The Cleveland Browns offense is changing in more ways than one. On top of naming Jameis Winston the starting quarterback for the club's Week 8 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday that offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will now take over play-calling duties. Dorsey is expected to call plays for the remainder of the season.
"Every single week, I'm looking at what we can do better," Stefanski said when asked why he decided to make the change. "We need to improve. Felt like this is the right move for right now."
Through Week 7, the Browns offense has struggled in a number of key areas. The unit ranks dead last in the league in total yards per play (4.0) and on third down (23.7% conversion rate). The Browns are also averaging just 15.6 points per game (29th).
While some of the blame for this lackluster offense can be placed on the now-injured Deshaun Watson, Stefanski, who has handled play-calling duties since being hired as coach in 2020, is taking a step back and allowing Dorsey to take the reins to help bring claw the unit back to respectability.
"I'm very confident in Ken," Stefanski noted. "I'm very confident in our offensive staff. When you're talking about playing good football and putting game plans together, it's never one person's job. It's really a collaborative effort, so I have a ton of faith in all of our coaches. Ken calling the play does not change that collaborative approach."
Dorsey was hired by the Browns this offseason. Prior to landing in Cleveland, he was with the Buffalo Bills organization, beginning as a quarterbacks coach in 2019. He ascended to offensive coordinator in 2022 following the departure of Brian Daboll but was fired midway through last season. Given that history as a play-caller, if he is to mirror his offense somewhat to how he operated in Buffalo, we may have some inklings of how the Browns offense will run -- literally -- with him at the helm.
As the Bills OC, Dorsey's offense leaned heavily on the run. In 2022, Buffalo ranked 15th in the league in rushing attempts but then fifth in 2023. The offense was also seventh in the NFL in total rushing yards in both seasons. Entering Week 8 of this season, the Browns offense ranks 27th in the NFL with 22.4 rushing attempts per game. The offense is averaging 4.2 yards per attempt, which also ranks in the bottom half of the league. So, Dorsey's ascent to offensive play-caller and the return of running back Nick Chubb could see the Browns being more of a ground-based offense going forward, particularly as they try to manage the game with Winston under center.
