Kevin Stefanski On Getting OBJ More Involved: 'I Need To Do A Better Job'

The Odell Beckham Jr. era in Cleveland has been a roller coaster. It seems like it's constantly going into a drop.

That coaster reached a new low on Sunday in the Browns' 15-10 loss to the Steelers. Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw the ball 31 times. Remarkably, only one went Beckham Jr.'s way. He hauled it in for a measly six yards and that was all the action Beckham Jr. got.

The Browns, who once seemed like a Super Bowl contender, now sit at 4-4, last place in the AFC North. Time is running out for head coach Kevin Stefanski to figure it out.

“First and foremost, I need to do a better job," Stefanski said on Monday. “I really do. I need to make sure that I put him in position to make some plays and I didn’t do a good enough job, certainly yesterday. Having said that, he gets a lot of attention from the defense. There were a bunch of plays where the safety is cheating to him and that opens up opportunities for other guys.

“I think of an early third down that we had where the post safety stayed to the boundary side because he was cheating towards Odell and we hit a big play to Jarvis, so his effect on our offense is there. But I do need to do a better job of making sure the ball makes its way into his hands.”

The oft-injured Beckham Jr. has lived up to that billing this season. Nagging injuries, including a shoulder that's been ailing him for weeks, has taken away his explosiveness. To his credit, Beckham Jr. has dressed in six games this season, but the results haven't been up to standard. 17 catches for 232 yards and zero touchdowns is what the stat line reads, far from what Stefanski was expecting.

The Browns need to get Beckham Jr. going but that doesn't mean they'll be forcing it his way.

“ base foundation scheme-wise, we have to find ways to format it and get the ball in his hands,’’ Mayfield said. “We’re not trying to force it to anybody. We have a talented skill group so I just have to continue to go through my reads and do that. We can do a better job of getting the ball in his hands, getting him going early and fixing that.”