Changes made, but same old Cleveland Browns vs New England Patriots by Ric McElroy

The Cleveland Browns embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots begs the question: Should Freddie Kitchens be fired?

Someone with an office in Berea is thinking about the Cleveland Browns being fired. Someone told John Clayton Kitchens was on the hot seat. It didn’t come up out of thin air.

1. You want Freddie Kitchens to succeed. He talks like us. Walks like us. Carries Northeast Ohio’s blue collar attitude, like us. I wanted him to get this job. Admit it, you did to.

Now, I have to admit I was wrong. Way wrong. And the Browns must act accordingly before its too late.

It’s became overwhelmingly clear, Kitchens is in over his head. That happens to lots of coaches who go up against Bill Belichick.

That’s not to say what we saw in the final eight games of 2019 was fools gold. Kitchens did well in his role as offensive coordinator and it’s the job he should be doing right now.

The penalties are ridiculous. You’re going to turn the ball over on three consecutive plays in the first quarter and then you’re going to commit 13 penalties (85 yards), against the Patriots, in New England? Absurd.

The boondoggle that is the offensive line committed six false starts. The Browns also committed two offensive pass interference penalties (both in the fourth quarter), in addition to two illegal hands to the face penalties.

New England was penalized three times for 15 yards. Belichick’s team wasn’t penalized in the second half.

2. Cleveland can’t be this bad, which is another reason John Dorsey has to right his wrong. The Browns are 2-5. They’ll be lucky to flirt with .500 at this point. Imagine if they had a head coach doing the things a head coach is supposed to do.

Instead, Baker Mayfield regresses weekly. Odell Beckham Jr. can’t sniff the ball and the offensive is a human laundry mat specializing in yellow flags.

Here’s the thing about Dorsey getting a re-do. GMs, especially Browns’ GMs, don’t get the opportunity to make two hires.

3. Following the two Nick Chubb fumbles, Baker Mayfield had conjured up the ghost of Brandon Weeden when he tossed it to the other team. Mayfield can’t throw it to the other team, but Kitchens should be ashamed of himself. There’s high school coaches who wouldn’t run that.

4. The shroud of secrecy surrounding Rashard Higgins is insane. He only got in the game after Jarvis Landry got hurt late in the game. He played two snaps and has been active for the last two games. What’s going on?

5. When Kitchens challenged that fourth down spot near the end of the first half? I was listening on the radio and I knew he was going to lose. Those are so hard to win and the refs were so adament on the spot that they didn’t even bother to measure. Losing the time out hurt the Browns on their final drive of the half, which imploded because of penalties and bad plays.

The decision also cost a challenge that would’ve been better served in the second half when the ball popped out of Julian Edelman’s hands on a ruled incomplete pass. Sure looked like a fumble to me. Kitchens will never know, though, because he was out of challenges.

6. With just over six minutes to go in the game, the Browns faced 4th and 11 and Kitchens ran the punt squad onto the field. The play clock expired, so with 4th and 16 staring down the Browns, Kitchens decided to send the offense onto the field. Makes perfect sense, right? His quarterback was promptly hit and landed on his throwing shoulder.

7. Tony Romo tried to stand up for Kitchens, saying that at some point, the Browns’ players have to stand up and do better. You can’t fault Kitchens for Chubb fumbling twice in the first quarter, but you can blame him for a lot of the other things that what on this forgettable day in New England.