My biggest concern for the team and the coaching staff coming into this year was the offense. I have a preference for the "CEO" style head coaches who leave the offense up to their offensive coordinator, and Stefanski does not do that.
I was concerned about the way Stefanski and AVP would run an offense for Deshaun Watson. After all, Watson in open sets is the most efficient QB in the history of football. Yet, Stefanski has always preferred multiple tight ends and to run the ball. Then you add Brissett for 11 games, and I assumed we'd be getting more of the Chubb-Hunt, two-tight-end sets that have worked for the first two years of Stefanski's tenure in Cleveland.
I am absolutely floored with how well the coaching staff have handled the offense this year. The play calls are terrific. We're one of the best offenses in football with a backup at the helm, and we've effortlessly moved into these open, spread sets that Watson will thrive in when he returns. It's truly been beautiful to watch.
We've used more motion-at-the-snap and pre-snap motion.
We've schemed ways to get playmakers like Amari Cooper open.
We're doing things like that sexy Njoku screen that Brissett couldn't complete the throw on--where we motioned a tight end into formation to seemingly block a blitzer, and then caught the defense with their pants down.
And we're doing all of this while having the greatest rushing attack in football, by an enormous margin.
When you look at the two teams last night, with arguably the top two young play callers in the NFL (McVay and Shanahan), Stefanski has been head-and-shoulders better than each of them this season.
At this point, the only team I would still put ahead of us in terms of offensive play calling and execution is KC.
Stefanski and AVP have done a heck of a job. I am absolutely giddy to see what this offense can do with Watson at the helm.
