Freddie Kitchens Explains Why He Didn't Sub Out Baker Mayfield Monday Despite Big Lead Over Jets

If we learned one thing from the contaminated Monday Night Football matchup between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, it's the fact that the latter are nowhere close to a competitive team without quarterback Sam Darnold.

To say that the Browns should have won by 40 is nowhere close to an understatement. Somehow, however, their offense could only muster 23 points on the night.

Whatever the case of the final score, this game was over after the Jets first drive and there's just no reason that Cleveland's starters should've played all 60 minutes. But don't tell that to head coach Freddie Kitchens, who actually defended his decision to keep Bakery Mayfield and Co. on the gridiron in the thumping.

Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Kitchens said, "No. He's our quarterback. I wanted to make that last third down. Not to say that (Gilbert) Garrett couldn't, but I wanted Baker to do it...We’re going to finish the game."

The fact that Kitchens wasn't even considering subbing out his stars is significantly alarming. Why risk losing the likes of Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr, Nick Chubb, and Myles Garrett (among others) to injury in a blowout?

Instead, Mayfield played all 69 offensive snaps as backup gunslinger Garrett Gilbert remained holding the clipboard on the sidelines.

Kitchens took a chance, and it paid off. But next time when the Browns are up big, he might not get so lucky if he opts against preserving his cornerstone(s).