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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kevin Stefanski gave Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone a huge vote of confidence Monday despite the two kick returns for touchdowns during Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Jets. “Listen, I have a ton of faith and Bubba, I have a ton of faith in our special teams,” Stefanski said Monday on a video conference. “We have to be better. That’s the case. There are ways that we can try to be better, but it’s definitely we’ll continue to coach our guys hard. We’ll continue to give them the techniques to use, but I trust our guys, I trust that we’ll get back to work.” Will they make changes on the coverage units this week? They gave up a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD to Kene Nwangwu to tie it at 7 after David Njoku’s 9 yard TD catch, and a 74-yard punt return for a TD by Isaiah Williams just 36 seconds later after an ugly three-and-out by the offense. That made it 14-7 Jets with the defense having only been on the field for a three-and-out on the Jets opening drive. More Cleveland Browns coverage How Myles Garrett, Ronnie Hickman Jr. and the rest of the Browns defense graded vs. the Jets What’s next for the Browns after the loss to the Jets: Monday’s Sports 4 CLE Cleveland’s $2 million annual loss on Browns stadium: City is better off without the team “Throughout the game, and throughout the season you’re always making changes with guys and depending on who’s available to you in a given game,” Stefanski said. “So we’ll always look at those things.” The special teams did a masterful job of sprinting onto the field with 10 seconds left in the half after a third-down sack of Dillon Gabriel to execute a 45-yard firedrill field goal by Andre Szmyt to tied the game at 17 as time expired. But there have been too many gaffes this season, including a blocked punt in Week 2 and a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown in Week 4. Still, Stefanski obviously has no plans to make a change the way the Raiders did on Friday, firing special teams coach Tom McMahon after a series of unfortunate events. So why does he still have so much faith in his coordinator and the unit? “I get to watch our coaches coach,” Stefanski said. “I get to watch our guys work. We need to improve. We understand that those two returns yesterday are really disappointing and our guys understand everybody’s role that we play in this thing. So we will get it fixed.” Browns safety Ronnie Hickman, who got the first interception off Justin Fields this season, explained why the special teamers love playing for Ventrone. “He’s a great special teams coach and he’s very passionate,” Hickman said on a video conference. “I think if you ask anyone in the building or has been around him, you know he cares not just about the special teams but just about the guys in this locker room and the guys that play for him in this organization. So it’s on us as players to go out there and do our job.” He was asked if his faith in Ventrone ever gets shaken when special teams is a big part of a loss like that. “No, it’s not really my job to be shaky about a coaching position or whatever trying to get at,” Hickman said. “But Bubba’s our coach, he coaches us throughout the week hard. He puts us in good positions, and that’s that.” Myles Garrett said after the game of the two returns, “frustration’s frustration. You try your best not to point fingers. You just try to clean up what you can, execute the best you can and be part of the solution. So we’ve just got to be better.” Ventrone will have the chance to help the unit finish strong over the final eight games.
