Freddie Kitchens admits biggest problem for the Cleveland Browns offense

The Cleveland Browns offense has not been as efficient as expected, but Freddie Kitchens acknowledged one of the biggest problems for the unit.

The Cleveland Browns have not had the start to the season that many people were expecting or the Dawg Pound wanted to see. And it has already led to some questions about rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens.

Kitchens earned the head coaching job because of the ability he showed as a play-caller during the second half of 2018, which helped Baker Mayfield excel as a rookie. So it was not surprising that Kitchens wanted to call plays despite being a first-time head coach.

But the offense has sputtered in the first two games of the season. The unit has been able to make plays, but is unable to sustain drives to get in the end zone.

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The offense’s identity, if they even have one currently, looks completely different compared to last season. There has not been much of a focus on the running game, and Mayfield has been holding onto the ball extremely long.

Mayfield is averaging 3.07 seconds to throw the ball in 2019, the third-longest time in the NFL, according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter. The offensive line has not been great, but they are not being helped with Mayfield taking too long to get rid of the football.

This is not lost on Kitchens, who admitted Tuesday that he knows Mayfield is holding the ball too long,. And Kitchens believes it is on him to do a better job as a play-caller to scheme to get the ball out of Mayfield’s hand quicker – via the Browns official website.

"“We need to get the ball out of his hands quicker. He is taking too many hits. I do not like my quarterback to take hits. I need to get the ball out of his hands quicker.” – Kitchens via ClevelandBrowns.com"

Mayfield and the Browns offense thrived in 2018 because they relied on a quick passing scheme and letting receivers make plays with the ball in their hands. The Browns have not done that often in 2019. But when they do get the ball out of Mayfield’s hand quickly, the offense has made plays, such as Odell Beckham Jr.’s 89-yard touchdown against the Jets.

Instead of trying to make a big play happen with deep shots like they’ve tried this season, Mayfield and the Browns passing offense needs to take what’s given to them to get chunks of yardage. The deep shots will become available once defenses have to adjust to the Browns picking them apart with short to intermediate throws.

Mayfield also acknowledged after the game Monday night he has to do a better job of getting the ball out quickly. Whether it be taking his checkdowns instead of waiting for routes to develop, Mayfield knows he needs to take what’s available to him.

The Browns have the weapons needed to make plays when they have the ball in their hands. Beckham thrives at gaining yards after the catch, so even if he gets the ball quickly, he can still create explosive plays. Rashard Higgins and David Njoku have also proven to be players who can gain chunks of yardage after the catch.

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With both Kitchens and Mayfield knowing they have not done a great job of getting the ball out, it will likely lead to a quicker change to the offensive scheme during the season. If that is the case, it should help get the offense rolling and making the plays they were expected to once they gathered all of their offensive weapons.

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