The final nail in Freddie Kitchens’ coffin as the Cleveland Browns head coach came Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati.
Cleveland fell to the previously one-win Bengals by the score of 33-23. It resulted in a 6-10 2019 campaign and Kitchens being fired as the team’s head coach Sunday evening.
Immediately prior to being fired, Kitchens did not get a ringing endorsement from his players. That seemed to indicate the writing was on the wall here.
Needless to say, the NFL world had its reactions to Sunday night’s news.
Freddie Kitchens: I have organizational support
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) December 30, 2019
Organization: pic.twitter.com/qUzet3jJFi
The Cleveland Browns have fired Freddie Kitchens. It is unlikely he will be coaching Cleveland in 2020 pic.twitter.com/icKpjL1CnD
— Matthew McGovern (@MatthewMcGovern) December 30, 2019
Kitchens ran a draw on 4th and 9 and he crying thinking The Browns organization had his support all this time pic.twitter.com/aIgq5sIpGp
— Ahmed/Lancey Foux Fan Account (@big_business_) December 30, 2019
Freddie Kitchens did an absolutely terrible job in Cleveland and was a terrible choice for that young team. The person who really deserves to be fired for that isn’t him, but the one who chose him in the first place. #Browns
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) December 30, 2019
Freddie Kitchens is a good guy. I'm sad that this didn't work out for him.
— Ken Carman (@KenCarman) December 30, 2019
There is talent on this team. There is a young QB who needs guidance, and not a friend. Please let the next man be the right one for the job.
I honestly feel bad for Freddie Kitchens. He’s such a great guy but he was so behind the eight ball as the head coach of this organization.
— Kyle Kelly (@KyleKellyNFL) December 30, 2019
First time head coach, managing these expectations & personalities. He clearly was in-over his head.
Best of luck to him moving forward.
Lesson to be learned from the Kitchens/Cleveland situation: Don’t hire the QB’s best friend/play caller. Hire a leader who can hold the QB1 and the entire team accountable while also providing a vision and structure for the team. Being head coach is about leadership not schemes
— Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks) December 30, 2019
"Cleveland Browns firing Freddie Kitchens means he won't be on the sidelines in 2020. Back to you in the studio." pic.twitter.com/sl3Uv2HHYB
— BLACK ADAM SCHEFTER (@B1ackSchefter) December 30, 2019
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