BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Browns have changed who's calling the plays and who's running them.
On Wednesday, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Jameis Winston will start at quarterback against Baltimore this week after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture last Sunday.
Winston will be making his first start since 2022 when he was with New Orleans. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, it will be Winston's 81st career start in the NFL.
Winston's ascension into the starting spot was expected.
Stefanski handing over play-calling duties to coordinator Ken Dorsey seven games into the season was a surprise.
But with the Browns (1-6) in a freefall and their offense needing a spark after failing to score 20 points in a game this season, Stefanski, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, is putting Dorsey in charge of calling the plays.
"I’m just always looking at what we can do to just be a little bit better and truth is we have to be better on offense and coach Dorsey is somebody that I rely on very heavily and I just feel like this is the right thing for the team,” Stefanski said.
Dorsey, who played quarterback for the Browns, is in his first season on Stefanski's staff. He was fired as Buffalo's OC midway through last season.
The offense is now in the hands of Winston, who was signed by the Browns to a 1-year, $8.7 million contract as a free agent in March after the team cycled through five quarterbacks last season.
Watson ruptured his tendon last Sunday on a running play against the Cincinnati Bengals. He's scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday and will likely need at least six months of rehab.
Winston has been Cleveland's No. 2 quarterback for most of the season. However, last week he was the No. 3 behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who came in for Watson but hurt a finger on his throwing hand in the second half against the Bengals.
Stefanski said Thompson-Robinson will practice, but he wants to see how he throws before deciding if he can be Winston's backup against the Ravens (5-2).
On Tuesday, the Browns signed quarterback Bailey Zappe off Kansas City's practice squad. Zappe made eight starts over two seasons for the New England Patriots, who released him this summer.
Winston gives the Browns some experience at the position, but he doesn't end their problems at quarterback.
Watson's injury could lead to the team selecting a quarterback near the top of next year's draft.
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Tom Withers, The Associated Press
