BEREA, Ohio — The 2024 Cleveland Browns are shooting — and not just in trade talks for receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
The Browns are firing on offense as they overhaul their scheme for this season under head coach Kevin Stefanski and new Cleveland offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
And they want to shoot often.
Allow general manager Andrew Berry to explain.
“If we were in a free throw contest against Steph Curry, if the free throw contest was three shots, we would have a chance to maybe win the game,” Berry told Yahoo Sports in an interview on Monday. “If there are 100 shots, there are simply no shots. I think the same thing applies if you play at a pace or run enough plays where you have more offensive possessions, as long as you have a good offense.
“If you get more opportunities, [it’s] Not only will it give you more chances to score, but it will also allow you to try and create that margin over your opponent.”
In a sport where games are only played weekly and playoff rounds are decided by a single contest rather than a series, NFL teams win not only based on talent but also typically with some luck in a game. of variability.
The Browns know this and are considering analytics when building their offensive system. After running a league-record 1,187 offensive plays in 2023, Cleveland hired Dorsey to run a fast-paced offense. He makes one-word plays to help the team rally faster at the line of scrimmage.
“We call them ‘NASCAR games,’” catcher Amari Cooper told Yahoo Sports. “We have so many unique words so we can align as quickly as possible.”
Hello from Training Camp Stop 7, where the Cleveland Browns redid their weight room and adjacent facilities this offseason. This walk-through area has two 25-yard wide screens for projecting game films or Madden-like game settings.
Goal: Simulate and challenge players *before* game day. pic.twitter.com/7T2spNZNIV
-Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) August 5, 2024
Speed between plays isn’t just about catching the defense off guard. It is also about increasing the volume of plays against the defense.
The idea: if some plays don’t work because of the opponent and others don’t work because of chance, give a talented group of players more chances and the impact that variability has on the outcome of the game decreases.
Spend less time on structured West Coast routes and more on option routes that enable receivers to read the defense. Add more pass rush and pass rush options, and the Browns believe quarterback Deshaun Watson can better leverage his athleticism and mobility to make plays in space.
“He’s a dynamic passer,” Berry said. “He has a very instinctive feel for the game and we really want to build an environment where he can play fast, play reflexively and… create more matchup problems, whether in the air or on the ground.”
In many ways, Watson’s abilities are the starting point for this framework. The Browns have been productive in 2023, leading the 10th-ranked offense and 16th in yards. But an offense that worked very well for veteran Joe Flacco in the starting lineup didn’t really play to Watson’s strengths. The Browns owe Watson $46 million guaranteed this year and know better than to neglect their investment.
In Watson’s first two seasons in Cleveland, he disappointed.
A holdout, personal conduct suspension and shoulder surgery truncated Watson’s final three seasons, respectively. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who completed 67.8% of his passes and generated a 104.5 passer rating in four seasons in Houston, has dropped to a 59.8% completion rate and an 81.7 passer rating in 12 Cleveland games.
Watson played just six games last season as he initially battled a shoulder injury and later underwent surgery on the fracture.
He arrived at training camp cleared to perform individual and team workouts, taking scheduled rest days but not being limited, the coach and members of the Browns executive team said Monday.
“You see a ton of shots, you’ve seen shots in every area of the field,” Stefanski told Yahoo Sports. “So he looks the same to me [as before his injury]which is their way of saying that arm strength and accuracy are exactly as they were before.”
The Browns’ offense will need Watson to carry the load as running back Nick Chubb continues to rehabilitate from surgeries to repair his left ACL and MCL. Cooper will be their first target, preventing Cooper from being traded to San Francisco for Aiyuk. Tight end David Njoku and wide receiver Elijah Moore are also legitimate threats.
The emphasis will shift from the team’s Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys to the always demanding challenge of AFC North contests. Expect Cleveland to run a series of tempo plays in the opener… and then rearrange concepts each week to account for opposing matchups and schemes.
“If we’re worth it, your game plan has to be different every week because you’re playing different defense,” Stefanski said. “Defenses that are susceptible to certain schemes, you want to lean on those schemes. So hopefully we’re adjusting week by week. Year after year, you cannot remain the same. The defensive coaches are too good.
“If there’s one thing that keeps me up at night, it’s that it doesn’t change with time.”
