Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco indirectly gave Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski a hard time on X this weekend. The 40-year-old shot-caller put up one of the best games of his 18-year NFL career this past Sunday, when the Bengals met the Chicago Bears for Week 9.
While Flacco lost a 47-42 nail-biter, he still recorded 470 passing yards, four touchdowns, and only two interceptions. As Stefanski and company were the ones who traded away the veteran quarterback back on October 7, fans went hard at the Browns’ head coach in light of the team’s continuous failures.
Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski Faces Fan Fury in Light of Joe Flacco’s Bengals Success
Sports radio host Garrett Bush called for the end of Stefanski’s run in Cleveland.
“Flacco’s performance should be the nail in the coffin for Stefanski!” he tweeted. “We have to sit here & pretend Gabriel is a starting QB. I never want to hear “Browns want to run Kevin Stefanski’s offense.”Stefanski is a bottom 5 coach! #Browns stay losing even in the Bye week!”
Timothy Shaw recalled some of the Browns’ head coach’s failures, posting: “Stefanski couldn’t make it work with Baker, Watson, Flacco, OBJ, Landry, Chubb, Cooper, Jeudy, the list goes on and on. Multiple O coordinators, all the same result. Sooner or later, you have to realize it’s the head coach.”
Another user mentioned how people are using the receiver room as the scapegoat, writing: “Everyone is going to want to use the WR room as a scapegoat, but the fact is the problem is Stefanski. It’s not just Flacco. Teams all over the league are making non-star WR rooms work. Stefanski needs to go. Still calling for in-person game boycott. So ridiculous!”
Presidential noted how it seemed like Flacco’s career would end in Cleveland, tweeting: “Flacco looked like he was out of the league with Cleveland. Stefanski’s offense is horrible.”
One user warned that Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders is bound to fail in Cleveland, posting: “Flacco cookin with the Bengals immediately after he left Stefanski. This is why I said trade Shedeur and get him away from Stefanski too. Let him have Gabriel and they can go down with the sinking ship together.”
A user also mentioned the statistical shortcomings of Stefanski’s Browns, writing: “Stefanski had all offseason to prepare for week 1 vs Bengals…. He put up 16 with Joe Flacco…. Bengals have allowed like 30 ppg.”
Hence, following Flacco’s remarkable debut with the Bengals, Browns fans have intensified their criticism of head coach Stefanski. Many see Flacco’s immediate success elsewhere as definitive proof that Stefanski’s coaching and offensive scheme are the root of the team’s struggles. The performance has only fueled the ongoing debate about Stefanski’s future in Cleveland, with many fans now calling for his dismissal.