Browns HC Kevin Stefanski explains why Jerry Jeudy went silent in Week 16 vs. Bengals

The Cleveland Browns offense took a big step back in Week 16, as they suffered a 24-6 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. Throwing Dorian Thompson-Robinson in at quarterback in place of Jameis Winston did not work, and it resulted in a quiet day for star wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, which drew an interesting take from head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Jeudy enjoyed a star turn with Winston under center, but he did not enjoy the same success with Thompson-Robinson throwing him passes, as he caught just two passes for 20 yards. When asked about Jeudy's lack of involvement, Stefanski said Cleveland obviously made it a goal of theirs to get him the ball, but the Bengals defense ultimately prevented them from doing so.

“When you’re talking about any type of target, it’s our job as coaches to put together a game plan where your best players are obviously the primary, but then you have to go with what the defense does,” Stefanski said on Monday. “That’s the other piece of it, I think, when you’re coaching the quarterbacks, make sure they understand that the ball goes where the ball goes, dictated by coverage.”

“Obviously, there’s things that we do and will always continue to do to try to get our guys open. And certainly, it’s no secret that Jerry is a huge, huge part of our offense. So, it goes without saying that we want him to touch the ball more.”

Kevin Stefanski, Browns will look to get Jerry Jeudy back on track in Week 17

Jeudy had been on fire heading into this game, as he racked up 49 receptions for 786 yards and three touchdowns over his past seven games. His quick connection with Winston certainly helped, but he couldn't get on the same page with Thompson-Robinson, who generally struggled when throwing the ball against Cincy. It also didn't help that the Bengals gave Jeudy a lot of attention given his strong play as of late.

Stefanski could have designed plays, such as screens or designed handoffs, to get Jeudy the ball, but they ultimately did not do that against Cincinnati. Considering how poor the offense was in Week 16, Stefanski and company will have to go back to the drawing board ahead of Week 17, with the hope being they can get Jeudy more involved against the Miami Dolphins.