When Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns handed Dillon Gabriel the reins to run the offense, he was quick to point out that the offensive struggles aren’t all on the quarterback, and rightfully so. A lot is going on here: An injury-hit offensive line, the same personnel issues from last season, and yes, Stefanski’s own play-calling has been under the microscope.

Which, of course, raises plenty of questions, but one major one keeps popping up: Just how far can the Browns go under Stefanski’s watch? The head coach, in his sixth season as the Browns’ HC, was already on the hot seat heading into the season. Fast forward to now, and he’s pretty much carved out a permanent spot on that hot seat.

That is exactly why the rumor mill is swirling that the team owners, Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam, could decide on the head coach. And the Browns’ reporter, Bran Stainbrook, just added another layer to it. “I’m not ruling anything out on what Jimmy Haslam could decide to do if the #Browns fall again on Sunday. The temperature in Berea is rising,” he shared his thoughts on ‘X’.

While it’s still not clear whether the Haslams would fire Stefanski in the middle of the season, one thing has been cleared: Cleveland’s offense with Stefanski calling the shots has collapsed. The Browns are now 1-5 after a 23-9 Week 6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That said, the team extended its streak of scoring 17 or fewer points to 11 straight games. To put that in perspective, through the first six weeks, the Browns have the lowest-scoring offense in the league. We’re talking 13.67 points here. On top of that, they’re the second-worst team when it comes to yards per play (4.1).

The reasons, however, are palpable. For starters, the offensive line has been marred by injuries. Earlier this offseason, the team brought back most of its O-line members with the addition of veterans Cornelius Lucas and Teven Jenkins. However, Lucas had to start three games because Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones (season-ending) went down with injuries.

Amidst multiple injuries on the O-line, the Browns have used five different players on the offensive tackle position this season. And the pass block hasn’t exactly been doing them any favors either, as Gabriel took six sacks against the Steelers alone. Cleveland ranks 27th in the league in pass block win rate (53.2%).

As for the wide receivers? Same story.

Per ESPN, wide receivers Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond, and tight end David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. all rank in the bottom 15 among the 89 players. Long story short: Under Stefanski’s watch, the Browns’ offense is struggling to find its footing. Though the calls to fire him are clear, his fate in Cleveland is still unclear.

Kevin Stefanski could start with Shedeur Sanders sooner rather than later

The Browns made a change under the center to expect a change in the results. But it’s the same old story. Quarterbacks changed, but not the results. Joe Flacco led the team to a 1-3 record in the first four weeks before leaving the town to join the division rivals. Fast forward to now, and Dillon Gabriel has already dropped his first two starts of his short NFL career.

As a result, the Browns’ faithful are now demanding to see another rookie under the center: Shedeur Sanders. The Colorado Buffaloes product spent his first five weeks as an emergency quarterback. However, after trading Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, Kevin Stefanski promoted him to QB2.

But with Gabriel’s poor outing against the Steelers, the question now is: When will Shedeur get the nod? In Week 6, Gabriel had a game to forget. He completed just four passes over 10 yards in the air. Overall, he completed 29-of-52 passes for 221 yards with no TDs and interceptions. Add six sacks to it, and his struggles were hard to miss.

But ahead of the Steelers’ game, Stefanski gave a big blow to Shedeur’s hopes. “We’re doing everything we can to support the starter, and then you have to be ready in a moment’s notice,” the HC said. “That’s just the life of backup players at every position.”

That said, Stefanski is expected to start with Gabriel in Week 7. Will he remain firm with this decision throughout the season? That’s unlikely. Will Shedeur get an opportunity to start in his rookie year? Well, that’s likely.