CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski makes his return to Minnesota on Sunday to face his former team in the Vikings. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Eastern.
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The Browns sacked Bears quarterback Justin Fields nine times in their 26-6 win in Week 3. Minnesota finally got its first win of the season when it defeated Seattle, 30-17.
Who: Cleveland Browns (2-1) at Minnesota Vikings (1-2).
When: Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021.
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern.
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (73,000).
TV: CBS.
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Live streams: fuboTV (7-day free trial), Paramount+ (7-day free trial) and Hulu Live TV (free trial).
Latest line: Browns -2.
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins.
Read some of what Ellis L. Williams of Cleveland.com wrote about how Stefanski’s 14 years in Minnesota helped shape him into becoming the coach he is now.
Being a Vikings fan can be traumatizing. Browns fans, can you relate?
Ask my cousin, friends or other family members, all Minnesota-made and Vikings-loyal. From Gary Anderson’s missed field goal in ‘98, to collapsing in overtime versus New Orleans with Brett Favre in 2010, to reaching the NFC Championship via the Minneapolis Miracle, only to lose to the Eagles and watch Nick Foles hoist a Lombardi Trophy in the Vikings’ stadium -- it’s been a trip.
When cleveland.com hired me in 2019 to cover the Browns, I thought, “Cool. I’m used to seeing heartache, unstable quarterback situations and drama.” As a reporter, I’ll be able to relate to my readers.
To be fair, the Vikings have won way more than the Browns over my 27 years. But like the Ravens and Steelers of the AFC North, Chicago and Green Bay have often dwarfed Minnesota’s shine.
Then came an unexpected through line from my Minnesota childhood to this gig in Cleveland. My phone blew up (with text messages) when the Browns hired Kevin Stefanski away from the Vikings in 2020.
That’s when this story started, or at least so I thought.
But in truth, it began in 2006. I was in sixth grade when the Vikings named Brad Childress their new head coach. That’s when Stefanski, a 23-year-old Penn grad, packed his life up and headed to a state he knew little about to accept a job as an assistant to Childress.
How did cold Minnesota winters and humid summers shape Stefanski into the 2020 NFL Coach of the Year and help him end the Browns’ 26-year playoff victory drought?
In short, he earned his football doctorate during 14 invaluable years inside the Vikings organization. Along the way he built a family and network of lifelong friends, and mastered coaching a sport he fell in love with as a child growing up in Philadelphia.
With the Vikings, he coached every offensive position except the line. Minnesota reached two conference championships with Stefanski on staff and rostered Hall of Famers Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre and Randy Moss.
While there, Stefanski learned proper NFL organization. Surviving three head coaches taught him adaptability. Then seeds of commanding a team, speaking the language of football and effective roster building blossomed along the way.
Those years also enhanced his already innate values of loyalty, leadership, and a love for football. All of which culminated in Stefanski earning what Browns’ senior advisor Kevin Rogers called “his football doctorate”.
For team hats, shirts or other gear:
Visit Fanatics, Lids, Champs Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods or New Era.
Cleveland Browns vs. Minnesota Vikings free live stream: How to watch, TV, odds | Baker Mayfield - cleveland.com
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