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3 realistic expectations for Freddie Kitchens' first season as Cleveland Browns head coach

Can Kitchens live up to his lofty expectations as the Browns' new coach?
Credit: Jason Miller/Getty Images
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 23: Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens looks on during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio

CLEVELAND -- Officially, Freddie Kitchens is 0-0 in his head coaching career.

But following his introductory press conference, the Cleveland Browns' new head man might as go ahead and claim a winning record.

While the idea of "winning the press conference" has become a biennial tradition in Cleveland, Kitchens took it to another level on Monday. Over the course of what was a 43-and-a-half minute press conference, Kitchens delivered enough one-liners to sustain the Cleveland t-shirt market throughout the remainder of the offseason.

Among Kitchens' best sound bites were his thoughts on the Browns' 7-8-1 record in 2018.

"It drives me crazy that people are happy with 7-8-1. It drives me literally crazy," Kitchens said, soon after adding, "Everything will always center around winning the Super Bowl. I went to the Super Bowl. I lost the Super Bowl. I never want to be in that position again."

Later asked how he sees Cleveland's 2019 season ending, the former Browns offensive coordinator said, "Hopefully, on a podium."

Kitchens, of course, isn't the first head coach to arrive in Cleveland with delusions of grandeur or to reference the Lombardi Trophy for that matter. Press conferences -- especially introductory ones -- are designed to be won. And outside of Pat Shurmur, the Browns' previous head coaches have typically capitalized on the opportunity.

But where Kitchens' press conference could ultimately be different is that opposed to his predecessors, the former interim offensive coordinator is inheriting a roster capable of helping make his visions a reality. The Browns currently possess a plethora of young talent in Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward and David Njoku, among others. They also enter this offseason with more than $84 million in cap space and 11 draft picks.

Nevertheless, there's a big difference between the rightful optimism that's abundant in Cleveland this offseason and carrying it over into the fall. 

So what are realistic expectations for Freddie Kitchens as he enters his first season as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns? Let's take a look:

Credit: Matt Florjancic
New Cleveland Browns coach Freddie Kitchens says if you are not all in on brown and orange, you do not matter.

Win the AFC North

It's been 30 years since the Browns last won a division title and 17 seasons since Cleveland last made the playoffs.

There's no reason, however, that both droughts can't end in 2019.

Although the AFC North will undoubtedly remain competitive, Cleveland will be expected to be right in the thick of the division race, if not the favorite. That thought is based on the idea that last season should have been just the start of an impressive run for the Browns, who at 7-8-1 finished third in the division behind the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6-1).

Although 10 wins were enough to win the divison this past year, Cleveland likely would likely need 11 wins to guarantee that it places ahead of both Baltimore and Pittsburgh next season. That would represent a 3.5 game improvement from the 2018 campaign -- a gain that would hardly be remarkable given the Browns' 1-2-1 record in overtime games last season.

Considering Cleveland didn't hit its stride last year until Kitchens took over as the team's offensive coordinator eight weeks in, it's not a stretch to say the Browns' best football may be ahead. And if Kitchens truly is the man for the job, such improvement should occur sooner rather than later.

Baker Mayfield First-Team Pro Bowl

I was going to suggest that "first-team All-Pro" be the standard Mayfield is held to in his second season, but the more I think about it, too many variables prevent that from being a realistic outlook.

I do, however, think that it's completely reasonable to expect Mayfield to earn a first-team AFC Pro Bowl selection, which would make him one of the top three signal-callers in his conference.

After throwing for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns as a rookie, Mayfield was named a fourth-team alternate, making it unlikely he'll be heading to Orlando in a few weeks. But if one were to extrapolate the former No. 1 pick's numbers under Kitchens over the course of the season, it seems plausible -- if not likely -- that he'd be Pro Bowl bound as a rookie.

Next year, Mayfield won't have such hindrance. And although the league is littered with players who have racked up Pro Bowl appearances, considering the other quarterbacks who still occupy the AFC, a first-team selection is hardly a low bar to clear.

Credit: Rob Carr
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on December 30, 2018.

Win a playoff game

Why not?

If the Browns are going to win the AFC North, that means that at the very least, they'd be hosting the first playoff game in the history of FirstEnergy Stadium. And if that turns out to be the case, there's no reason Cleveland shouldn't be favored in such game.

As a result, a playoff victory -- which would mark the franchise's first since 1994 -- shouldn't just be hoped for, it should be expected.

Kitchens' own goals may be loftier. But breaking a 30-year division title drought and a 25-year playoff victory drought in the same season would be no small feat.

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