The last time Freddie Kitchens took over from another coach, his career began to skyrocket.
Drew Stanton was there in October 2018 as the Browns’ third-string quarterback when a shake-up lifted the kitchen from running backs coach to first-time play caller. Kitchens face a similar task for the Giants on Sunday as attacking coordinator for Jason Garrett, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week.
“Freddie is the perfect man to fill in for roles like this,” Stanton told The Post. When Todd Haley was fired, it wasn’t Freddie’s offense, but he adapted it to the players around him. This little setback will not be new. I know without a doubt that Freddie will be willing to put his best foot forward. “
There is nowhere a quarterback that reads better about kitchens than Stanton, who quit this off-season after a 13-year career. Kitchens was the Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach for four of Stanton’s five seasons in Arizona, including when they teamed up to upset the Giants in 2014 with Carson Palmer offside.
The Giants could be forced to link a backup quarterback – Colt McCoy would start if Daniel Jones’ multiple leg injuries limit his mobility – with their backup play-caller. The Giants’ offense comes second to last in yards and points per game, but, like the way the NFL works, most of the game plan was already in place by the time Kitchens was raised on Thursday morning.
Kitchens is the tight coach of Garrett’s offensive staff, but is in a 15-year relationship with head coach Joe Judge.
“We still want to stick to what our attack has really worked on this season,” said Judge. “Make sure we don’t throw too many curveballs at the guys out there in the group. That said, you can work on certain elements. Ultimately, when the time comes, the play-caller must call the plays. “
Stanton recalled how Kitchens maintained Haley’s verbiage to smooth the transition for the Browns, leading the NFL in yards apiece with Kitchens calling on plays. Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s completion rate rose from 58 to 68, and two of their five wins in the last eight games came after halftime draws.
“Freddie understands personalities and how to manage people,” said Stanton. “Freddie’s going to call a game what he feels comfortable with, but in the end, the way the quarterback who plays is most comfortable – be it Colt or Daniel – is because he wants them to have the confidence to perform. Everything comes from that. If the quarterback doesn’t believe in a play, Freddie will finish the game. He’s not afraid to push the boundaries of some things in the run game or the play action. “
The Browns’ attack didn’t repeat the same success last season, with Kitchens naming plays as the head coach.
“When you become head coach, there is so much on your plate,” said Stanton. “Freddie really thrived in that role in 2018 when he got the chance to put his thumbprint on it. He was so good at adjusting. We would go into rest and make adjustments. It was a well-defined roadmap of how we would win the second half. “
Will the added twist of coaching the Giants against the suddenly thriving Browns – a game of revenge just 11 months after his firing – distract from the team’s goal?
“It couldn’t have been any better, especially on ‘Sunday Night Football’,” said Stanton. “For him to get one season unfortunately, he is a class act. When he says he’s happy for the city of Cleveland, he really is. He supports what he says. “