The Cleveland Browns fired special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, wrote Cleveland.com Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot in a Tuesday article.
“I appreciate everything (Mike Priefer) has done for this team in his three seasons as my special teams coordinator,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement, “but I have decided to move in another direction in the best interest of our organization.”
The Browns tied with the Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions, among other teams, for the fifth-lowest field goals made in 2022, according to the NFL. Their 75% field goal percentage put them at third-to-last in the league, only in front of the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints.
Former Michigan receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones returned a 76-yard punt return touchdown against the Houston Texans in December, earning the biggest return the Browns had seen in seven years, according to the Browns.
“We've been trying to get him to run downhill since he has been here,” Priefer said just days before. “He's not a quick twitch guy that's going to make people miss right at the point of attack, but he's very athletic, and once he gets going, he has some pretty good speed.”
Cleveland's last punt returned for a touchdown was during a 28-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in 2015. Former Browns receiver Travis Benjamin found an open gap after the Titans punted on 4th-and-2 from near the 25-yard-line, using a well-placed block from cornerback Pierre Desir to ultimately seal the return in FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods in early January just a few days after the end of the 2022 season.
Cleveland allowed just under 2,300 rushing yards last season, or the eighth-worst in the NFL, while allowing the third-most touchdowns with 22. The Browns gave up the fifth-fewest passing yards with 3,336 and tied with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens with 20 receiving touchdowns.
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