After a disastrous 3-14 season, the Cleveland Browns are left grappling with what went wrong in 2024.
Much of the blame centers on the offense, which was historically poor during the first seven weeks with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. While Watson struggled, his season-ending Achilles injury actually seemed to improve the team’s performance.
However, he wasn’t the only issue. A once-dominant veteran offensive line regressed significantly under new o-line coach Andy Dickerson. This decline prompted consultant Mike Vrabel to step in and work with the group as the season progressed.
The roots of the o-line’s struggles trace back to Cleveland’s decision to let renowned position coach Bill Callahan leave to join his son Brian Callahan, who became the Tennessee Titans’ head coach.
Initially seen as a goodwill gesture to allow Callahan to coach alongside his son, a report by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic suggests there was more to the story.
According to Lloyd, some within the organization believe Callahan might have stayed if offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt hadn’t been fired earlier that offseason.
“I’ve spoken to players who believe Callahan would have stayed had Van Pelt remained on staff,” Lloyd wrote. “When Brian first started receiving head-coaching interviews in 2023, Bill made it clear he was staying in Cleveland. That seemed to change after Van Pelt’s dismissal.”
Andy Dickerson replaced Callahan, but the change proved disastrous. The Browns have since fired Dickerson and hired former Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren to address the void left by Callahan.
At the time, Van Pelt’s firing didn’t appear critical, especially since head coach Kevin Stefanski called plays.
However, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated described Van Pelt as a “glue guy” during his four years on Stefanski’s staff. This latest report reinforces how valued Van Pelt was by both players and fellow coaches.
While Stefanski is said to make coaching staff decisions, some reports suggest he was pressured by higher-ups to replace Van Pelt as offensive coordinator to appease Watson.
That choice not only cost the Browns one of the league’s best position coaches but also appears to have been a key factor in the team’s 2024 struggles.
