Browns senior media broadcaster Nathan Zegura first noticed the relationship during a road game at Cincinnati on Nov. 25.
While most attention settled on the drama between rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and former Cleveland coach Hue Jackson, Zegura zoned in on something else when Mayfield walked off the field and questioned Freddie Kitchens' play call after a scoring drive. It's not what you think.
"You know you're lucky you have me to make you look good, right?" Mayfield said.
"No, I made you look good," Kitchens replied.
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Kitchens, through quick back-and-forth quips and even more creative play-calling, played a significant role in Mayfield's development in 2018. The QB finished with 19 TDs and just seven interceptions in Cleveland's last eight games with Kitchens calling the plays.
That QB-coach relationship complicates the coaching search for general manager John Dorsey after a 7-8-1 season in which Browns interim coach Gregg Williams compiled a 5-3 record. There clearly is a chemistry between Mayfield and Kitchens, who emerged as a fan favorite in the second half of the season.
Fans loves the bright orange "Dawg Pound" sweatshirt and the colorful press conferences. Kitchens, a former Alabama quarterback, brought some creativity to the offense — like the time Mayfield threw a pop pass to himself before throwing a TD against the Ravens in Week 17.
"If you think Freddie is the guy to be around Baker for a long time, he has to get some head coach consideration, because that's the only way to guarantee he'll be with you," Zegura told Sporting News. "It's tough. I'm glad I'm not in that seat, but I'm glad John Dorsey is in that seat."
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Dorsey has options with Kitchens, who doesn't necessarily have to be the head coach and could still stay on the coaching staff. Williams has interviewed for the job. Former Lions coach Jim Caldwell interviewed Wednesday. Veteran coaches Mike McCarthy and Bruce Arians have been linked to the job, and coordinators Dan Campbell and Dave Toub all are intriguing candidates to take over a franchise poised to make its move in the AFC North in 2019.
But Kitchens is who makes Ken Carman, the morning host on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, change his tone upon hearing the name. Carman said he's been getting calls from Redskins fans who expressed remorse for letting Sean McVay, who was Washington's offensive coordinator from 2014-16, take the head coaching position with the Rams.
"I hate using McVay as a reference because I think he's a savant and I think he's almost unrealistic because of his recalls for plays and situations," Carman told SN before changing the subject back to Kitchens. "If you win nine or 10 games the next year, he's going to be talked about as a head coach because they are going to be a playoff team. You could lose him in a year.
"If we're talking about him being a head coach somewhere in a year, then what the hell are we waiting on?"
There are risk factors. Kitchens has never been a head coach, and if he stays on with someone other than Williams, there could be chemistry issues. Cleveland knows that first-hand after the drama that unfolded with Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley, both of whom were fired after a loss to Pittsburgh on Oct. 28.
That turned out to be a blessing, and it allowed Kitchens to blossom in his new role.
The connection helped Mayfield set the single-season record for TD passes by a rookie with 27. Zegura noticed something on the final touchdown pass, against Baltimore in Week 17.
"I know they scored on second down, but you can almost guarantee they would have thrown four times in a row," he said. "Freddie wanted him to have that record."
Zegura said that is genuine. Kitchens would shake the hands of staff members on the plane afterward and express his appreciation, but it's the relationships with Mayfield, backup QB Drew Stanton and running backs coach Ryan Lindley — the "Four Horsemen," as Zegura calls them — that feel like a fraternity on the sidelines.
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Mayfield drew headlines for some of his antics during the season, but that has been going on since his days at Oklahoma. Kitchens backed Mayfield in a press conference after the controversy with Jackson. That endeared the offensive coordinator even more to Browns fans.
Kitchens brought out more production on the field from Mayfield, who spread the ball around. Cleveland didn't have a 1,000-yard receiver, but Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, Rashard Higgins and Antonio Callaway all produced more than 500 yards.
Now, as Carman puts it, the Browns must balance hiring the best coach for Mayfield with what's best for the long term. That's the next step for a franchise that will be the "it" team in the 2019 offseason because of Mayfield and the talent Dorsey has compiled on both sides of the ball.
"You've got to make sure that guy is not going to hold Mayfield back, because you need to grow in Year 2, or you become a cautionary tale," Carman said. "That's the biggest decision with Freddie Kitchens. I really like him, though. He's not afraid to get up in anybody's business."
Carman said the process has seen a wide range of candidates, including college coaches such as an Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley and Iowa State's Matt Campbell. Carman has heard them all, even Alabama coach Nick Saban, who was the Browns' defensive coordinator from 1991-94.
"If Nick Saban at 67 years old wanted to try it again, what better place than Cleveland?" he asked.
Carman then turned to the serious candidates, and it's the former Crimson Tide QB who fits.
That will be the decision for Dorsey, the GM who helped flip Cleveland from 0-16 doormat to 7-8-1 fringe playoff contender in a year. Mayfield was the biggest piece of that turnaround; he has proved to be a leader around whom this franchise can rally. Next comes the coach, and Kitchens certainly belongs in the conversation.
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It's easy to see why. Kitchens and Mayfield make each other look good, and they have fun doing it.
The only question now is whether that Kitchens will continue in Cleveland.
"It's hard for me to envision being around this team and not have Freddie Kitchens on it and being around Baker Mayfield and watching that tandem grow and blossom together," Zegura said. "I think Baker could be good with anybody, but there is something special there.
"I've been around this team long enough to know it when I see it."
