Berea, OH (92.3 The Fan) – Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens doesn’t lobby for jobs through the media.
He’s just not wired that way.
But he’s direct, and honest, when questions are asked and that flowed Thursday afternoon when he was asked about his desire to remain with the Browns in 2019.
“I like it here a lot, and everybody around here knows that I like it here,” Kitchens said. “I love the town of Cleveland. Cleveland and I get along well.”
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on Fox NFL Sunday that Kitchens had secured the coordinator job heading into next season and the Browns were free to find the best coach and not seek an “offensive guru” for Baker Mayfield.
“Jay, he knows more than I know, I guess,” Kitchen said in response to the report. “I am serious when I tell you I do not advertise for jobs. I do not have to and I will not ever. I heard the other day somebody say something about how I was not ready to be a head coach. I mean, who the hell is ready to be a head coach? Do you have a résumé that you check off a list and everything?
“I am not worried about head coach, coordinator – I do not care. I am just trying to do the job that I am doing right now today and then do a good job tomorrow and then the next day, and then see where I am at the end of the year. I really truly do not put any thought into beyond this week.”
Kitchens revealed that he was promoted by owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager John Dorsey after Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired on Oct. 29 and not interim head coach Gregg Williams.
“I probably wasn't Gregg's first choice but, hell, I'm here. Hell, he wasn't mine, either,” Kitchens joked. “I'm just kidding. I think both of us were put in tough situations and I think we both have done fairly well. It's all about the players.”
The offensive improvement under Kitchens is impossible to miss.
Mayfield’s completion percentage has jumped from 58 percent to 71 percent. His touchdown-to-interception ratio has gone from 8 touchdowns and 6 interceptions to 13 TDs and 5 picks. The top overall pick is getting hit and sacked less too – 20 sacks in the first 6 games, 5 since.
The Browns have scored 15 touchdowns in 16 red zone trips since Kitchens took over.
“It's the players making plays and the players being good in critical situations,” Kitchens said. “Sometimes, as coaches, we put a little more emphasis on ourselves than we do everybody else and more importantly it's those other people that make you successful or not.”
The lone miss – Saturday night in Denver when running back Nick Chubb was stopped and fourth-and-1 at the 10, but as Williams noted it wouldn’t have mattered because the plan was to kill the clock after picking up the first down had that happened.
Kitchens’ name has begun to circle the speculative rumor mill with a multitude of head coaching jobs expected to become available outside of Cleveland and Green Bay, who already fired their head coaches in-season.
Kitchens might not lobby for jobs, but he let it be known he’d like to be a head coach someday.
“Definitely. No doubt,” Kitchens said.
Peppers progress – Safety Jabrill Peppers did not practice Thursday because of a sore neck but Williams downplayed any significance of him getting the day off.
“Just stiffness in his neck, but he will be OK,” Williams said. “Basically, when you play as well as he did, we will give him the day off.”
Peppers came away with his third interception of the season and secured the victory at Denver with his first career NFL sack on a fourth-and-10 at midfield.
“He really, really played well. I am really happy for Joe Haden for getting the [AFC Defensive] Player of the Week, but Jabrill had those type of numbers,” Williams said. “You are talking about impact numbers. Leading on defense with some adjustments and some checks that he was able to do. I think I mentioned the other day, he brought a big smile to my face because of how much he has grown. He is a sharp young man.”
Williams has been impressed with the jump Peppers has made in his sophomore season after not having much impact as a rookie.
“He is a playmaker from tackling to stripping the ball to touching the ball to intercepting the ball to sacking the quarterback to returning a punt to returning a kickoff to running the punt protection,” Williams said. “He does everything. He comes to work every day with a demeanor and an attitude to get better. He never takes a day off, and that is fun to be around those kinds of people.”
Sold out – Sunday’s game with the Bengals is officially sold out the team announced on Twitter with a message from Mayfield.
“I appreciate you guys. I know I called you out. I thank you guys for buying all the tickets, being there for the support, I appreciate it a lot,” Mayfield said in the video. “So excited to see you on Sunday, but it’s not just about being there. You’ve got to be loud too. We want the energy to be there. We want it to be very exciting for this last home game, finishing off the season on the right note and I appreciate you guys. Thank you very much.”
While this will be the sixth sellout of the season, the team is expecting their largest crowd through the gates and in the seats at FirstEnergy Stadium this season.
Injury report – DNP: C JC Tretter (ankle), S Jabrill Peppers (neck)
Limited: DT Larry Ogunjobi (bicep), OL Austin Corbett (foot),
Full: TE David Njoku (knee/thigh), DB Phillip Gaines (knee), CB Denzel Ward (concussion), CB Justin Burris (shoulder), LB Jamie Collins (shoulder), CB Terrance Mitchell (wrist), LB Joe Schobert (knee), DB Tavierre Thomas (abdomen)
