Is Freddie Kitchens’ Job in Jeopardy? Odds Heavily Favor Him Surviving to Week 8
By Robert Duff in NFL Football
Updated: April 7, 2020 at 4:09 pm EDTPublished:
- Is the job security of Browns’ boss Freddie Kitchens in jeopardy?
- Kitchens is in his first season as an NFL head coach
- Oddsmakers are offering -3000 odds that Kitchens will still be Cleveland’s coach in Week 8
Oddsmakers have quickly changed its impression of the job that Freddie Kitchen is doing as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
At the start of the season, the sportsbook was favoring Cleveland’s first-year coach to be the NFL coach of the year.
Now, they aren’t so certain that he’ll be coach for a year.
Oddsmakers have posted a prop wager on the job security of Kitchens at the helm of the Browns, who are off to a disappointing 1-2 start to the 2019 NFL season.
Odds on Cleveland Browns’ Coach for Week 8 at New England?
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Freddie Kitchens | -3000 |
| Steve Wilks | +800 |
| Todd Monken | +1000 |
| Mike McCarthy | +2500 |
*Odds taken on 09/24/19.
Kitchens has extremely short -3000 odds to still be on the job come Week 8, when the Browns face the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. But the fact that this prop is even on the board is a testament to how poorly his team has performed so far.
Will Kitchens Stand The Heat?
The Browns entered this season facing a previously unheard adjective – expectations.
So far, they haven’t come close to living up to the hype under their first-year head coach.
Featuring young stars like quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb, and defensive end Myles Garrett, there was talk of a turnaround in Cleveland. The offseason addition of All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr from the New York Giants added to the hype.
Following a 7-8-1 campaign last year, the Browns were established as AFC North Division favorites.
"Bad call… It just didn't work. It was a bad call."
– Freddie Kitchens on the Browns' 4th-and-9 draw playhttps://t.co/8azcNxTE3n pic.twitter.com/XZr3J7IDdo
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 23, 2019
Then the season started, and the Browns didn’t fire. So might they now fire Kitchens?
They lost Sunday to the defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams. Yes, the season-opening 43-13 home-field drubbing by the Tennessee Titans was an utter embarrassment. Kitchens, but his own admission has made some poor decisions.
He’s also three games into his NFL head-coaching career. Cut the guy some slack.
Off The Job In Record Fashion
Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the #2 betting choice to be coaching the team in Week 8, was dumped last year by the Arizona Cardinals after going 3-13 in his lone season at the helm.
“Forget the past – the future will give you plenty to worry about.” George Allen Sr., Hall of Fame NFL Coach
— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) July 5, 2018
But he got an eternity to show his wares compared to George Allen’s second stint with the Rams in 1978.
As a head coach, Allen guided the Rams to the NFL playoffs twice during his first tenure in charge. He took the Washington Redskins to Super Bowl 7.
In 1978 the @RamsNFL were close to signing Bill Walsh as their head coach. Owner Carrol Rosenbloom was in Ill health and decided last minute he needed someone who could ‘win now’. So he brought back George Allen, who didn’t make it out of preseason. #whatmighthavebeen
— Rams Rewind (@RewindRams) September 21, 2019
Returning to the Rams, Allen was fired after two preseason games, setting the NFL standard for the fastest a coach was fired.
Freddie Won’t Get Fingered
Come on people, this is the Browns we’re talking about. They didn’t fire Hue Jackson when he went 0-16, or when he followed that up with a 1-15 season.
Odell Beckham didn’t have a single target on the #Browns’ final drive. That is inexplicable, Freddie Kitchens.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 23, 2019
Going forward, look for Kitchens to shed his conservative play-calling ways and get back to the up-tempo style he deployed last season as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator.
#Browns Freddie Kitchens on giving up the playcalling: 'That's not even being considered'
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) September 23, 2019
And don’t look for him to be going anywhere, certainly not by Week 8. If you have the bankroll to make this worthwhile, Kitchens is a safe bet.
Pick: Freddie Kitchens (-3000)
Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
