Former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley pointed the finger at the team’s current head coach Freddie Kitchens for the late-game melee that marred Thursday’s contest.
Haley told SiriusXM Radio on Friday that Kitchens’ leadership is to blame following an ugly incident in which Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was suspended indefinitely without pay after he ripped the helmet off Mason Rudolph before hitting the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback in the head with it.
Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was suspended one game for shoving Rudolph in the back.
“This to me, this comes back to coaching,” the 52-year-old Haley said. “This falls squarely right on the head coach. Because the head coach talks to every assistant coach, who then talk to their groups of players. And there’s an old saying in coaching: ‘You’re either coaching it or you’re allowing it to happen.'”
Haley dismissed the notion that Thursday’s fireworks were an isolated incident.
“If you’re not coaching it, you’re allowing it to happen, and when I watch the Cleveland Browns, I see a lot of stuff being allowed to happen, whether it’s clown shoes, visors, whatever it may be,” Haley said. “Myles Garrett hitting the quarterback low, hitting the quarterback in the head, it’s happening too much.”
While Cleveland leads the NFL in penalties with 87 this season, it should also be noted that Haley has a history with the organization.
Haley was fired as the Browns offensive coordinator in October 2018 after less than one year at the position. Kitchens took over the role before being promoted to head coach after the season.
— Field Level Media
