This time a year ago, Wilks was on the hot seat and about to be fired after just one season as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Kitchens could face a similar fate following Sunday’s season finale in Cincinnati.
“It takes time to build a culture, it takes time to implement your system and get guys on the same page,” Wilks said Thursday morning. “Sometimes the business is what it is, but without a doubt I think Freddie definitely is the guy for this job.”
The 6-9 Browns have been one of the NFL’s biggest flops this season.
The acquisitions of receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and defensive end Olivier Vernon coupled with the signing of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson in free agency raised the bar of expectations significantly for 2019.
“I’m not speaking for Freddie, but I can tell you that I know he’s not paying attention to the outside noise,” Wilks said. “He’s doing a great job trying to keep this team focused. Our task is to be 1-0 this last game. There’s always speculation. Hell, I dealt with it probably the last five weeks [in Arizona]. But you have to make sure you stay focused because everybody’s going to react off your demeanor and your personality and I think Freddie’s doing a great job.”
Being on the hot seat and getting questions about job security when the team isn’t living up to expectations just comes with the territory.
“We all know what we signed up for,” Wilks said. “I think as an individual you have to have enough confidence in yourself and your ability. But most importantly you’ve got to stay focused on the task at hand. That’s what I try to do and that’s definitely what Freddie’s doing now.”
Whatever happens Sunday night or Monday, there’s nothing that can be done other than trying to beat the Bengals and finish the season on a high note.
“No. 1, you stay focused and you stay the course and you try to block out the outside noise,” Wilks said. “What’s going to happen is going to happen, but you continue to try to get these guys prepared and ready to play, which I think Freddie has done a tremendous job with all the things that have happened throughout the year. The guys have responded, the message has been consistent. We’ve just got to find ways, particularly on defense, to make more plays.”