The Opening Drive 10/13: Stefanski Must Prove He Still Has Locker Room as Schedule Lightens
Amidst another poor offense to start 2025, the next five games tell the story.
The Cleveland Browns fell to a disappointing 1-5 record following a 23-9 loss in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The defense allowed a total of 335 yards during the game. The Steelers effectively utilized their rushing attack and quick-strike passing to keep Aaron Rodgers relatively protected, resulting in a sackless performance from the Browns’ defense. While the defense did not play poorly, they were not dominant either. This trend of performing better at home has become apparent.
The primary concern, however, lies with the offensive play, as the Browns struggled to establish the running game. This led to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel taking 58 dropbacks. Gabriel completed 29-of-52 passes for 221 yards without any touchdowns or interceptions, although he was fortunate not to be intercepted on at least three occasions. Overall, he did not perform well, but the entire offensive unit was bad.
In the third quarter, the Browns lost right tackle Jack Conklin to a concussion, necessitating the insertion of K.T. Levinson, who played 48 snaps. Cam Robinson had a tough day at left tackle and then injured his knee late in the game. The severity of Robinson’s injury is currently unknown. Collectively, the tackle play was abysmal, leading to Gabriel being sacked six times and consistently pressured throughout the game.
The Browns’ playmakers continued their battle with dropped passes on critical plays, missing multiple opportunities to convert first downs and advance the ball. Jerry Jeudy, in particular, is having trouble securing the ball every week, and he committed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty that stalled one of the Browns’ drives. Both David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. also had significant drops.
What does all this mean moving forward? Kevin Stefanski currently holds a dismal 4-20 record over his last 24 games. The Browns’ offense appears stagnant and lacks creativity in playcalling. Players continue to drop passes week after week, and the poor performance from the offensive tackles makes executing any plays that don’t involve quick throws extremely challenging.
Below you’ll find the latest in the BFB catalog for supporters to dig into. Click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.
What’s Going On at Browns Film Breakdown
Latest Podcasts:
Latest Film Rooms:
Browns Defense Full All-22 Review (Week 5)
Breaking Down the Browns 4th Quarter Offensive Schemes and Execution
Latest Articles:
GameDay Opening Drive 10/12: Week 6, Another Trip To Three Rivers
Opening Drive 10/11: Steelers Quick Passing Has Been Critical To Their Success
Opening Drive 10/10: More Mailbag Answers and Friday Special Teams
Is the problem rooted in coaching, or are the players simply not good enough? While the inadequacy at tackle poses a significant challenge, other teams have found ways to work around poor offensive line play. The combination of poor offensive line performance, a rookie quarterback, and a supporting cast that isn’t helping makes matters more difficult. However, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that Stefanski’s play-calling and play design seem uninspired, and he is failing to create a tactical advantage for his players.
During a post-game show, Jake asked what the percentage chance is that the Browns will be sitting at 4-1 in early October 2026 if Stefanski, and General Manager Andrew Berry, return next season. I estimated a 25% chance, which is optimistic, but I based it on the potential opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback in the first round. There are endless factors that could impact this outcome, but more importantly, it’s a good question to ask when attempting to accurately assess the direction of the organization.
The most important focus for Stefanski and the Browns is what happens over their next five games. The start of the season was brutal, featuring a series of high-level opponents, including a difficult overseas trip followed directly by a road game in Pittsburgh.
Fortunately, the schedule now lightens up, giving the team a chance to compete against teams that are more comparable in talent. If the same issues persist during the upcoming five games, it will answer any questions about Stefanski’s future. Conversely, if they find success and the offense shows improvement, it may indicate that early-season challenges were a result of the demanding schedule and other mitigating factors.
The Browns’ offensive performance has been underwhelming to say the least during the first six weeks, but they open as 2.5-point favorites at home against the Dolphins this Sunday. This represents a stark contrast in competition compared to what they have faced.
The next five weeks of games against lesser or equally matched opponents will reveal a great deal regarding the future of Stefanski and potentially the entire regime in Cleveland. There are real questions about the player buy-in when the same issues continue to plague a team repeatedly. A turnaround is much needed to prove that Stefanski has not lost the locker room and that his voice still carries some influence with his players.
If you’re not subscribed over there, rectify that—the Opening Drive remains free, but there’s more quality content coming as we review Week 6 performances. If you’re not with us in a supporter capacity, you’ll want to rectify that as well so you don’t miss any of the key content coming this week. Also, tell a Browns fan in your life about the miracles happening at Browns Film Breakdown. We appreciate all of you.
Browns Film Breakdown will return later today with some fresh content.
