Browns could face tough coaching decision between Freddie Kitchens and Gregg Williams

Since the firing of head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the Cleveland Browns have completely turned around their season — and somehow still have a shot at the playoffs.

Much of that has to do with a resurgent offense that has greatly improved under new OC Freddie Kitchens. Recently, Kitchens told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot that he “definitely, no doubt” has head coaching aspirations, which could force a tough decision for the team.

Do the Browns retain interim head coach Gregg Williams, who have gone 4-2 under his watch? Do they instead promote Kitchens, who had only worked as a positional coach before this season? Or do they make an outside hire and hope Kitchens will stay on as a coordinator?

Baker Mayfield looks elite under Kitchens

The Browns started 2-5-1 under Jackson and Haley, but even more importantly than the record, No. 1 overall draft pick Baker Mayfield was not developing as hoped.

Mayfield led the Browns to a comeback win in his first game, but under the former regime, he only held a 58.3 percent completion rate on 6.6 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns to six interceptions. Compare that to his six most recent games, when he has a 70.7 percent completion rate on 8.7 yards per attempt with 13 touchdowns to five picks. His 109.3 quarterback rating ranks fourth-highest in the NFL during that stretch.

Mayfield has looked especially dangerous in the red zone, as Cabot points out. He is 17-for-20 passing with 10 touchdowns, which is second only to New Orleans Saints great — and fellow undersized QB — Drew Brees. Furthermore, his five sacks in the last six games is fewest in the league.

Williams, the former defensive coordinator, has helped the defense improve. Against a slightly tougher schedule, the Browns have seen drops in opponents scoring (26.2 to 23.0) and yardage (414.5 to 383.2). But in a league so focused on offense, Kitchens may be the more valuable coach.

Teams are looking for smart offensive coaches

The NFL has seen an explosion in scoring this season: teams are averaging a league-record 23.4 points per game. The most innovative offensive head coaches are leading their teams to playoffs, and in a copycat league, teams want in on the hottest new candidate.

Whether it’s the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay, Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Los Angeles Chargers’ Anthony Lynn, or Saints’ Sean Payton, the envy of the league has been smart offensive coaches. If the Browns don’t promote Kitchens, he could be high on another team’s list.

There will be no shortage of head coaching openings soon with the Green Bay Packers joining the Browns in the early head coaching search. Meanwhile, there could be vacancies with several more teams with promising quarterbacks, including the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, not to mention the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Is Kitchens ready to become a head coach after just recently earning play-calling duties? Who’s to say? McVay didn’t call plays before becoming the Rams’ savior, and now every team is looking for their own McVay.

Teams will make mistakes, as it appears the Minnesota Vikings did with John DeFilippo and the Tennessee Titans did with Matt LaFleur. But in this offensive environment, teams may have to take risks to get ahead. And the Browns will have an opportunity to take a big swing with Kitchens or potentially lose him.

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