CLEVELAND, Ohio – Near the end of last Sunday’s Browns game, I looked at the mostly empty FirstEnergy Stadium.

I didn’t fault the fans for leaving early during the Browns 31-15 loss to Baltimore. It was the final home game of the season. It dropped their record to 6-9.

Making it worse, many in the stands were feeling deflated for good reason.

The team let them down. The entire organization let them down.

The national media critics who mocked Browns fans for being excited about this season were gloating.

“See, your team is still a mess,” was their attitude.

Down deep, Browns fans felt the same way.

COACHING CHANGE NEEDED

Their team has more talent than before. It has some promising young players such as Nick Chubb, Baker Mayfield, Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry and others to sell to a future coach.

And yes, the Browns must change coaches.

But it has to be more than that.

The Browns seem to always change coaches. No one has lasted more than 2 1/2 seasons (Hue Jackson 2016-18) since Romeo Crennel coached four seasons (2005-08).

I can’t mount any defense for retaining Freddie Kitchens.

He is a man who probably would have been an effective offensive coordinator this season if that were his only job, as was the case in the second half of 2018.

But Kitchens was overwhelmed. He was fatigued, emotionally drained and made desperate decisions during games that he’d never do otherwise.

He’s one of many good assistant coaches who can’t make the jump to being a head coach in the NFL.

That doesn’t negate the fact that Kitchens is a good person.

“Freddie has done everything he said,” said linebacker Joe Schobert. “He is a man of his word. He has stayed true to that, no matter what...he never goes back on his word.”

He’s not the first good guy to wrestle with the heavy weight that is the Browns’ coaching job and end up flattened.

Part of the reason is the job is about more than coaching and talent.

THE BIG PICTURE

The pressure is now on owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, along with General Manager John Dorsey, to find the right coach.

I do want Dorsey and his front office back.

But ownership has to have a tough discussion with the front office.

Overall, the bold trade with the New York Giants didn’t work.

I’d rather have right guard Kevin Zeitler than defensive end Olivier Vernon. Yes, a defensive end is more valuable than a right guard.

But the end has to be on the field. Vernon had missed nine games in the previous two seasons due to major ankle problems. I’d doubt he’ll play the final game in Cincinnati, meaning he’ll miss seven games this season with a knee issue.

The other part of the deal was Odell Beckham Jr. for Jabrill Peppers and a first-round pick.

Beckham has been more distraction than production.

In New York, the problem the last few years was he couldn’t connect on the field with quarterback Eli Manning. In Cleveland, it’s the same story with Mayfield.

I have little interest in seeing a rerun of a talented receiver who rarely practices because of injuries and continually finds ways to draw attention to himself.

The Browns are at the stage where they don’t have to take big risks and shortcuts.

No more drafting guys who are suspended for their last year in college and then flunk the drug test at the NFL combine (Antonio Callaway).

The Browns took a gamble on Kareem Hunt. So far, it has worked out. But be very careful. Consider team personality and compatibility as well as talent.

THE NEW COACH

This job screams for an experienced NFL head coach.

Not simply a name such as Urban Meyer, who would be a great choice for any college program but has zero NFL experience.

The big names right now are Ron Rivera and Mike McCarthy. Both took teams to the Super Bowl at their previous stops.

A year ago, I liked New Orleans top assistant Dan Campbell for the Browns job. I still do. In 2015, he was promoted to interim head coach in Miami and had a 5-7 record. He did it with an emphasis on the running game.

I’m sure there will be other candidates.

WHAT MATTERS

Browns fans are looking for a team that makes them feel proud.

It’s not simply about winning big. If that were the case, the 1980 Kardiac Kids and the Browns of the late 1980s would not be so beloved.

They never made it to the Super Bowl.

But fans felt a connection with those teams because of the players and how they played. Guys weren’t being suspended. They didn’t seem to think the world revolved around them.

Even the Browns in the second half of 2018 connected with the fans because they played hard, had discipline and weren’t caught up in any hype.

That changed during the off-season with the Beckham deal and Mayfield suddenly being a hot commercial property. We in the media also fell into the trap of unrealistic expectations.

Now, reality has hit. They picked the wrong coach. They made some wrong personnel moves.

But they still have talent and it is up to ownership and the front office to fix the coaching situation and the roster so fans can feel proud of the team again.