Freddie the Reluctant King: Still has to do Right by his Subjects. Do YOUR Job!!!

Elliott Kennel pulls up the stats to back up what I said about the Freddie Kitchens offense that whupped the Ravens in Baltimore.

Through the first 3 games, the Browns were in 11 personnel sets over 90% of the time, whereas in what I call the Head Extraction game, they used 2 Tight Ends literally half the time.

And it worked, just like it did last season, despite the absence of Njoku.

Elliott points out some fun facts that I missed.  We all saw how prodigy Ricky Seals-Jones "went off" as a receiver, but Pharoah Brown also caught one for 19 yards, giving the Tight End group over 100 yards for the game.

Also if Elliott is correct, Pharoah Brown may well pass up Demetrius Harris on the depth chart as a blocker, if he hasn't already.  Kennel says Brown's blocking had a lot to do with Nick Chubb's big runs.

Seals-Jones looks like a huge "sleeper" as a receiver.  He was a five-star college recruit as a wide receiver, however, and John Dorsey notices these things.

I don't know how well he blocks, but he has the size and length for it.  This could get really interesting when Njoku comes back!

Bernie Kosar's comments:

Bernie referred to the 2-TE sets "that worked so well last year", and Mayfield sometimes under center (where he can hand off up the gut and use play-action) and "real balance" as reasons why the Browns offense so dominated the NFL's most overrated best defense.

Another writer wonders if Christian Kirksey has played his last snap as a Brown.

The short answer is yes.  Joe Schobert has emerged as possibly the best real linebacker in the NFL, and with the Browns atop the Division at the quarter pole, they really can't trade him...Dorsey will have to pay him...a TON.

5th round pick Mack Wilson has stepped in for Kirksey, and is simply a superior athlete who (barring injury) will displace Kirksey (and his salary).

Wilson is kinda like Joe Schobert in some ways: While Joe has better instincts (reads and anticipates quicker), Wilson is faster, and both cover exceptionally well.

A Ravens TE named Andrews lit up the NFL until he ran into Wilson and Schobert.

But I digress: Sione Takitaki has recovered from an injury which cost him much of his critical first preseason, but projects to be very much in the mix next season, as well as Genard Avery, and (listen carefully) ALL these guys are cheaper than Chris Kirksey.

And think with your brain: Chris Kirksey's "veteran leadership" and sterling character don't offset the confluence of his age, salary, and talent.  Good luck, Chris!

More on Freddie:

Freddie was as surprised as many of us were to be named the Browns' new Head Coach.

But Dorsey was helping him, with a stud OC in Todd Monken, a former Head Coach in DC Wilks, and respected veteran assistants.

Despite his stellar performance as the 2018 Offensive Coordinator, Freddie Kitchens was probably as suprised by this as we were, and (I believe) was half expecting a safe to fall on his head after Defenses had a full offseason to study the film of his Offense.

So he deferred to Todd Monken (who, with 2 quarterbacks, ran one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL in 2018).

Yes, he still called plays, but called them based on Monken's sets and game-plans.

Sometime before the Ravens game, Freddie read this Blog (which shall remain nameless blush-blush),  and took his offense back (in a nick of time).

NOW, the unusually humble Freddie Kitchens probably realizes that he really is a Head Coach; belongs where he is...that he dominated the Ravens.

I'm still nervous, of course.  Freddie should realize that his future depends on his own brain, but I'm still afraid that he might let Monken do his all 11 all the time stuff monday night (and lose badly).

Freddie: It's not about you anymore.  Think of this Offense as your child.  Are you going to bring the child molesting baby sitter back?  

You have to look out for your players.  You have to RUN this offense yourself, dude!

Freddie Kitchens is massively smarter than he thinks he is, and may be a genius.  Smarter than Monken.

He needs to sink or swim with HIS offense.

The 49ers are frankly a better team than the Ravens, and Freddie needs to run those 12 (or 21) sets and play-action and short routes to hang with these guys.

The "big" sets demand base defenses and stacked boxes; any man coverage is obvious to the Quarterback, but zone is mandatory for most teams, and Mayfield loves man anyway ok too deep in the weeds 2 Tight Ends works okbye