Former Browns OC Haley: TNF brawl 'falls squarely' on Kitchens
Former Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley blames Thursday night's melee on Freddie Kitchens, saying the rookie head coach is allowing a culture of indiscipline to form in Cleveland.
"This to me, this comes back to coaching," Haley told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Friday. "This falls squarely right on the head coach. Because the head coach talks to every assistant coach, who then talk to their groups of players. And there's an old saying in coaching: 'You're either coaching it or you're allowing it to happen.'"
Star pass-rusher Myles Garrett received an indefinite suspension and will miss at least the rest of the 2019 season for swinging Mason Rudolph's helmet at the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback during the final seconds of the game. Fellow defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi was also given a one-game ban for shoving Rudolph to the ground.
The incident was the latest, and biggest, example of Cleveland lacking composure and focus during a disappointing campaign.
Haley added that the AFC North club has been held back for years because of poor self-control, pointing to Garrett's frequent personal fouls and Odell Beckham Jr.'s uniform issues this season.
"If you're not coaching it, you're allowing it to happen. And when I watch the Cleveland Browns, I see a lot of stuff being allowed to happen, whether it's clown shoes, visors, whatever it may be," Haley said. "Myles Garrett hitting the quarterback low, hitting the quarterback in the head, it's happening too much. It's not just a fluke."
The Browns fired Haley in October 2018, opening the door for Kitchens to take over the role and eventually ascend to become the team's head coach.
Asked about the accusations from Haley, Kitchens refused to counter his former co-worker's comments.
"I don't really give much thought into what Todd says," Kitchens said. "I'm not even gonna respond to it. I know the way we continue to talk about maintaining our composure, and we have to do a better job of maintaining our composure - everybody."
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