Monday leftovers (continued)

Being the head coach of any football team should not involve on-the-job training. It should not be a work in progress, especially in a multi-billion dollar monster like the National Football League.

But that is precisely how Freddie Kitchens envisions it. The Browns’ rookie head coach is making rookie mistakes with alarming regularity and shows no signs of learning from them.

And those mistakes are filtering down and adversely affecting the other job he commands on the team – offensive coordinator.

“I understand . . . that some of these situations are new for me,” he said regarding several mistakes he made in the 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Monday night at home

Somewhere within the network of the 22-man coaching staff, (not including the five who comprise the strength and conditioning staff), you would think someone has to push back and offer alternate solutions to what has become a lingering problem of someone who has become a gaffe machine.

“Don’t think that will work, Freddie,” someone should have screamed in his headphone when he called for a draw play on fourth-and-9 at the Rams’ 40-yard line in the fourth quarter when a punt was the more conventional move.

I can’t imagine anyone who is anyone either in the booth above or on the field sanctioning a draw play in that instance. That flies in the face of common sense.

Someone also should have dutifully suggested that at least one run play should be called with the ball on the Rams’ four-yard line in the final minute with three timeouts left. Calling four straight pass plays was the equivalent of committing football suicide.

To second-guess yourself in the post-game news conference, as Kitchens did Sunday night, was an admission he is not the type of coach who is always thinking at least one or two plays ahead. Those types of coaches generally win with a large degree of regularity.

That’s a part of being a head coach Kitchens apparently gave no thought to.

“I also understand I will get better from it and understand our team will get getter for them,” he said. “Our team has not been in that situation before, so our team will get better. The next time that arises, we will be better because of it.”

He went on to say his men ”are not panicking, but we also understand the shortcomings we have had. “And then he repeated himself, almost in a pep-talk sort of way. “I understand the shortcomings I have had,” he said. “I am going to get better. Our team is going to get better.”

Of course the team is going to get better because it can’t be any worse than it is now.

In some way, you almost feel sorry for the guy. He seems to be flailing and grasping for hope. It’s not as though the effort is not being put in. It’s more like he is overmatched for the job.

In an NFL season, you get only 16 chances to get it right and emerge with a victory. Each game is precious because there are so few of them. Each loss compounds the urgency to win.

Reckless coaching, along with ineptitude at putting together a representative roster, has contributed to embarrassingly bad football in Cleveland for the last two decades.

It was believed by many the drought would end this season with an influx of talent the likes of which this franchise hasn’t seen since the days of the team that now calls itself the Ravens.

There is an old expression in the NFL with regard to elevating assistant coaches or coordinators to the position of head coach. Some of them are generals. Most of them are lieutenants.

Right now, although it’s only three games, Kitchens, whose highest coaching position until now was interim offensive coordinator for the Browns’ final eight games season last season, is a lieutenant. The double bars stand no chance whatsoever of morphing into a star.

As is the case with most assistants who fail as a head coach in the NFL, they successfully return to their specialty. That could be the next step for Kitchens, whose meteoric rise in coaching is screeching to an abrupt halt.

As it stands, this appears be one John Dorsey gamble that is not paying off, angering a constituency that eagerly looked forward to finally enjoying their football team after so many horrifyingly bad seasons.

When the players stop listening to Kitchens – and that will happen when, not if, when the losing continues – is the next step in his head coaching career. Unless, that is, he magically uncovers the mystery of why this talented team is struggling.

*       *       *

Mayfield, still searching for his A game, tried to absolve his coach from blame after the Rams loss. “If you’re looking to blame somebody,” he said, “blame me. Don’t blame any of our players; don’t blame any of our other coaches.

“Just blame me because I can take it.  Just go blame me and write your articles saying I messed up the game. Write your article and say it’s my fault that things aren’t looking like last year. ‘Cause it is.”

Mayfield is not where the buck stops. And he knows it. He piles up style points, though, for protecting his coach, the man he recommended to Dorsey, the man who helped him become a star as a rookie last season.

What else did you expect him to say? Keep an eye on that one after the next three games. See if he still backs his coach by the bye week in week seven.

Meanwhile, Mayfield is still exhibiting the same problems that have bedeviled him all season. He still is seeing ghost pressure up the middle on pass plays and exiting the pocket too early.

When in rhythm, the ball leaves his hands quickly and generally results in a positive play. When he deserts the pocket, odds for a positive play plunge dramatically. The way opposing teams study game film, look for that trend to continue until Kitchens and his staff come up with a solution.

*       *       *

Odell Beckham Jr. looks at the latest loss a little differently. “I don’t want to give an excuse that we’re a young team and we’re fresh and new together,” he said, “but were still trying to find ourselves and find our identity.

“We’re going to put it all together. We’re just finding the pieces right now. . . . Once we discover exactly who we are, this team and everyone knows exactly who we are, we’ll be able to close games like that.”

 A voice of reason or hope? Leaning toward the latter.

The wide receiver wound up with six receptions – three in each half – for only 56 yards, more than 100 yards shy of his big total in the victory over the New York Jets a week ago. He has plenty of company all evening against the Rams.

*       *       *

The Cleveland secondary had a strong first half with all four starters on the sideline with injuries. Then Rams quarterback Jared Goff shredded it unmercifully, taking advantage of mostly zone coverage. He hooked up exclusively with Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp for all eight completions (in 15 attempts), all 122 yards and a pair of Kupp touchdowns in the second half.

*       *       *

Finally . . . Nick Chubb had another nice game, compiling 96 yards, but was not in Kitchens’ thoughts in the final minute. Go figure. . . . Mayfield targeted Jarvis Landry and Beckham with half of his 36 passes, completing 18 for only 118 yards. . . . Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones needs to see the football more. The former wide receiver at 6-5 is an inviting target, especially in the red zone with David Njoku out until midseason. . . . The defense held Todd Gurley II to just 43 yards, a significant achievement since the Rams use the ground game to set up the passing game. . . . Middle linebacker Joe Schobert made it three strong games in a row with six tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection that led to an interception. . . . The Browns played mostly nickel defense against the Rams with an occasional dime on obvious passing situations. . . . The Browns won’t be back home until a week six visit from the Seattle Seahawks. Perhaps it’s best to be on the road the next two weeks after dropping their first two home games. They lost only two games at home last season, finishing 5-2-1.