BEREA -- It is the bye week for the Cleveland Browns, a time when general manager Andrew Berry normally meets with the local media and assesses where the Browns are at and what the outlook for the rest of the season is.
Berry is not scheduled to meet with the media. Kevin Stefanski held his normal day after the game conference call with the media and even was asked a question or two that normally would go to Berry.
The NFL trade deadline is on Tuesday November 4 at 4 pm., five days before the Browns return to the field to face the Jets on the road on November 9.
Will the Browns be sellers or buyers at the NFL trade deadline or will they stand pat at that time?
With Berry unavailable, The OBR asked Stefanski what direction the Browns would take at 2-6 with the topsy turvy AFC North up for grabs, mathematically at least, with all four of the teams. The Steelers currently lead the AFC North at 4-3, followed by the Bengals at 3-5, Ravens at 2-5 and the Browns at 2-6. With nine games to play, the Browns are only two wins behind the division leader with all three AFC North teams still on the schedule among the nine remaining games.
"No, we're all in," Stefanski said. "I mean, you are what your record says you are, so we got to own it – that's where we are. But we're excited about the challenge in front of us. Again, guys will take a breath this week, but then you got nine games coming up, five of them at our place."
The Browns offense has played poorly, overall, in the first half of the season, averaging just 15.8 points a game, ranked 30th, overall. Stefanski has vowed to fix the offense, but he has said that repeatedly for several games, with little progress shown.