Todd Haley slams Freddie Kitchens for the Browns’ lack of discipline

Todd Haley puts the blame squarely on Freddie Kitchens, the man who took his place in Cleveland last year

[jwplayer HdTcxqOl-ThvAeFxT]

Former Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley had some choice words and a harsh assessment of Freddie Kitchens and how the rookie head coach has handled the team in the wake of the Thursday night brawl. Haley joined Sirius XM NFL Radio and opened up on the chaos surrounding his former team.

Haley isn’t exactly an impartial observer here, and that context needs to be heavily noted. He was fired last year and immediately replaced by Kitchens. Keep that in mind when evaluating his comments, though what Haley says here is difficult to argue.

“The Browns won the game, but it’s kind of what’s been biting them in the backside this year and the last few years,” Haley said. “Lack of self-control and discipline.”

That’s when Haley, who also coached for several years in Pittsburgh, set his sights on Kitchens.

“This to me comes back to coaching. This falls squarely right on the head coach, because the head coach talks to every assistant coach…there’s an old saying in coaching, ‘you’re either coaching it or allowing it to happen’.”

He continued,

“Part of the frustration is, you see things happening and going on that you shouldn’t allow, shouldn’t be allowed to be going on because you’re practicing bad habits. You’re practicing lack of discipline, you’re practicing lack of self-control…when I watch the Cleveland Browns I see a lot of stuff being allowed to happen. Whether it’s (Odell Beckham Jr.’s) clown shoes, visors, whatever it may be.”

A longer excerpt of Haley’s interview was tweeted out by Sirius: