Much ado about this?

Jarvis Landry was asked early this past week what the Browns are going to do against the New England Patriots Sunday coming out of the bye week: “We’re going to win,” the Browns wide receiver said and then repeated himself. “We’re going to win.” He said it both times matter-of-factly.

He then cited numerous reasons he believed that would eventuate. He summed up his feelings by saying, “We’ve got a good chance to win.” It was not a prediction, not a guarantee. He did not use those words. If anything, it was more of a declaration.

Later on Twitter, Landry probably realizing what he had said, backed off and qualified his remarks. “We’re going there to win,” he said. Big difference, but too late.

The original words had barely been uttered had already found their way to Foxboro almost immediately via the social media network and been relayed to the players by none other than coach Bill Belichick.

Now you’d think if that type of bulletin-board material needs to be passed on to the Patriots players for motivational purposes, there’s a problem in New England. This is an unbeaten football team having its way with the schedule after seven games.

They are so full of confidence, they don’t need the words of a wide receiver, whose team is 2-4, to motivate them. It’s pretty obvious they are already motivated.

Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, however, unwisely chose later to dive into the matter with the media in his crosshairs.

“I do a pretty good job of communicating with you guys and telling you as much as I can from a truth perspective,” he began. “I would like the same in return from you guys when you are talking with our players. Everybody in here knows Jarvis was not guaranteeing a win (again, he never used the word).

“He was asked what do you want to accomplish after the bye and stated he would like to win or something in that realm. (No. He was asked what the Browns were going to do coming out of the bye.) New England was never mentioned (and it wasn’t reported that way) so for you guys to do that, I think it was very unfair.”

First of all, Kitchens needs to take some classes in journalism to get a better feel for what the job the Cleveland-area media, and the media in general, entails. 

He chided them for correctly reporting what Landry said. He either did not watch the interview or came away with the wrong impression without checking out what precipitated the remarks. All the evidence is on the video.

It’s obvious Landry eventually realized what he said and how it sounded by using his Twitter account in an attempt to clear it up.