Which 4 Cleveland Browns have the most to prove in opener?

1. Freddie Kitchens

As much as all the aforementioned players will have eyes on them, no one will be monitored as closely as the new Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens. Even before it became clear that general manager John Dorsey was not bringing back interim head coach Gregg Williams, all the pundits were trying to sell a big-name coach as the person to take over the young squad — well, it was either a well-known coach or Condoleezza Rice.

However, Dorsey decided against re-treads such as Bruce Arians and Mike McCarthy, as well as passing on a former U.S. Secretary of State. Instead, he went for the dark horse candidate and hired Kitchens following his impressive run as the interim offensive coordinator.

In reality, Dorsey should be praised for making his own choice. It was his first-ever head coaching hire and he proved that he was willing to go out on a limb and get the guy he felt was the right choice. However, not everyone sees it this way.

There’s a perception that this talented roster could be held back by an inexperienced coach. There’s also a fear that the big personalities will walk all over Kitchens and he won’t be able to control the locker room.

Sure, these negative takes completely ignore the fact that plenty of young head coaches have success — see Sean McVay, Doug Pederson, and Matt Nagy — but until Kitchens proves them wrong, we will have to keep suffering through it.

Of course, nothing will silence that noise quicker than a 1-0 start. Not only will that give them a good start to the season, but it would also start to change their fortune on opening weekend.

Going all the way back to their re-birth in 1999, the Browns are now 1-18-1 in the first week of the season. They did get a tie last yeat to end a 13-game losing streak, but they still have struggled mightily to get off to a hot start.

If that trend continues, the doubters will be in full force and Freddie Kitchens will be their main target.