CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry is passionate about football and winning, and that love for the game turned into a heated exchange with head coach Freddie Kitchens during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 38-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
After rookie kicker Austin Seibert pushed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide left with 12:05 to play in the fourth quarter, a miss that prevented the Browns from making it a one-score game, Landry appeared to yell at Kitchens before being encouraged to walk away by a staff member and linebacker Christian Kirksey.
“I just went and asked for the ball,” Landry said. “Just went and asked for the ball, just tried to get involved in the game to help. That’s pretty much it.
“I just went and asked for the ball. I felt like I hadn’t touched the ball since the first quarter. We were inside of 10 minutes left in the fourth and I still hadn’t touched the ball. Well, that play, I touched the ball, so you know.”
Landry had just eight targets against the Cardinals, which he turned into five catches for only 23 yards in the 14-point loss, the Browns’ fourth double-digit setback of the season.
Landry was “very” frustrated with the overall play of the team against the Cardinals, and specifically, about his lack of a role in the offense during the second and third quarters, when the Browns were very much still in the game.
Following the loss, Kitchens was asked about the incident, but shrugged off the exchange as nothing more than passion and trying to win.
“Listen, I love Jarvis Landry,” Kitchens said without hesitation. “Jarvis is my kind of player, as far as fiery. Things happen. It’s not a big deal. I’m pretty sure it’s not a big deal if you ask him. It’s an emotional game. I love Jarvis.”
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Landry said he “absolutely” saw opportunities to make plays to help the offense during his targets drought and that is why the frustration led to a heated exchange.
“I just thought at that juncture, I didn’t want the game to get too far out of hand, so I was just trying to do whatever I could to help the team,” Kitchens said.
Landry not having targets during the second and third quarters was puzzling to the wide receiver, who had 69 catches for 995 yards and five touchdowns coming into the game against the Cardinals, and it continues to be a source of frustration as he and close friend Odell Beckham Jr. struggle to find receptions.
“That’s one of the things that you scratch your head about, but there’s a lot of guys in here that work hard, that continue to work hard, and that’s the biggest thing,” Landry said.