Beating the Ravens Shouldn't Save the Job of Freddie Kitchens

The idea that the fate of Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens could come down to the result of the game against the Baltimore Ravens would signal a poor evaluation process. The Browns either believe Kitchens is their head coach or they don't, regardless of the result Sunday.

There is this notion that's been floated that if the Cleveland Browns are able to beat the Baltimore Ravens for the second time this season, it could save the job of head coach Freddie Kitchens. It shouldn't any more than losing the game should ensure he loses the job. Kitchens is a first-time head coach who has gone through an offseason, training camp, preseason and now 14 regular season games. If the result of one or two games at the end of all of that is the difference between getting a second year or not, then the process for which they are evaluating the head coach is deeply flawed, focusing only on results as opposed to what goes into them.

Whatever happens against the Ravens this week and the Cincinnati Bengals next week, the decision makers either believe in what Kitchens is doing with this team or they don't. It's difficult to fathom there is some epiphany that will be reached by Kitchens that will make him better suited to be the head coach of this team in two weeks that wasn't already there. Likewise, if they want him to coach the team for another season, he won't have suddenly lost something in these two games.

The idea that it's about being able to sell another year of Kitchens and that's why he'd need to win may sound reasonable on the surface, but that's not what this team needs to be successful. If the team doesn't believe he's the one to lead them, beating the Ravens shouldn't change. It puts the players in a position that doesn't make sense. 

While ultimately the performance of the team over the course of a season or multiple seasons dictates whether or not a coach is retained, putting it all on one game, sending a message to players that if they don't want a coach to stay, they should effectively lay down and let the other team win is counterproductive.

Since the Browns dominated the Ravens in Baltimore week four of the season, the Ravens have won ten games in a row, evolving into arguably the most dominant team in the league while the Browns, well, haven't. Coming up with answers to why the Ravens were able to improve so much while the Browns have never been able to reach that same level since will be key in figuring out what should happen with the coaching staff. Determining the strengths and weaknesses of Kitchens, what is reasonable to expect will improve with time and what won't should be a big factor.

It's also a decision that has likely already been made. It's difficult to imagine that the consideration of replacing a head coach after one year is going to come down to a photo finish. Nor is the idea that they are going to go into 2020 with a head coach they are trying to convince themselves is the right one; a move they just made when they gave Hue Jackson a third season after going 1-31, which has indirectly led them to the situation they're in now.

At this point, if they haven't decided to retain Kitchens, they are likely making a list of potential replacements and may be exploring their feasibility. Win or lose on Sunday, the head coaching job of the Cleveland Browns shouldn't come down to an arbitrary litmus test.