Kevin Stefanski and company need comfort, consistency from their offense
The Cleveland Browns underwent a shift in offensive philosophy heading into the 2024 season and to say it was an abject failure would be an understatement. The Browns early-season offense was officially the worst in the past decade, it was unwatchable in many ways, and 8% worse than the next-worst team at converting drives into points.
There are reasons for optimism heading into the 2025 season, as Cleveland’s offense is likely to turn back the clock to a more run-first orientation.
Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees must get their unit on the same page and comfortable or penalties will continue to be a problem. As a team, the Browns were tied for the fifth-most penalties in 2024 with 119. The offense was called for the following:
- 6 delay of games
- 26 false starts
- 15 holdings
- 2 offensive pass interferences
In all, 64% of the team’s penalties came on the offensive side of the ball, a clear sign that the switch to the new offense just didn’t go well for the team:
Cleveland’s Offense Was the NFL’s Most Penalized Unit
64% of Browns penalties came on offense in 2024, worst in the league
Over half were pre-snap errors
Discipline isn’t optional in the AFC North
Full analysis as seen in Warren Sharp’s 2025 Preview:https://t.co/8puK0JzlrE
— Sharp Football Analysis (@SharpFBAnalysis) July 10, 2025
How much did the new offense impact things? In 2023, with five starting quarterbacks, Cleveland’s offense had 10 fewer false starts, a 39% reduction.
With Stefanski bringing back an offense far more comfortable to him, the details should be more buttoned up in 2025. If they are not, the offense will continue to struggle and put more and more pressure on the defense.
Are you surprised how much the offense was responsible for penalties last year? How big of an improvement do you think we could see in 2025?
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