Browns' Kevin Stefanski credits 'Madden' for game management skills

It turns out Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has at least one thing in common with a plethora of football fans in their early 40s. 

"Honestly, so I grew up playing 'Madden,'" Stefanski explained during an episode of the "Pardon My Take" podcast, per Kevin Harrish of The Comeback. "I really believe our generation is a little bit better at game management because we’ve done that. We know when we’re down 10, I’m going to kick the field goal now and then I’m going to get the onside. I’m going to get the seven later. I do think all those games, I know it sounds silly, I do think that all helps when it comes to game management." 

Not for nothing, but "Madden" certainly could have a worse advertisement than Stefanski suggesting that editions of the game helped him develop into somebody capable of earning millions of dollars as an NFL head coach while at the age of 40. 

Stefanski famously earned NFL Coach of the Year honors for the 2020 season after he guided the Browns to their first playoff appearance since January 2003 and a postseason victory over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Granted, Cleveland has since posted back-to-back losing seasons, but Stefanski dealt with unique circumstances over those campaigns. 

Then-starting quarterback Baker Mayfield played injured for almost all of the 2021 season, and Stefanski then had backup Jacoby Brissett starting for 11 games in 2022 as Deshaun Watson served a suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions. 

Stefanski and Watson should, by all accounts, be able to enjoy a relatively normal offseason compared to last spring and summer. While Stefanski essentially received a pass for all that went wrong for the 2022 Browns, that won't be the case later this year if he routinely fails to lead his team to victories with Watson atop the depth chart beginning in Week 1.