Former Vikings Coach on the Hot Seat
He’s won two Coach of the Year awards, but in 2024, nobody really cares.
Former Vikings Coach on the Hot Seat
Former Vikings head coach Kevin Stefanski remains steadfast about embattled passer Deshaun Watson as his QB1, and if he doesn’t change his mind, Watson may cost Stefanski his job with the Cleveland Browns — even if he’s won two COYs since 2020.
The Browns are 1-4 entering Week 6, and Watson ranks 30th among quarterbacks in the NFL per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. Only Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers and Anthony Richardson from the Indianapolis Colts have performed worse through five weeks.
It’s just that Stefanski can’t see it — or isn’t allowed to bench Watson. Something isn’t right.
“We’re not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better. I need to coach better,” Stefanski told reporters after the Washington Commanders creamed his team 34-13 on Sunday.
Watson’s poor play is the worst-kept secret in football. Every week, he stinks. His stat line is in the ballpark of 170 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. But because he’s so handsomely paid, he’s evidently not-benchable.
Stefanski added after the embarrassing loss to the Commanders: “This is not a one-person issue on offense. We have the guys. We have the coaches. We will get it fixed.”
That’s fine and dandy, but Watson has never performed well for more than a game or two since taking the QB1 job in Cleveland. Since 2022, of all quarterbacks with 500 offensive snaps, Watson ranks 38th of 40 qualifiers per EPA/Play. Put plainly — the guy is horrible and has never rekindled his elite status from Houston.
So, Stefanski is on the hot seat. These are live odds for the next head coach fired in the NFL:
- Doug Pederson = +125
- Nick Sirianni = +400
- Kevin Stefanski = +600
- Dennis Allen = +800
- Mike McCarthy = +1000
- Brian Daboll = +1200
- Zac Taylor = +1200
The New York Jets canned head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, two days after his team lost to the Vikings in London. ‘Tis the season.
Watson said about his play as of late after Week 5: “The offense is going to go as far as I go. So, at the end of the day, we’re not doing enough offensively. As a quarterback, you take all the pressure. You take all the heat. You take all the blame. I’ve got to find ways to bring everybody else along with each other, how we can go out here on Sundays and eliminate all the mistakes that are going to cause us to get behind the eight ball and put ourselves in situations that we don’t want to be in.”
If Watson and Stefanski do not fulfill the promise to turn it around, the 2025 Browns will look markedly different.
It’s worth noting that Jameis Winston is Stefanski’s alternative to Watson.
One Viking Could Be Benched Soon
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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