John DeFilippo Should be the Interim Coach of the Browns

Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo Should be the Next Coach of the Browns.  

      It's a foregone conclusion that Browns' terrible defense will get Coach Mike Pettine fired, along with his sidekick, Defensive Coordinator Jim O'Neil.  Nobody wants to blow up the coaching staff, but based on the Browns upgrading several positions on defense and currently rated as the 32nd best defense in the NFL out of 32 teams, it's inescapable.  

       So who will the new Coach be?   Usually, the interim Head Coach is someone from the current staff, as there is simply no opportunity to install a new system.   I think Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo is the logical choice.  

     First of all, he's gotten a shabby unit--universally regarded as weak at quarterback and receivers---to perform rather well, or at least not as decrepit as the defense.  Currently, the passing offense is ranked Number 9 in the NFL, believe it or not.  The rushing offense is Ranked Number 25, making us Number 18 overall.  That's not great, but might be good enough to win if the Defense had performed up to expectations.    
     
      The defense on the other hand is so horrific that we could not consider promoting anyone from the unit to the head job.  

    One of the other important items to be determined this year is whether Johnny Manziel should be the starting quarterback next year.  DeFilippo is definitely the right person to make that determination.  Unlike Pettine, he would not feel obligated to play Josh McCown.  It must be said that McCown has upheld his end of the bargain so far, generating above average quaterback play despite a largely lackluster career.  But because of his age he is not likely to be a viable "quarterback of the future."  If we were in contention that would be one thing, but we are not.

    

Both McCown and Manziel have flourished under DeFilippo's system.   No one has flourished under O'Neil's defense however. Absolutely no one.  

   DeFilippo is very young, only 37, and largely unknown. Nevertheless he has experience guiding Mark Sanchez in his rookie year with the Jets, when they went to the AFC title game; and he also worked with Derek Carr for the Raiders last year.   Thus he is very well respected as a tutor for quarterbacks.  We have very limited data to go on, but so far the play calling for the untalented offense has been reasonably productive.  Maybe the Browns have something here.   Let's give him a shot and see what he can do.