Browns fire head coach Freddie Kitchens after just one (dismal) season

In a season that has been filled with many more valleys than peaks for the Cleveland Browns, one of the biggest valleys took place Sunday afternoon, when the Browns lost to a Cincinnati Bengals team that had previously only won one game all season. Just when you thought they had hit rock bottom, they do something like this and totally redeem themselves in the last game of the season, letting the Dawg Pound know that rock bottom isn’t truly rock bottom. Following the loss and soon after the Browns likely landed back in Cleveland, the Browns have fired head coach Freddie Kitchens after just one season, the team announced.

“I would like to thank Freddie for his dedication and efforts this past season,” general manager John Dorsey said. “We are disappointed in our results and feel a change is necessary. Freddie is a good man and a good football coach. We wish he and his family nothing but success.”

“We thank Freddie for his hard work and commitment to this organization but did not see the success or opportunities for improvement to move forward with him as our head coach,” owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “Our focus is on hiring an exceptional leader for this football team and we will take a comprehensive approach to this process. We are excited about the core players we have to build around and develop and we look forward to bringing in a strong head coach that will put this group of players in the best position to succeed.”

With the most talented roster the team has had since their return to the NFL in 1999, Cleveland somehow ended the season with a worse record this year than they did last year. The Browns were not only 6-10 in a season that was filled with playoff and even Super Bowl aspirations, but they were embarrassed throughout a handful of weeks during the season as well.

A few weeks ago, it was reported that Kitchens could return in 2020 barring a catastrophic ending to the season. Well, the Browns lost their final three games of the season and four of their last five games to conclude the season. Keep in mind, this was all during a stretch that many considered an “easy” part of the schedule.

While continuity certainly matters when it comes to head coaches in the NFL, that was likely the only reason to even keep Kitchens around for a second season. Whether it was clock management, the players being undisciplined, getting outcoached in basically every game throughout the season, his arguments with players on the sidelines, or something else on the long list misfortunes, it was clear that Kitchens wasn’t the right man for the job. This season proved just that.

So, here we are again. It really is just another December in Berea. Baker Mayfield is set to have his fourth head coach already with the Browns. Keep in mind, the quarterback was drafted No. 1 overall in April 2018.

Cleveland essentially wasted a season with a loaded roster and plenty of top-tier talent on rookie contracts. While Kitchens will likely be the scapegoat when it comes to blaming, Dorsey and the Haslams should truly be ashamed. There’s a reason this franchise continues to be one of the bottomfeeders in the NFL.

Now, the real question is, do you believe Dorsey and the Haslams will make the right decision when it comes to the next head coach? I want to, but they’ve given me no reason to, to be quite honest.

So, now we wait. Never change, Browns. It really is just another December in Berea.¹

1. No, but seriously, please change. Thanks. [↩]