The last time Freddie Kitchens took over another coach’s offense, his career began to skyrocket.
Drew Stanton was there in October 2018 as the Browns’ third-string quarterback when a shake-up elevated Kitchens from running backs coach to first-time play-caller. Kitchens faces a similar task Sunday for the Giants as the fill-in offensive coordinator for Jason Garrett, who tested positive this week for COVID-19.
“Freddie is the perfect man to fill in for this kind of a role,” Stanton told The Post. “When Todd Haley got fired, it wasn’t Freddie’s offense, but he adapted it to the players around him. This little bit of adversity won’t be anything new. I know without a shadow of doubt Freddie will be prepared to put his best foot forward.”
There isn’t a quarterback anywhere with a better read on Kitchens than Stanton, who retired this offseason after a 13-year career. Kitchens was the Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach for four of Stanton’s five seasons in Arizona, including when they teamed to upset the Giants in 2014 with Carson Palmer sidelined.
The Giants could be forced to pair a backup quarterback — Colt McCoy would start if Daniel Jones’ multiple leg injuries restrict his mobility — with their backup play-caller. The Giants’ offense ranks second-to-last in yards and points per game but, as is the way the NFL works, most of the game plan already was installed by the time Kitchens was elevated Thursday morning.
Kitchens is the tight ends coach on Garrett’s offensive staff, but has a 15-year relationship with head coach Joe Judge.
“We still want to stick to what our offense has really worked on this season,” Judge said. “Make sure we’re not throwing too many curveballs at the guys that are out there in the huddle. That being said, you can work on certain elements. Ultimately, when the time comes, the play-caller has to call the plays.”
Stanton recalled how Kitchens kept Haley’s verbiage to make the transition smoother for the Browns, who led the NFL in yards per play with Kitchens calling plays. Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s completion percentage jumped from 58 to 68 and two of their five wins in the final eight games came after a halftime tie.
“Freddie understands personalities and how to manage people,” Stanton said. “Freddie is going to call a game the way he is comfortable, but ultimately the way the quarterback who is playing is most comfortable — whether it’s Colt or Daniel — because he wants them having confidence to execute. Everything stems from that. If the quarterback doesn’t believe in a play, Freddie will take the play out. He isn’t afraid to push the limits on some things in the run game or the play-action.”
The Browns’ offense did not repeat the same success last season, with Kitchens calling plays as head coach.
“When you become a head coach, there is so much on your plate,” Stanton said. “Freddie really thrived in that role in 2018 when he got the opportunity to put his thumbprint on it. He was so good at adapting. We would go into halftime and make adjustments. It was a clearly outlined roadmap on how we were going to win the second half.”
Will the extra twist of coaching the Giants against the suddenly thriving Browns — a revenge game just 11 months after his firing — distract from the team objective?
“It couldn’t have worked out better, especially on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ ” Stanton said. “For him to unfortunately get one season, he’s a class act. When he says he’s happy for the city of Cleveland, he truly is. He stands by what he says.”
