The Cleveland Browns have quickly gone from the laughing stock of the NFL to a team that many believe is ready to make a deep playoff run, and new head coach Freddie Kitchens took a moment over the weekend to remind everyone that talk is cheap.
Star defensive lineman Myles Garrett recently made headlines by criticizing Gregg Williams, who was Cleveland’s interim coach last year, for only allowing him to use two pass-rush moves and holding him back. When a reporter asked Kitchens about that on Saturday, he called Williams a “good football coach” and urged people to stop focusing on last season.
“Last year is last year. No two teams are the same. You’re not gonna pick up where you left off, and we’re not interested in revisiting last year,” Kitchens said, via a video from Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “We were 7-8-1. We didn’t do s— last year. We didn’t win anything. We were third in the division. I don’t know where all this is coming from.”
Kitchens added that winning a championship is obviously the Browns’ goal, but he cautioned against looking too far down the road.
“Just because the Super Bowl is our goal, doesn’t mean that’s what we’re at,” he said. “We’re a team just like the other 31 teams, and we’re focused on training camp, minicamp, and getting better when those guys get back in the building.”
The Browns made some huge additions to their roster this offseason, most notably Odell Beckham Jr. They are also expecting a big sophomore leap from Baker Mayfield after he had a productive rookie season, and even Las Vegas oddsmakers seem to like their chances of having their best season in a very long time. All that said, you can understand why Kitchens doesn’t want the AFC favorite talk getting out of hand. Like every other team, the Browns have a long way to go. Having your ego inflated in April and May typically is not a recipe for long-term success.
