Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, Jack Conklin, Grant Delpit, Jedrick Wills, Dawand Jones and Maurice Hurst.
No, I didn't just list key players on the Cleveland Browns roster or a list of players I want to see in the Pro Bowl this season. It's not even a list of my favorite players on the Browns.
It's a list of players who have suffered season-ending injuries on an injury report full of names football fans want to see on the field.
Despite the adversity Cleveland has faced, the Browns sit in the top AFC Wild Card spot and continue to win games heading into Week 16. And by the way, although small, there is still a chance for the Browns to win their division.
This is unbelievable, considering everything going against Cleveland this year. Not only did Browns star quarterback Deshaun Watson go down due to injury, but it has been a revolving door at the quarterback position.
Four different players have started at quarterback for the Browns this season. Watson has started five games, Dorian Thompson-Robinson has started three, P.J. Walker has started two and 38-year-old Joe Flacco has also started two.
With all the swirling around the Browns have dealt with, there is one name that comes to mind who has kept it all together: Kevin Stefanski.
Going back to his early days as the head coach in Cleveland, Stefanski has kept his teams together even when things aren't going perfectly. This season has been no exception.
In fact, he has done an even better job than normal. It isn't easy to win games in the NFL, and it's even tougher when dealing with injuries to key players week in and week out.
After 14 games, the Browns are 9-5 in a season that could have been decimated by problems but instead looks like the second playoff appearance in Stefanski's coaching tenure.
Stefanski's work keeping his group together throughout the season is a driving force in his case for this season's Coach of the Year award.
He has kept the team afloat from week one to now, and the last two weeks have also earned him the NFL Network's Coach of the Week honors. Stefanski has orchestrated multiple comebacks this season, earning the Browns the nickname "Kardiac Kids 2.0“
The play from week to week is consistent despite the uncertainty of who is going to play and for how long. All the players, whether first-string or fourth, step up to the level required of them.
It has all come together to put Cleveland in a somewhat surprising spot.
According to ESPN, the Browns have an 89% chance to make the postseason. They have three games left to play, two of which will be a fight against other AFC teams for playoff spots.
If Stefanski can navigate this stretch and take Cleveland back to the playoffs, there is no reason why he shouldn't be accepting his second Coach of the Year trophy.
This year feels quite similar to the 2020 season when Stefanski led the Browns through adversity to their first playoff appearance in 17 years and won his first Coach of the Year award.
While it is rare, a coach winning multiple Coach of the Year awards in such a short span has happened before. Bill Belichick won three between 2002 and 2010, and Bruce Arians and Ron Rivera combined to win the award from 2012 to 2015, each winning twice.
Whether Stefanski joins the short list of coaches who have won the award multiple times or not, his mindset as a leader keeps the Browns in the mix and should be appreciated by all football fans.
Andrew Bowlby is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts about the column? Let Andrew know by tweeting him @andrew_bowlby.
