Mike Ford endorses new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski

There’s been a lot of chatter from the Cleveland side about new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski’s demeanor and his ability to connect with players, and Baker Mayfield’s tweet earlier this week only poured more fuel on that fire.

That said, nobody loves playing the victim card more than Baker Mayfield. He’s been doing it dating back to his college days, so his comments should be taken with a grain of salt, especially considering he was the one who requested a trade out of Cleveland. It’s also worth noting that several players who suited up under Stefanski with the Browns have had nothing but positive things to say about him, including Falcons cornerback Mike Ford, who previously played for Stefanski in Cleveland.

“I think it’s his leadership,” Ford told Fox 5’s Justin Felder. “He knows how to get a group of guys behind him. He was the head coach of a historically not-so-great team, and he got them to the playoffs twice and won Coach of the Year twice. He knows what it takes to get the best out of a player.

“He’s not really running around cracking jokes or playing around. He’s locked in on his job and trying to get it done.

“You can’t just look at the overall record when he’s had a multitude of different starting quarterbacks. He’s never had any real stability, and he’s still found ways to win.”

It’s a bit rich for Browns fans to be dragging a coach on his way out who led them to their only two playoff appearances since 2002 and their first playoff win since 1994. Stefanski made something out of nothing in Cleveland for years, and then the Deshaun Watson deal happened, a move that tanked the franchise and made it nearly impossible to build a roster capable of contending.

The Falcons have taken plenty of deserved criticism for how they’ve operated over the past several seasons. This time, though, the process was thorough and led by Matt Ryan. There are voices in the building — like Mike Ford and Kirk Cousins — who have firsthand experience playing under Stefanski, and you can be sure their opinions carried real weight in the decision-making process.

Atlanta is betting on the idea that sustained winning in Cleveland is borderline impossible, and that’s a far safer gamble than the ones they’ve made in previous hiring cycles.

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Photo: Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire

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