If you want to be a head coach in the NFL one day, then making Madden as a virtual training ground can be a good start. Well, that sounds like a stretch, but at least for Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, he did learn a lot from playing the game growing up, so much so that he gives it credit for helping polish his game-management skills.
“Honestly, so I grew up playing ‘Madden,’ Stefanski said during a recent appearance on Pardon My Take. “I really believe our generation is a little bit better at game management because we’ve done that. We know when we’re down 10, I’m going to kick the field goal now and then I’m going to get the onside. I’m going to get the seven later. I do think all those games, I know it sounds silly, I do think that all helps when it comes to game management.”
People will have different opinions about whether a video game could really add much to an NFL head coach's decision-making abilities in real-time situations, but Kevin Stefanski is definitely convinced that playing Madden did help him to a degree.
In any case, Stefanski has plenty of work to do in the offseason as he looks to lead the Browns to a rebound in 2023. Last season, the Browns took yet another step back, going from 8-9 to 7-10 to miss the postseason for the second year in a row. This time, however, the Browns will have Deshaun Watson right from the get-go of the 2023 campaign, so the expectations are way higher.