down the stretch if they want to find themselves in the postseason.
After winning five of their last six prior, the Cleveland Browns have now dropped their second game in a row. Losing to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 36-19 on the road, the Browns were outclassed, especially on the defensive side of the ball as defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has had his unit throttled two weeks in a row by veteran quarterbacks. Despite some early heroics from veteran Joe Flacco in his first start as a Brown, the repeated scoring drives by the Rams proved to be too much to overcome.
This now makes three-in-a-row for the Rams as well, as they advance to 6-6 on the season with an outside chance to fight their way into the playoffs. After starting 7-3, the Browns now fall to 7-5 with five games to go in their season.
In a less-than-stellar reason to write a post-game analysis, here is your Week 13 4 Downs as the Browns now need to right the ship. And do it fast.
Jim Schwartz coached Matthew Stafford for 5 seasons and calls him “one of the best throwers” of his era
Matthew Stafford and Jim Schwartz go way back – all the way back to the beginning of the quarterback’s career, in fact. Schwartz was the Lions’ head coach when Detroit drafted Stafford first overall in 2009, coaching the former Bulldogs quarterback for five years.
On Sunday afternoon, Stafford and Schwartz will meet again, their fourth matchup since their Lions tenure together. Schwartz knows all about Stafford’s arm talent and ability as a passer, and ahead of this week’s showdown at SoFi Stadium, he paid the Rams quarterback a big compliment.
He called Stafford one of the best throwers of this era, which is by no means a stretch.
#Browns DC Jim Schwartz on Rams QB Matt Stafford, whom he coached in Detroit: He's one of the best throwers in the league in his era. I'm proud of where he's gone. He's developed as a player and a leader. We're going to have to play our very best to come out with a win.
In the previous three meetings between Stafford and Schwartz, Stafford’s teams went 2-1. He threw five touchdown passes and only one interception, doing a nice job of overcoming Schwartz’s great scheme.
The Browns boast the No. 1 overall defense in the NFL so this weekend’s game will once again be a big challenge.
