Monday leftovers (Sunday edition) 

Freddie Kitchens was calm, but firm when answering the question following the Browns’ 21-18 exhibition victory Saturday night in Indianapolis against the Colts.

It might have been one the Browns’ coach was expecting after Garrett Gilbert played well enough in the first half to stoke the notion he might be good enough to supplant Drew Stanton as Baker Mayfield’s backup at quarterback this season.

“Drew’s our backup quarterback,” the head coach said, mutely adding “period.” He continued. “Drew brings a lot of value to the team” And that was it. On to the next question.

Kitchens is the boss, of course. He is also the guy whose main responsibility is to make certain he puts his team in the best position to win football games. That includes players on the second level whose main job is to be ready in the event of an injury.

Kitchens pronounced himself pleased with Gilbert’s performance against the Colts. Despite working mainly with twos, the newcomer nevertheless made plays that lit a fire of support among some fans.

That had to impress Kitchens, but you’d never know it from his postgame remarks. Perhaps it was out of loyalty to Stanton, whose sage advice last season helped Mayfield become one of the season’s sensations in the National Football League.

No one saw it coming. How quickly Gilbert would even be mentioned in the same breath with regard to Mayfield’s backup this season. His 14-of-22 for 135 yards in the opening victory against Washington was barely noticed.

Not so with his 13-of-19 for 151 yards and two-touchdown effort against the Colts. That was a sit-up-and-take-notice jolt that elicited the possibility of him moving up the depth chart.

Gilbert, who just wants to make the final 53, shrugged it off. “My job, my goal . . . every day is simply to just go out and improve to be the best quarterback I can be for the team,” he said.

“Where I fall on the depth chart, any of that stuff, that doesn’t matter to me. It’s all about improving every day and from there the chips will fall where they fall.”

There is also the possibility Kitchens and offensive coordinator Todd Monken will take a look at the tape of the game and see how he performed differently. He made passes reminiscent of those Mayfield made in the second half of last season.

Seeing it on the sideline is one thing. The perspective at that level is quite different than what the camera sees from on high. Watching it on tape presents a much different perspective.

It’s also the small things that matter to the former Alabama quarterback turned NFL head coach. He had to see how smoothly and efficiently his offense operated with Gilbert at the helm.

It is also entirely possible Kitchens’ eyes are seeing something his brain refuses to believe. The words of praise are there, but his casual response makes it seem it as though he gives them relatively little importance. Perhaps I expected more gushing.

Yes, it’s only one game, but geez, what will it take for him to realize he just might have something there in the 28-year-old Gilbert, who also has NFL bloodlines. His father, Gale, was a career backup for eight seasons with Seattle, Buffalo and San Diego.

In the end, though, it likely will help Kitchens decide whether to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, no matter where they fall on the depth chart.

*       *       *

Under normal conditions, a problem with the placekicking on a football team is just that. A problem. Such is the case with the Browns, who have two kickers whose performances thus have not engendered confidence.

Greg Joseph and rookie Austin Seibert missed field goals from more than 50 yards against the Colts. And that was inside a dome, where the conditions are considered ideal. Both had the distance. Both missed badly. Kitchens was miffed. “I want them through the uprights,” he said. “I don’t care how they get there.”

It’s one thing to have an average kicker on a bad team. Or even a mediocre one. But when your team is in a position to contend, which the Browns are this season, it is essential to have a placekicker you can trust.

A reliable kicker is much more important and valuable to a contending team. Especially one that plays close games and needs a difference maker in the kicking game. And this is clearly a contending team that can ill afford to lose close games because they don’t have a reliable kicker.

The importance of a solid ice-in-the-veins kicker with a good team cannot be minimized. Just ask ex-Browns kicker Cody Parkey and the 2018 Chicago Bears, who were on the verge of knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in a wild-card game.

With 10 seconds left in the game and the Bears trailing, 16-15, Parkey was called on to make a 43-yard field goal to win the game. The kick was partially blocked and hit one upright, then the crossbar and dropped harmlessly in the end zone.

The Bears ultimately released Parkey, who was in the first year of a four-year contract, in March of this year. He is a currently a free agent. And the Bears are still on the prowl for a kicker.

That is why it is incumbent on General Manager John Dorsey, who selected Seibert in the fifth round of the last college draft, to make certain his coach doesn’t need to hold his breath, as he does now, whenever he calls on Joseph or Seibert to put points on the board.

*       *       *

With Nick Chubb (rest) and Dontrell Hilliard (hamstring) on the sideline and Kareem Hunt limited to just a couple of series Saturday night, the bulk of the running game was placed in the hands of D’Ernest Johnson, who did not disappoint.

He ran 10 times for 53 yards and caught three passes for 26 more, including a four-yarder from Gilbert for the club’s second score against the Colts. It got the attention of Kitchens, who praised the tough yards Johnson compiled.

It’s possible Johnson might have played his way onto the final 53 with the effort for at least the eight weeks Hunt must spend on the suspended list. Hilliard and Johnson provide solid depth behind Chubb.

*       *       *

Competition for the lower half of the wide receivers depth chart has taken an interesting turn.

D. J. Montgomery, a rookie free agent from Austin Peay, has been targeted six times in two games and responded with five catches for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Jaelen Strong has caught all five passes thrown his way for 41 yards and a TD.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, who have yet to play in a game, and Rashard Higgins top the depth chart. Derrick Willies, thought to be a lock at No. 4 after the four-game suspension of Antonio Callaway, played sparingly against the Colts.

If the Browns elect to keep six wides, Montgomery, Strong and Willies have made strong enough cases to join them, at least until Callaway returns.

*       *       *

The theme of the Colts game, it seemed, was penalties. Referee Scott Novak’s crew called 29, with at least another half dozen declined, for 283 yards. A majority were called in the second half when many rookies and young free agents were being evaluated.

The Browns were called three times for infractions involving the helmet, either lowering the helmet to initiate contact or unnecessary use of the helmet in making tackles. It rankled Kitchens, who has been known to say, “We don’t practice penalties.”

“You’re not going to win very many games with the amount of penalties (13 for 119 yards), we made,” he said. “I think we need to play smarter. We weren’t smart tonight.”

*       *       *

The mystery at right guard has turned into a daily soap opera. One thing is certain, though. Austin Corbett is not among those vying for the job. Right now, Eric Kush is in the lead with rookie Drew Forbes closing fast.

Corbett, it would appear, is being groomed as a backup to center JC Tretter, who becomes a free agent next year. He hasn’t played the pivot since high school. It showed against the Colts with a few errant snaps and a holding penalty.

*       *       *

Finally .  .  . The offense ran only 49 plays (not counting a spike and a kneeldown) all evening, It dried up after David Blough threw a scoring pass to Montgomery early in the third quarter. . . . It is entirely possible Mayfield will have only two quarters and just one series in another game under his belt entering the regular season. . . . The ragged game against the Colts remarkably produced no turnovers. . . . All three Cleveland scores were made the only times they reached the red zone. . . . Expect the ground game to pick up steam with Chubb and the starters playing a half in Tampa Friday night. . . . Kitchens bemoaned the poor tackling against Indy. “We had three missed tackles on the first (Colts) drive alone,” he said. “Our expectations . . . are a lot higher than what we demonstrated.” . . . Defensive end Myles Garrett sat out the game after getting dinged in the final scrimmage between the teams late last week. . . .  Rookie punter Jamie Gillan – he’s also a placekicker with a strong leg (hint, hint) – uncorked a 74-yard punt in the game.