Why Browns Reportedly Passed on Hiring Dan Campbell As Head Coach in 2019
In the entirety of the Browns' history, there have been plenty of moments that have left fans wondering what could have been. One such moment likely stings even more as the Browns (1–5) inch closer to their fourth missed playoff appearance in the last five years.
Back in 2019, Cleveland, just two years removed from a winless season and in search of its fifth different head coach since 2011, had the chance to hire current Lions coach Dan Campbell. Campbell, then a tight ends coach with the Saints under Sean Payton, interviewed with Cleveland in January '19, and reportedly knocked the interview out of the park.
But Campbell ultimately wasn't hired by the Browns, seemingly due in part to owner Jimmy Haslam, as reported by Tyler Dunne of Go Long.
"It was awesome. I mean it was awesome, " a source told Dunne of Campbell's Browns interview. "But Dan said, 'I want to have a tough team and run the ball.' Because that's what the old football guys would do. That doesn't mean you're not going to pass. But Jimmy was so much—I don't want to say brainwashed—but under the influence of what the analytics say and how passing is so much more important than running, it was almost like he dismissed him after that statement.
"I don't know that he did, but that's what it felt like."
While Dunne's report admittedly hedges pretty heavilty at the end there, it still seems like Haslam had an idea in mind for exactly what kind of coach he was looking for—and Campbell didn't exactly fit that mold philosophically. The Browns eventually promoted Freddie Kitchens, who went from running backs coach to interim offensive coordinator 2018, to become head coach the following year. Kitchens stumbled to a 6–10 record in '19 and was a one-and-done.
The what-if-the-Browns-hired-Campbell scenario is made even more painful by the fact that Baker Mayfield, an MVP candidate for the Buccaneers in 2025, was in just his second season then. One can only imagine what a Campbell-Mayfield combination could have accomplished.
And while current Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who was hired in 2020, has easily been the most successful coach the team has had since the 2000s began, he hasn't exactly turned the Browns into a perennial winner.
It's hard not to wonder if Campbell, likely en route to his third straight winning season in Detroit, would have done so in Cleveland.
Vikings’ Javon Hargrave Gets Honest About Eagles’ Jalen Hurts
The Minnesota Vikings will be facing Jalen Hurts, who is coming off a decent performance in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ loss to the New York Giants in Week 6.
Hurts recorded 283 passing yards while completing 72.7 percent of his passes for one touchdown and one interception. Nonetheless, the Eagles fell and will look for a bounce-back win against the Vikings.
Javon Hargrave is a player on the Minnesota squad who is familiar with Hurts. He recently spoke with Vikings Entertainment Network’s Tatum Everett about ensuring his former teammate has a quiet game.
“We just all got to be one with great communication,” Hargrave said about containing Hurts. “We know if he get out that pocket, he’s Superman out there. So, we kind of got to work as a unit to try to keep him in that pocket and don’t let him be able to make a lot of plays.”
Vikings Will Need to Account for Tush Push
When playing against the Eagles, every defense needs to account for the tush push play. Hargrave has experienced both sides of the coin—he’s benefited from the tush push play and now faces the challenge of defending against it.
“It’s just funny because when I was on that side playing with them I love to play,” Hargrave added. “But of course I’m with everybody else. I kind of hate the play. I think the only way you really can stop it is just don’t let them get down there. So we just trying to talk about those things.”
Carson Wentz to Start for Vikings
While the Vikings defense are preparing for Hurts, the question heading into this matchup was who would Minnesota pick to start this game against Philadelphia under center. Despite J.J. McCarthy returning to practice in a limited role, head coach Kevin O’Connell named Carson Wentz the starting quarterback for Week 7.
“I think as opposed to maybe having to designate and list a running back or a receiver, if we get into that situation, I feel comfortable enough in what would be considered that kind of emergency capacity to be able to call some [plays],” said O’Connell (h/t
“I feel good after watching him practice about some of the things that give him some problems at this point but at the same time, some of the things he feels
“And he got a ton of reps this week, both with the first group, and also with getting some real good reps with that look team of feeling the rush of [Jonathan] Greenard and [Dallas] Turner and [Javon] Hargrave and [Jonathan] Allen and really working on some things that are really starting to come to fruition. So, I was proud of the way he attacked the week, and I know, although he knows he’s not quite all the way there yet, he’s progressing in a really good way.”
