Browns starting Jameis Winston at QB vs. Ravens; OC Ken Dorsey will call plays

Things will look different in Cleveland this weekend.

Jameis Winston will make his first start for the Browns against the Ravens, coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday. Winston also gets his plays from a new voice: offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.

Yes, for the first time in his tenure as Browns coach, Stefanski is relinquishing his duties as game manager.

“Every week I look at things we can do better,” Stefanski said when asked what prompted the change. “We need to improve, so I felt like this was the right step now.”

The move comes after Cleveland has been terrible in possession through the first seven weeks, ranking last in yards per game, 30th in passing yards per game, 28th in rushing yards per game . Place and 29th in points scored per game (15.6). The Browns have yet to break 20 points in 2024, and after trading Amari Cooper to Buffalo last week, their leading touchdown scorer is veteran safety Rodney McLeod, who has a fumble and a blocked field goal for a total of two touchdowns received back.

A lot of the Browns' problems could be attributed to Deshaun Watson's subpar play. Before a torn Achilles tendon ended his season, Watson was undoubtedly the NFL's worst starting quarterback through the first six weeks. He failed to find open targets and habitually gave up on opposing pass rushes while struggling with accuracy on passes. While he didn't turn the ball over often, he also didn't help the Browns sustain drives. Through seven games, Cleveland ranks 32nd in third down conversion rate at 23.71 percent.

The Browns simply need to find a way to breathe some life into their offense. With Watson now out of the picture for 2024, Stefanski is taking another step by handing officiating duties to Dorsey, the offensive coordinator he hired in the offseason to replace Alex Van Pelt.