Cleveland, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns proclaimed they found their identity in Baltimore.
They forgot it on the plane ride to Santa Clara.
Baker Mayfield was benched, Odell Beckham Jr. was asked to return a punt down 25 in the fourth quarter and the MVP of the night was punter Jamie Gillan as the Browns embarrassed themselves on Monday Night Football with a 31-3 loss to the 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan became the third coach to take Freddie Kitchens to school in the first 5 weeks joining Mike Vrabel and Sean McVay.
It is early and might be unfair, but it’s hard not to think that maybe Kitchens just isn’t ready to be a head coach. His team has looked undisciplined and unprepared in those 3 losses as well as a fourth game – an ugly 23-3 win over the Jets, also on Monday Night Football.
How long does the on the job traning need to last for Kitchens? This team is built to win now and he's not doing much to help the cause.
Shanahan ran circles schematically on both sides of the ball Monday night around the franchise he told to take their job and shove it with a 30-point presentation of why he couldn’t wait to leave back in January 2015.
Offensively and defensively the 49ers were the better team, by a mile.
San Francisco outgained the Browns 446-180, including 275-102 on the ground.
Mayfield was benched mercifully by Kitchens with just over 5 minutes remaining putting an 8 for 22 for 100 yards and 2 interceptions night behind him. It was the first time the 2018 No. 1 pick didn't throw for a score ending his streak at 17 games to begin his career.
Kitchens tried getting the ball into Beckham’s hands early by having him throw on the first play of the night – a 20-yard completion to Jarvis Landry, as well as carry twice for 15 yards. Beckham caught just 2 of 6 targets for 27 yards.
Kitchens doesn't seem to know how to use Beckham and Mayfield doesn't know how to get him the ball either, and that's a problem.
Mayfield, who is completing just 55.9 percent of his passes with twice as many interceptions (8) as touchdowns (4) through 5 games, looks lost when he's not running for his life. In the red zone this year he is an unimpressive 6 of 24 for 34 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, which is also not helpful.
Beckham fumbled the punt he was asked to return with the Browns down 28-3 in the fourth quarter – a move that just reeked of desperation and a coach just throwing mud against the wall to see if something stuck. In these losses we're seeing too much of Kitchens experimenting to see what works, or doesn't.
Bosa was a beast all night and Kitchens and his staff had no answer to slow up the former Buckeye who finished with 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble, 5 QB hits and an imaginary flag plant, mocking Mayfield’s celebration at The Shoe in 2017.
The game started ominously when 49ers running back Matt Brieda went 83 yards untouched for a 7-0 lead on their first offensive play.
On the Browns’ next offensive snap Mayfield looked for Antonio Callaway deep up the seam but 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman picked it off. Callaway then didn’t realize he needed to pursue Sherman and make the tackle.
Mayfield would be strip-sacked to end their fourth possession with the loose football recovered by Bosa at the Cleveland 29. The good news was it did not cost them points thanks to a missed Robbie Gould 47-yard field goal. Gould missed another – a 5 yarder and had a third kick blocked by Tavierre Thomas, one of very few highlights for the orange hats Monday night.
Mayfield didn’t complete his first pass until the final play of the first quarter – a 25-yard strike to Landry.
Callaway got way too much work and at times looked lost, which is inexplicable considering he’s had four weeks to get ready coming off the suspension for a drug offense.
Callaway drew a penalty with a false start and cost the Browns a timeout because he didn’t know where to line up. His inability to haul in a would-be TD at the goal line, was disastrous. The ball went off Callaway’s hands, bounced up in the air and into the arms of 49ers nickel K'Waun Williams, who ran it back to the 49 before center JC Tretter made the tackle.
Six plays and 49 yards later it was 21-3 San Francisco after running back Tevin Coleman jogged in from 19 yards out.
Myles Garrett picked up his seventh sack of the season, and it came on a third-and-3 at the 49ers 47 to force a punt in the second quarter, otherwise the want to be defensive player of the year had a quiet night along with his defensive teammates.
When Gillan is the MVP by averaging 56.7 yards a punt, including 4 downed inside the 20, that’s not how you win in the NFL. Even Kitchens knows that.
After that embarrassing performance, imagine what Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick have in store for Kitchens' team over the next three weeks.
Once again, the Browns aren't ready for the big boys, and neither is Kitchens.
