The Cleveland Browns will hire John DeFilippo as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
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If you are a fan of the Cleveland Browns, you are probably sick of the current narrative. The team is tied with the Oakland Raiders for the second-longest active playoff drought in the NFL, having not seen a postseason match-up since 2002.
One of the reoccurring motifs throughout this painful stretch is the instability of the head coaching and offensive coordinator positions. Although Mike Pettine survived his first year on the job, Kyle Shanahan, son of two-time Super Bowl champion head coach Mike Shanahan, resigned at the latter position.
In steps John Defilippo to fill those shoes, according to reports.
Defilippo most recently served as the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2012-2014. During his time with the organization, the team went just 11-37. Last season the franchise ranked dead last in the NFL with 282.2 yards of total offense per game. Through the air, it was not much better, as they finished 26th with 204.7 yards per game. DeFilippo will be tasked with turning around a Browns team that ranked 20th in the league with 216.6 passing yards and 23rd with 324.6 total yards per game. The 22nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Johnny Manziel, may likely serve as Defilippo’s starting QB.
Source tells @NFLonFOX that @Browns are hiring John DeFilippo as new offensive coordinator.
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) January 21, 2015
He will also be inheriting a new quarterbacks coach after Dowell Loggains was recently fired by owner Jimmy Haslem. The complete overhaul in Cleveland is no doubt due in response to the team’s mid-season collapse last year. After starting 6-3 on the season, with sole possession of first place in the AFC North through Week 10, the Browns were in control of their own destiny and seemingly headed for their first division title since re-emerging back to Cleveland during the 1999 NFL season.
Unfortunately, then starting quarterback Brian Hoyer began to struggle and the team was dealing with a decision to start Manziel over him or not. Cleveland would go on to lose six of its final seven games to finish 7-9 on the year.
Should the team wish to make a serious playoff run next season, DeFilippo will have to bring out the best in Manziel, who looked absolutely lost on the field in his first two NFL starts, the second of which ended with him suffering a season-ending injury. Cleveland would be wise to sure up their offensive line in the off-season with a couple of well-placed draft selections. Perhaps if “Johnny Football” has more time in the pocket, DeFilippo might have something to work with.
H/T Alex Marvez
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