In Cleveland, Dorsey inherited an offense that under the stewardship of Stefanski and previous OC Alex Van Pelt ranked 10th in scoring and 16th in total yards in 2023, despite the absence of Nick Chubb and a carousel at quarterback after Deshaun Watson was lost for the season. PJ Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson took snaps under center before Joe Flacco stepped in to lead Cleveland into the postseason and to a win in the Wild Card Round.
Dorsey did not reap similar results in a comparable one season at the helm. The Browns are set to finish dead last in points scored and 28th in total yards entering Sunday’s final slate of games. Despite losing Watson and Chubb again to season-ending injuries and shortened campaigns, Cleveland under Dorsey did not enjoy the same success that the 2023 Browns did. Jameis Winston provided bursts at times — and viral moments — but was turnover-prone (13:12 TD-to-INT ratio) and lost the Browns a few games with his errant passing, leading to his benching in favor of DTR.
After totaling a season-high 32 points and 552 yards in a Week 13 loss to the Broncos, the Browns scored a total of 40 points over their last five weeks, an average of 8 points per game. Cleveland was lifeless Saturday with Bailey Zappe under center — its fourth starting QB of the year — in its season-ending 35-10 loss to Baltimore.
The new OC in Cleveland will be working under similar circumstances as the departed Dorsey and Van Pelt did before him. Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year, and general manager Andrew Berry are expected to return after signing extensions in June. Watson is also expected back after he and the Browns agreed to terms on a restructured contract with an adjustment aimed at easing future salary cap burden.
Cleveland is, however, primed to add a young QB to compete with Watson, who has not lived up to the fully guaranteed $230 million contract he signed following his 2022 trade from Houston. The Browns are guaranteed to select in the top three of the 2025 NFL Draft and, entering Sunday, are slotted at No. 1.
