It might take an act of the U.S. Congress to bring stability and continuity to the Cleveland Browns -- and we’ve all seen how that body has worked together lately.

One year after firing a coach who had one year on the job and bringing in a new coach and new offensive coordinator, the Browns will start again with a new offensive coordinator and a new offensive system -- and perhaps a new quarterback.

Continuity, anyone?

The new hire will be the Browns' 13th offensive coordinator in 17 seasons (see chart).

Lucky No. 13? Kyle Shanahan's departure means the Browns will have their 13th offensive coordinator in 17 seasons next season. Year Offensive coordinator 1999 Chris Palmer* 2000 Pete Carmichael 2001-03 Bruce Arians 2004 Terry Robiskie** 2005-06 Maurice Carthon 2006 Jeff Davidson 2007-08 Rob Chudzinski 2009-10 Brian Daboll 2011 Pat Shurmur* 2012 Brad Childress 2013 Norv Turner 2014 Kyle Shanahan 2015 To be determined * also was head coach ** also was interim head coach

It will also be the sixth O-coordinator in six years -- going back to Brian Daboll in 2010, then coach Pat Shurmur doing double-duty in 2011, Brad Childress in 2012, Norv Turner in 2013, Kyle Shanahan in 2014 and the new hire for '15.

If Mike Pettine cannot find a coordinator to run the same system as Shanahan -- and there is no one evident on the horizon who knows the system -- it means another offensive overhaul and another new playbook.

And the Browns wonder why they can’t win.

It seems clear at this point (and, yes, I was way wrong when I opined that I thought Shanahan would be back) that the Browns did not feel they could force Shanahan to stay. Various reports (on cleveland.com and on ESPN.com) made it plain that there was leftover friction from the decision to go to Johnny Manziel late in the season.

The way Manziel played left one great question: Why did the team go to Manziel in such a key game when he looked so unprepared to play?

Pettine said he had no choice because of the way Brian Hoyer was playing, but he admitted Manziel was an unknown.

General manager Ray Farmer said that Manziel probably thought he was ready but that when he played he quickly learned the challenge was even greater than he expected.

Asked whether he thought Manziel was more prepared than he showed, Farmer said: “Sure.”

Something was amiss, and, from what team sources said, Shanahan felt he was placed in an untenable position. He did not believe Manziel was ready, and he believed the decision was affected by front-office pressure to play the next guy in waiting.

It’s a pattern that has been repeated over and over in Cleveland. Constant change leads to a desire of the new people to find their guy, which leads to constant hype and speculation on the next guy. Which leads to uncertainty, eroding of confidence and change and more change. In this case, it resulted in the team's only quarterback with a winning record since '99 -- albeit a struggling quarterback -- being benched for an unknown.

It’s almost as if the Browns walked into the trap they’ve been setting for themselves every year since 1999. With their eyes open.

By doing it this time, they wound up losing a smart, respected coordinator -- a guy the players liked.

A new one will come in and life will go on, but the Browns start 2015 with a handicap. The Browns will spend another offseason installing another new system with another new playbook. Without a quarterback. With two backs who did not exactly get better as the season went on. Without a trusted No. 1 receiver. This is called being behind the proverbial 40-foot-tall eight ball.

One year ago, there was so much excitement and interest when Manziel texted “wreck this league” to quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains on draft night. Now Loggains is fired with more change ahead.

Which is just one more offseason in Cleveland.