Monday leftovers

From the department of “Did He Really Say That?” comes this gem from Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens . . .

“We’re really close. Sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle, but we know how close we are. Our players understand how close we are and our players understand how they can do better and coaches understand how they can do better.”

Yep, Kitchens really said that in his weekly post game-day session with the media on Monday. Hard to believe he honestly believes that after losing three of the last four games. He is either not paying attention or lobbying to keep his job.

Two questions: If that’s the case, that the Browns are really close, (a) what are they close to and (b) why aren’t they doing better? Fifteen games are in the bank and only six were winners.

In the four games following the three-game winning streak they put together last month, the Browns have played anywhere from mediocre (at best) to downright awful football. Are they improving? Not unless you change the meaning of the word.

Are they – and that includes the coaching staff – still making mistakes? Uh yes. Week after week, game after game and sometimes play after play. Okay, I exaggerate, but you get the point.

There has been nothing this season on which fans can hang their hats with regard to the future of this franchise except maybe the exploits of Nick Chubb, who has been superb despite running behind a bad offensive line.

Kitchens went on to say he has the backing of the most important people in the organization. “I have not gotten anything but total support from those guys,” he said, referring to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam and General Manager John Dorsey.

That’s a little hard to believe, too, considering reports that at least one member of that troika was reportedly more than mildly upset after the last two games.

The rampant conjecture he would be a one-and-done head coach didn’t seem to bother him. “I don’t care about the speculation,” he said. “I don’t care about anything that is out of my control.”

Interesting choice of words considering how poorly his team, which is very much under his control, has played for him for the major portion of the season.

Kitchens also pronounced himself satisfied with his learning curve. “My learning progress is continuing to go upward,” he said, “When you get in a situation where it goes downward, then you’re in trouble.”

Considering the course his team has traveled the last month or so, he might want to think about reevaluating the difference between upward and downward because very little is working now on both sides of the football.

Perhaps the rookie head coach has lost touch with reality as the day of reckoning nears. It shouldn’t be long after the Browns wrap up this dismal season in Cincinnati Sunday that a determination of Kitchens’ status in Cleveland will be announced.

If he bucks the odds – remember this is a franchise that has had a long and flirtatious relationship with making wrong moves for the wrong reasons – and is given a second chance, nothing will change.

As a wise philosopher once said, “Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” The Browns have been guilty of it numerous times and are teetering on possibly doing it again.

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When he goes shopping again during the offseason in an effort to strengthen his team, three areas of concern should top Dorsey’s shopping list with the trenches occupying the top two slots.

The offensive line needs a major, major overhaul if the offense is to experience any degree of success. The talent is there at the skill positions with Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt (if he comes back), Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr.

They need the horses up front. They’re not there now, a major factor in the struggles that side of the ball has experienced this season. They need solid starters at both tackles and right guard.

If he’s honest, Dorsey would probably admit trading guard Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants in that blockbuster deal that brought Beckham and defensive end Olivier Vernon to Cleveland was a mistake. Zeitler was the club’s best offensive lineman last season. His absence has been sorely felt throughout this season.

The defensive line also needs an overhaul, mainly on the edge. The pass rush has all but disappeared since the suspension of end Myles Garrett. Tackle Sheldon Richardson has been the steadiest member of that unit.

Fellow tackle Larry Ogunjobi and Vernon, when healthy, have underperformed. Most of the strangers at end currently won’t be back next season based on their substandard performances.

Dorsey also must address the situation at safety. Morgan Burnett and Damarious Randall are all but gone. Sheldrick Redwine and possibly Eric Murray will be back. That should be on Dorsey’s shopping list as well.

One more item on that list: A veteran and reliable wide receiver to complement Landry and Beckham. No one in the current wide receivers room has stepped up like Breshad Perriman did last season.

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What in the world did tight end David Njoku do to deserve what seems to be permanent status for the rest of the season on the inactive list? He’s made it the last two weeks despite being healthy and figures to be there again in Cincinnati.

Is the former first-round daft choice on Kitchens’ fecal list? And if so, why? Reports label it a coaching decision. Kitchens brushed it off. “David has been working hard, trying to get better,” he said, “continuing to try to put his best foot forward and see what he can do.”

The man sure has a way with words.

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At first blush it appeared as though free safety Randall was the main culprit when Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews ran uncontested and caught his 39-yard touchdown pass for the first Ravens score in Sunday’s 31-15 loss.

Looking a little more closely at it, it sure looked as though nickelback T. ]. Carrie blew the coverage, sliding to his left to help on the outside instead of picking up Andrews down the seam.

Randall, once he noticed Andrews running his route by himself, quickly recovered, but it was too late. He then turned and pointed at Carrie, almost as if to say, “What are you doing?”

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A word or three about defensive coordinator Steve Wilks: He won’t be employed by the Browns next season. His style of defense has become extremely offensive and is best suited elsewhere.

Of the 15 games the Browns have played, opponents scored 24 or more points on nine occasions. NINE!! On five of those occasions, opponents scored 30 or more points, including the last two games against Arizona and Baltimore.

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Finally . . . Chubb needs 147 yards Sunday against the Bengals to reach 1,600 yards for the season, or 100 yards a game. Quite a feat considering his offensive line. There’s a good reason he leads the NFL in yards after contact  . . . Mayfield will become the first Cleveland quarterback since Tim Couch in 2001 to start all 16 games. Derek Anderson (2007), Brandon Weeden (2012) and DeShone Kizer (2017) came close with 15. . . . The 243 yards on the ground the defense allowed against the Ravens was not a season high. The San Francisco 49ers pounded out 275 yards in their 31-3 victory back in week five. . . . In the last two weeks, the defense has been shredded for 469 yards infantry style. . . . Oddly, the pass defense has not allowed a 300-yard game this season. That’s probably because opponents didn’t have to given their success on the ground.