Browns' Kitchens takes blame for 4th-down run: 'It was a bad call'
The Cleveland Browns' offense looked out of rhythm for most of Sunday night's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. However, one play, in particular, stood out for all the wrong reasons.
Down 17-13 in the fourth quarter, the Browns were facing a fourth-and-9 from the Rams' 40-yard line - a situation that everyone, rightfully, would expect a pass to be called.
Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens instead called a Nick Chubb run, which was stuffed for just two yards.
"It just didn't work," said Kitchens, according to Ben Axelrod of WKYC. "It was a bad call ... We're trying to win the game and we're on their side of the field."
Kitchens' play-calling woes didn't end there, though.
The Browns were gifted a chance to take the game to overtime by a late fourth-quarter interception from Jared Goff. Cleveland managed to quickly get in the red zone, but Kitchens then seemingly forgot his ground game despite being at the Rams' four-yard line.
Four straight unsuccessful pass plays later and the Browns dropped to 1-2 after an offseason full of hype.
Freddie Kitchens: "I should have run it once. Should have run it three times."
- Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) September 23, 2019
So why didn't you?
"I didn't... I was being facetious. I should have run it one time. That's what I'm kicking my ass for."
Kitchens earned Cleveland's top job in large part due to his midseason transformation of the offense last year.
But through three games, the formerly aggressive Cleveland attack has been stifled, scoring just 49 total points.
Copyright (C) 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.