The Cleveland Browns are 5-7 and have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this season. Their lack of punch on offense is a big reason why they’ve been a letdown.
In an article published on Saturday, Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot quoted sources who described the Browns’ offense as “dysfunctional.” Beyond the problems that are visible to everyone — the inability to score points and get the ball to Odell Beckham Jr., the regression shown by Baker Mayfield, and the poor offensive line play — there are also problems behind the scenes.
Cabot says there is a “disconnect” between Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens and offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
There’s a disconnect between offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who answers for the offense every Thursday and has jokingly called it his weekly “dentist appointment,” and Kitchens, who calls the plays on game day with input from Monken, quarterbacks coach Ryan Lindley, and some say even inactive quarterback Drew Stanton.
If that collaboration for playcalling sounds convoluted, it is.
Kitchens calls the plays, as Cabot said, even though Monken had the Bucs top-10 in the league in yards the last two seasons and 12th in the league in points. The Bucs led the league in passing yards and were third in passing touchdowns last season under Monken, but Kitchens is still calling plays.
The frustration among offensive players has been visible. Beckham and Jarvis Landry did not speak with the media after last week’s game. The two have seemingly been trying to censor themselves somewhat, though Beckham was part of headlines during the week. Landry and Lindley even got into an argument on the sidelines after an interception.
Between some of his playcalling, the team underachieving, and his T-shirt issues, Kitchens does not seem like the right person for the job.
