Embattled Browns Coach Responds to Stefanski Backing Before Week 11
Looking at the offensive numbers put up against the Browns by the Jets in Week 10, there is no conceivable reason that Cleveland should have come away with a loss. New York had a measly 54 yards passing, just 127 yards on the ground, had quarterback Justin Fields sacked three times for a loss of 12 yards, and committed the game’s lone turnover.
The Browns offense was not great by any measure, but it was certainly better than what the Jets put forth. The difference, however, was on special teams, where the Browns gave up a 99-yard kickoff return to Kene Nwangwu for a touchdown, and followed that up by yielding a 74-yard punt return to Isaiah Williams.
The two plays were separated by just a little more than 30 seconds, and put the Browns in a catch-up mode that the offense is just not prepared to handle. There were other reasons the game was lost, but special teams was a firm No. 1 on the list.
Browns’ Stefanski Weighed in on Bubba Ventrone Job Security
In the wake of that disaster, there were the natural knee-jerk reactions that called for the firing of special teams coach Bubba Ventrone. On the whole, the Browns’ special teams have not been bad this season, but a missed field goal in Week 1 did cost a win against the Bengals–though the special teams deserves ample credit for the impressive Week 3 win over the Packers.
Still, coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about the job security of Ventrone last week, and Stefanski essentially shrugged off any notion of firing him. “I have a ton of faith in Bubba, I have a ton of faith in our special teams,” Stefanski said.
Bubba Ventrone: ‘I Respect Kev a Lot’
On Thursday, Ventrone–who played for eight NFL seasons and coached 11 more–met with the media and was asked about the vote of confidence from the head coach.
“That’s good to hear,” Ventrone said. “I respect Kev a lot, and I’ll say this – I’ve been in the NFL a long time. I’ve played, I’ve coached for a long time. You know, there’s times when stuff does not go your way, and the game comes down to playing with great fundamentals and techniques. So, if you’re not doing those things, you’re going to get beat.
“Unfortunately, we’re learning the hard way right now.”
Browns Rookies to Blame?
The Browns are a young team, and that’s been an overriding factor for the group–special teams has been manned by more rookies than most teams would like. Ventrone cited that as a reason for the struggles.
“It’s definitely contributed to it,” Ventrone said. “It’s not the only underlying factor. But like I said, we, just as a unit, as a collective group, we have to do a better job of playing our technique, and playing into the scheme, and just trusting that just do your job and that the guy next to you is going to do his job.
“That’s the best way to do it. The best way to play coverage is play complementary to one another, leverage, tackling. We just haven’t done a good enough job of that.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Assigns Blame for Team’s Struggles
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is putting blame in a familiar spot after the team’s recent struggles.
Allen spoke to reporters as the team looks to bounce back from a stunning loss to the Miami Dolphins, a game where the Bills struggled on both sides of the ball. Though there was plenty of blame to go around, Allen pointed to his own play as a major factor in the downturn.
Josh Allen Points to Common Factor
The Bills had a chance to make keep pace with the New England Patriots atop the AFC East last week but struggled against an otherwise reeling Dolphins team. The Bills turned the ball over three times, all of them with the team driving.
The team now has eight turnovers in their three losses this season while forcing just three turnovers in those games, a reversal from last season’s winning formula of protecting the ball while forcing turnovers.
Allen said the turnovers are a major factor in the team’s struggles, saying he is to blame for much of it.
“It sucks losing,” Allen said. “But knowing in the losses this year, we’ve turned the ball over. And that’s pointing the thumb directly at myself. If we take care of the football we are a good football team.”
Allen regularly points to his own play after losses, placing blame on himself for missed opportunities or negative plays. The Bills quarterback had two turnovers on Sunday, losing a fumble and throwing an interception.
The loss dropped the Bills to 6-3, two wins behind the Patriots for the lead in the AFC East. The Patriots also have a tie-breaker based on their October win over the Bills.
Sean McDermott Sees More Factors
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said it was more than just turnovers hurting the team, pointing to the team’s struggles on first downs. The team’s official website noted that they had an offensive success rate of just 29.2% if the first half, the lowest of any game since Allen’s rookie year in 2018.
McDermott said the team’s struggles on first and second downs were a major factor in those struggles, putting the team in difficult situations on third down.
“Too many third down and longs, one dimensional type situation,” McDermott said.
Allen agreed that the team’s struggles in setting up manageable third-down situations was a big factor in the loss.
“I just feel like early on, (we were) kind of beating ourselves,” Allen said.
While Allen did miss some open receivers, the group of wide receivers largely struggled in getting separation — which was also a factor in the team’s other two losses. McDermott called out the deficiency in speaking to reporters.
“There were some times where we weren’t open,” he said. “But it’s never just one thing.”
The Bills aimed to address the issue this week, signing former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. The Bills could also see veteran Gabe Davis take the field soon as he nears a full recovery from the ankle injury that cut short his 2024 season.
