Richardson disagrees with Kitchens’ decision to bench him
Defensive tackle BEREA — Sheldon Richardson still doesn’t understand why Browns coach Freddie Kitchens benched him late in Sunday’s 31-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Richardson took exception to Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters standing near Browns safety Sheldrick Redwine while the Browns rookie was down on the Baltimore sideline with an injury. Richardson let Peters know about it and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter, whereupon Kitchens forced him to the sideline for the rest of the game.
“I definitely disagree with [the decision], but that’s my coach,” Richardson said Thursday after the Browns (6-9) practiced for Sunday’s season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals (1-14).
Asked if he respects Kitchens’ decision, Richardson said: “Of course. I was just frustrated at the moment. I don’t know why he took me out. I was protecting a teammate. I felt like he took me out because I was doing something bad. Yeah, I hurt the team [with the penalty], but let me go back out there and earn the right to stay back on the field.”
Richardson said he and Kitchens are “still close” and remain on good terms.
“Respect him to the day for the job he did,” Richardson said. “This is his first year with a new team, first year head coaching job. Now he didn’t get the end results he wanted. He got the rushing leader back there with [running backs Nick] Chubb, Kareem [Hunt]. He got all the touches he can get. Got [wide receiver Jarvis] Landry doing his thing. Only thing I wanted more is O [receiver Odell Beckham Jr.] to get the ball more, but that’s everybody, honestly.”
Richardson said there’s “no question” he would defend Redwine in the same manner again.
“[Peters] was just playing around his head,” Richardson said. “I don’t know if he kicked him or not. Nothing like that. He was just doing too much around my injured teammate, and that was the end of that. You need to get away from him, period.”
When Richardson played for the New York Jets under Rex Ryan, he had the importance of protecting his teammates drilled into his mind.
“I think that’s part of my DNA,” Richardson said.
Aiming for 1,000
Quarterback Baker Mayfield wants to help Beckham reach 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Beckham needs 46 yards in the finale against the Bengals’ 30th-ranked defense.
“People can say what they want about Odell’s year on the outside,” Mayfield said. “But hopefully after this week he has over 1,000 yards.”
Mayfield said Beckham’s quest for 1,000 yards will be on his mind.
“Absolutely and winning,” Mayfield said. “I think him getting a lot of yards equates to us winning.”
Beckham has 71 catches on 127 targets for 954 yards and three touchdowns. Landry, his close friend and former LSU teammate, has 81 catches on 132 targets for 1,092 yards and five TDs.
Although the Browns would undoubtedly consider having two 1,000-yard receivers an accomplishment, especially because both players fought through injuries this year, Beckham has been frustrated about lacking elite production in his first season since the New York Giants traded him in March.
“There is a lot of room for progress, and I think that’s the best thing about it,” Mayfield said. “Looking at what we expected to what we actually have, we’re very close. But that just means we got to work at it, get together in the offseason, handle things this week and then get better.
“I think [improving our chemistry is] just based on repetitions with him. He’s going to put his flavor on routes. That’s why he is who he is. That’s why he’s able to have success. It’s give and take on both. There are certain things that we can have freedom on, but there are also things that he knows are timing routes, and that has just been a process for us. That’s why there is only room for improvement, and it’s only going to get better.”