Why won't Kevin Stefanski let Dillon Gabriel throw deep?

By now, anyone who has been tuning in to the Browns games week after week can tell the offense is not only a problem, but an active deterrent to winning football games. The offensive unit has become so predictable and feeble that there is absolutely zero fear in opposing defenses. Kevin Stefanski's desperation has reached a fever pitch - for the second season in a row, he has surrendered play-calling duties to one of his assistants. This time, it's offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

History has a way of contextualizing events that you're seeing in real time, allowing conclusions to be drawn, and ultimately - blame to be placed. There have been all-time NFL defenses that led their team to championships. One that comes to mind is the 2000 Ravens, whose dominant defense allowed them to play a conservative, game-managing offense all the way to a Super Bowl win. 

Breaking news: The 2025 Browns are not the 2000 Ravens.

Not only are they not the Ravens, but their offense is still putting up fewer points per game than the Ravens of 

25 years ago (15.8 vs. 20.8). This was before teams were motioning consistently, when linebackers flooded the field because the pass game was so unrefined, when having three receivers on the field at once was considered an exotic look. It might as well have been prehistoric times.

Browns need to find explosive, downfield passing plays

It begs the question, what's the deal? Why are the Browns so inept on offense? The truth of the matter is that the finger can be pointed in multiple directions. Of 51 qualified quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel ranks dead last in deep throw rate (according to StatRankings), which is defined as pass attempts beyond 20 yards down the field. A paltry 5.67% of his passes have traveled that far in the air.

Is Dillon Gabriel ultra-conservative with the ball in his hands? Is Kevin Stefanski coaching his QBs to take care of the ball at such an extreme rate that it is detrimental to winning? It's most likely a combination. Strangely enough, one of the apparent reasons Shedeur Sanders never rose up the Browns' depth chart after a chaotic preseason is that he refused to take what was there. The pendulum has swung so far the other way that Gabriel won't even attempt to throw deep.

Now, it should be no surprise that in terms of explosive plays, the Browns rank 31st. These explosives are defined as pass plays that gain more than 20 yards or run plays that gain more than 10. A measly 5.44% of their plays have gone on to pay off explosive dividends. That is not winning football.

It's clear now that Dillon Gabriel needs to be more assertive and at least attempt some deep shots every game. Explosive plays are hugely beneficial to offensive football. It's much easier to hit one long play that leads to points than to methodically run 10 or 12 plays in a row without a penalty or blown assignment, stalling the drive. Besides, simply attempting these plays will open up the offense, allowing Quinshon Judkins to carry the ball without eight defenders in the box

But before we put this to bed, there is one other culprit that needs to improve in a hurry for the Browns' offense to at least appear NFL-caliber. That is - the pass catchers. The Cleveland Browns have the second most drops in the NFL (18) and the third highest drop percentage (8.37%). Jerry Jeudy leads the team with six, followed by a tie between Harold Fannin Jr. and Jerome Ford who have three apiece.

The Browns' offense has been an abject failure at nearly every level, and there are no clean hands at this juncture. If a change in play-caller doesn't trigger some sparks, don't be surprised to see Sanders under center before the season's done. If all else fails, Stefanski himself might be the one who finds himself on the outs at season's end.