Pressure on Mayfield and Kitchens in Cleveland

October 21, 2019
254

The Cleveland Browns are heading down an all-too-familiar season of failure following their defeat at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. Freddie Kitchens’ first full campaign as head coach has not gone to plan in the opening six weeks of the term, putting him under pressure to deliver results to get the AFC North outfit back on track.

Their problems for once are not talent-related. Cleveland entered the season with one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, especially following the deal to acquire Odell Beckham Jr from the New York Giants. However, the quality on the roster has not matched the production on the field, with the franchise winning only two of their opening six games. It has been surprising considering that the Browns were one of the leading contenders among the sportsbooks to win the AFC North.


However, they’re now off the pace of the Baltimore Ravens, although value could be found using bookmakers online in New Jersey and other states for the Browns to bounce back from their early troubles to snatch the division crown. Two of their four defeats have been concerning where they allowed the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers to walk all over them to romp to dominant margins of victory. Cleveland was also beaten on the road by the Los Angeles Rams only by a touchdown, while their loss to the Seahawks was perhaps the most frustrating as Kitchens’ side allowed a healthy lead to slip through their grasp.

Cleveland held a 20-6 lead at one point in the contest, but mistakes on offense and special teams allowed the Seahawks to close. The Browns moved back downfield for a chance to retake the advantage in the contest, but a mistake by Kitchens chalked off a Nick Chubb run for a score. Chubb did hand his team the lead in the fourth quarter, only for the defense to relinquish the advantage. Baker Mayfield’s third interception of the day ended hopes of a comeback, slumping to a 32-28 defeat on home soil.

Turnovers have been a major issue for Mayfield at the start of the season, while he has managed to get himself involved in a lot of dramas. For a player only in his second campaign in the NFL, he has attracted a lot of attention. The quarterback has to settle down and let his play do the talking. Mayfield is more than capable of rising to the occasion, but his 11 interceptions to only five touchdowns are the problem for the Browns. One of the primary reasons Kitchens was hired was because of his guidance to the quarterback as offensive coordinator in the 2018 term.

Both coach and quarterback have to find their rhythm on offense to break out of the slump. There’s not a lot of cohesion between the team on offense, defense, and special teams. You can have all the quality in the world on the roster, but if players are playing as individuals it’s not going to benefit Cleveland. The next few games are a major test of the Browns to determine whether 2019 will be another lost season or not.

October 21, 2019
254