It's definitely unfortunate and it's too early to make the call, but the Cleveland Browns made the right call by firing Freddie Kitchens.
The Browns were supposed to be the team of the 2019 season after having such an exciting offseason. They have a talented roster of players who can easily star when placed on other rosters. Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Myles Garrett, and Odell Beckham Jr. are some of the most exciting talents in the league.
Even their preseason form gave Browns fans hope that their season would turn for the better. Instead, they were terribly inconsistent throughout the season ending with a 6-10 record. Cleveland suffered plenty of unacceptable defeats in the process and their 33-23 loss to the season finale against the Bengals was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Baker Mayfield's polarizing performance is a good barometer to see how disappointing the season has been for the Browns. Against the Bengals, he completed only 12 of his 27 pass attempts for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. While he managed to move the ball well and found the end-zone well, his completion rate and interceptions were concerning.
It's worth noting, Mayfield has not been shy of his on-the-field frustrations, and Kitchens may have something to do with it. The curious thing is that Mayfield is the primary reason why Kitchens is taking charge of the sideline. The incredible chemistry they showed off during the second half of the season convinced John Dorsey that he was the right man for the job.
However, it's clear to everyone who cares that there's something fundamentally wrong with the Kitchens situation. There have been plenty of times where he doesn't look like he knows what he's doing, losing games that they should have won with the talent they have. Their defeats to the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos are head-scratchers, with their 33-23 loss to the Browns being the worst.
Moreover, Kitchens doesn't cut a popular figure in the Cleveland locker room. The little spats he had with Beckham Jr. throughout the season were well-documented. Even Landry chose to stay away from the issue when asked about the future of the head coach. He simply said that Kitchens' future with the Browns is not his call to make.
With Freddie Kitchens getting the boot, the Browns are in a precarious situation. They need to find a better man to lead the team to the playoffs or they'll risk losing the confidence of their franchise players.
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