Kitchens: Browns' offense 'not even close to where we want to go'
Freddie Kitchens wasn't pleased with the Cleveland Browns' performance in their preseason tuneup Friday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Without the help of his stars, including Odell Beckham Jr. and Nick Chubb, who both sat out, quarterback Baker Mayfield and the first-team offense struggled to consistently move the ball in a 13-12 loss.
"It was just a frustrating night all the way around,'' Kitchens said, according to Cleveland.com's May Kay Cabot. "Offensively we didn't execute, not even close to where we want to go."
Mayfield completed just 10 of 26 passes for 72 yards and one interception on the night, struggling to connect with starting receivers Rashard Higgins, Jaelen Strong, and Derrick Willies.
"Those guys are coached to execute," Kitchens said. "Those guys are coached to do their job and we didn't do a very good job of preparing those guys to do their job and they didn't do a good job of doing their job.
"The execution wasn't there and it had been before. Those guys have played in other games and they performed in practice and they're expected to perform."
With a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball, expectations are as high as ever for the Browns entering 2019. Kitchens' squad is a favorite to claim the AFC North title despite the franchise securing just two winning seasons since 2000.
Cleveland opens its season Sept. 8 versus the Tennessee Titans.