Cleveland Browns: The Power of Stability

The NFL is a quick hitting league on and off the field. We’re getting to the point in the year where we start to discuss where teams are at and what their outlook is for this season and going into next season. A team’s front office is really the base of everything; these guys deal with the personnel, the coaching and the planning that goes into every week. Obviously teams that fail are often teams that have a poor front office and a lack of talent on the field. It’s one of the most difficult jobs in sports because one player, one play call and one bad decision could be the difference between a successful team and being a bottom feeder.

There are teams like the Buccaneers, while not in the greatest division, are showing signs of life and that maybe, just maybe, Lovie Smith can turn this franchise around. Other teams like the Ravens have endured countless injuries which makes it hard to blame anybody in a league that requires your best every week. Every team has their thing going on like being undefeated or just continually defeated, for those teams that experience the latter how important is it for them to stick with stability?

Let’s take a look at the Browns, a team that has had 2 winning seasons in it’s last 16 years. It’s almost a given that every 24 months Cleveland will have a new coaching staff (if not less) because well.. there’s just no patience. Things start looking grim and all of a sudden the fans start calling for heads and eventually they roll. How much damage is this consistent lack of stability doing though?

In the first of two winning seasons that the Browns endured (2002) while in the league it was former Miami head coach Butch Davis that lead this team to the playoffs in just his second season. Arguably the best team the Browns have ever fielded only because well, they’re one of two and the only team that actually made the playoffs but we’ll discuss the second team later. There was nobody overly special on this team and in fact not one skill player went over 1000 yards rushing or receiving and not one defensive player had over 100 tackles or 10 sacks. This was the true definition of “team football” and while they lost in the playoffs to Pittsburgh (for the third time that year) it was clear that this team had great coaching behind it and that future success was expected. Well expectations fell to the floor when arguably the same Cleveland team showed up in 2003 and couldn’t pull out a few close wins that they were able to do the year before which got the ball rolling for the firing of Davis. When in 2004 the team started 3-8 he was asked to resign and the team was back to square one.

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It’s easy to look at someones overall record and say hey, its been great but no thanks. The problem with that though is the lack of talent that Davis was forced to work with behind that team. Now you can blame him and the GM for failed drafts but Tim Couch was there before him so he was already given a first round quarterback that he was forced to work around. Couch endured injuries and struggles and eventually the position became a carousel of different people. Davis did his best to bring in a run game but running backs are very hit and miss and in Davis’ 3 1/2 seasons he never once had a 1000 yard rusher. Sure you can call these excuses and I’m sure many will but without stability at the quarterback position and without having a franchise player it’s hard to find success in the NFL.

So what are the prospects that had Butch Davis been given a couple extra years that he could’ve again lead this team to the playoffs? Everything’s hindsight now but when you look at guys like Marvin Lewis and Jeff Fisher who also had struggles in their first four years you have to wonder had Cleveland stuck with Butch would things be different today?

Nov 15, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) celebrates as Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) sits on the field during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 30-9. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Now the guy after Butch Davis was Romeo Crennel. Crennel came over from New England and in his first two seasons got off to a much more rocky start than Davis did and arguably with a little more talent behind him. However in 2007 the Browns were able to pull it together under Crennel and accrue a 10-6 record, they missed the playoffs. Once again there was promise for the city of Cleveland that they’d found their coach and that they’d again be the team that they’ve once hoped for.

Crennel even signed a two-year extension after the season as support for the job well done. Let’s not forget we’re talking about Cleveland and for some reason things just don’t ever go the way they’re supposed to. In the following season, after going 10-6, the Browns fell to 4-12 and Crennel was fired by the Browns. The team lost a ton of close games in 2008 and could’ve easily been 10-6 again if not for a few end of game woes. The 31-0 loss to Pittsburgh was probably the nail in the coffin for Crennel.

Four years, one playoff appearance and two fired coaches in a row. At the time it was probably relief for the fans and for those without patience but nowadays lacking that patience has been the thing that’s hurting the Browns. The only two coaches in the 16 year “modern” history of the Browns were the only two to have a winning record. To fill in the other eight years that Davis and Crennel didn’t take up we have to look at six different coaches. Four of which have been in the past four years. The organization stopped being patient with their coaches and started the fire and hire sale.

Aside from the two mentioned above none of these coaches have been given more than two years and not a single one has sniffed the playoffs except for Mike Pettine last season.

Nov 5, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine reacts during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of Mike Pettine not one of these coaches has earned more than five wins in their short leashed coaching gig with the Browns. It’s time now that they stop the fire circle of coaches and give this staff the four years that they gave the other two successful coaches, if not longer. By no means is it a popular idea amongst fans especially after the benching of Johnny Football, but there is something to be said about giving a coach time and the proper resources. Personally I believe if Butch Davis had the roster that Romeo Crennel had he would still be coaching the Browns, some of that is to blame on him though as he was in charge of picking his own players.

By continuously firing coaches the Browns are also devaluing the head coaching position as low as it can possibly go. Is anybody looking for a career thinking about accepting a high turnover job? No. Of course there’s always interest because it’s the NFL and plenty of people would love the opportunity but if you want the top guys on the list there has to be assurance that they won’t be fired after one or two years because the team is that far behind. I wouldn’t say Mike Pettine is a great coach but he deserves the time, he deserves the opportunity to put his plan together for the contract length he was given. If it doesn’t work out then you find a new coach but you go into it with the credibility that this new guy will get the time he was signed to. If it does work out with Pettine you continue the cycle of successful coaches given the proper amount of time.

Pettine went 7-9 last year (third best record in the last 16 years, I know.. ouch) and he has a troubling quarterback situation this year. If he’s able to pull it all together next year and get this team into the playoff race at the end of the year, I don’t see why he shouldn’t have his contract extended. Firing him this year, before the contract is up, does nothing for Cleveland and you can almost bet the same caliber coach will show up next year.

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