Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz wants another crack at NFL head coach. His Browns defense has ranked No. 1 most of the year.
Yes, Jim Schwartz wants another crack as NFL head coach
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
Coordinators become hot head coach candidates when their units of responsibility rise to near the top of the league rankings and their teams advance in the postseason. And it surely doesn’t hurt if they’ve had head coaching experience.
All of which could lead to Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz getting a second look in the next NFL hiring cycle.
Schwartz had a 29-51 record and one playoff appearance as head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2009-13. After that, Schwartz had successful stints as defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles, which include a Super Bowl title.
Health problems reduced him to a part-time consultant position with the Tennessee Titans. After beating a thyroid issue, Schwartz was hired by Stefanski last January 18 to replace Joe Woods.
Suffice to say it has been a triumphant return to full-time coaching for Schwartz. He transformed the Browns’ defense into the No. 1 unit in several metrics this season. It has driven the team to 11 wins and a wild-card berth while Stefanski juggled four starting quarterbacks to the No. 5 AFC playoff seed.
The only question was whether Schwartz wanted to return to the grind of NFL head coach. He answered that question on Thursday.
“Well, first of all, I'm really happy here,” said Schwartz, who praised Stefanski as coach of the year. “I mean, I don’t think that’s even close.”
Schwartz continued, “I love this organization. I love the city of Cleveland. That was such a great atmosphere [when the Browns clinched the playoffs against the New York Jets]. Thirty-one years in the NFL, that was one of my top five atmospheres that Thursday night. We needed to share that with the players. We got a lot of energy from them. We needed to give them a little energy, pay them back. Not many chances you have to be able to clinch at home. So, all that.
“But I'd say this. In any job that you do, you always aspire to the top of that profession. And I'm no different there.”
Schwartz, 57, is the antithesis of most recent NFL head coach hires. The young, offensive-minded, up-and-comers have dominated the landscape for at least four years; Stefanski, in 2020, benefitted from that.
But everything goes in cycles in the NFL. And a few surprise openings, which nobody may foresee right now, could put Schwartz back on the head coach map.
David Njoku cited his burning accident as a turning point in appreciating life and team over personal goals. (Cleveland Browns)
We, not me
Of the five Browns who earned selections to the Pro Bowl, the team probably was most elated for tight end David Njoku, who made it for the first time in his seventh NFL season.
Njoku asked to be traded at least two times since Stefanski was hired in 2020, but settled his differences and turned in a career year. Njoku has personal highs in catches (81), yards (882) and touchdowns (six), not to mention enormous respect in the locker room as a matured team leader.
Joel Bitonio, who earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection, said, “I was so pumped for him when I heard he made it, because just the change he’s made. I don’t know how many times he asked for a trade or wanted to get out of here, and it takes time to learn and develop, and he’s done all those things. So for him, I know that was really special."
Njoku’s reflection on the award should be a lesson to every young player.
“As crazy as it sounds … as crazy as it sounds … throughout my whole career, it was mostly about stats and how many yards I can get, how many touchdowns I can get,” he said. “The one year where I felt like, not that I didn’t care about it, but more so the team was more important than me, is the year that I made it. It’s really funny how that all works out. We, not me.”
Njoku said the home fire-pit accident on September 29, in which he received burns to his hands and face, was a turning point.
“I was like, number one, life, no matter what, is a beautiful thing,” he said. “The finer things, like just being able to see and hear, senses, and everything. And then as each week went by and it went by, I started noticing that I was caring more about what the team needed to win, more so than what I needed to be happy. And by doing that, it also made me happy as well. Funny how life works.”
Grateful to be back
Receiver Elijah Moore practiced a second day and professed he’ll be ready to go for the Browns’ playoff run starting next week.Moore was all smiles a week after suffering a scary moment on the field against the Jets when his head was slammed to the ground after a catch.
“There was a quick moment where I couldn’t really feel anything,” Moore said. “And as time went on I started gaining feeling in my body again.”
Viewers of the game could see Moore’s arms twitching as he lay on the ground.
“I was shaking because I was trying to get up,” Moore said. “What I learned is you can have, like, a seizure. I don’t think that’s what I had. But we had to go through concussion protocol from how my head hit the ground because I did get stuck for a minute. Thank God I was able to get feeling as time went on.”
Moore was on his way to his best game as a Brown, but his night ended in the second quarter.
“I hadn’t been in the end zone since Baltimore [seven games earlier.] It don’t matter who it’s against. I just want to be in the end zone every week,” he said. "You know what, we’re blessed with other opportunities, so I’m gonna look at is as the next game I’ll be able to make it up."
Brownie bits
When kicker Dustin Hopkins suffered a left hamstring injury in Houston on December 24, Stefanski termed it “week to week.” On Thursday, special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said Hopkins is “day to day.” But it appears Riley Patterson will kick in Cincinnati. Then we’ll see about next week …
Bitonio and Myles Garrett dominated voting again for two awards presented by the Cleveland chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. Garrett was voted the Joe Thomas Award for player of the year for the third time in four years. Bitonio notched his fourth Dino Lucarelli Good Guy Award. Each player has won the other award once, also.
