It is safe to say that the regular season has not gone according to plan for the Cleveland Browns. The team is currently 6-7 with games remaining against the Cardinals, Ravens and Bengals. Although it is still possible for them to make the NFL Playoffs, it is far more likely that they fall just short. The reality is that the team has not met the lofty expectations set for them during the preseason. 

NFL Media's Ian Rapoport says that owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam plan to stick with head coach Freddie Kitchens for the long-term. 

Kitchens is in his first year serving as head coach. He began the 2018 regular season as the team's running backs coach and was elevated to offensive coordinator following corresponding staff changes. He had never served as an offensive coordinator up to that point. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams -- now with the Jets -- took over as interim head coach. 

When head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were fired, rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield's season took off. Mayfield completed 130 of 223 passes for 1,471 yards (11.3 yards per completion), eight touchdowns and six interceptions with Jackson and Haley. He completed 180 of 263 passes for 2,254 yards (12.5 yards per completion), 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games with Kitchens.

The offense scored 21.7 points per game in the six games with the combination of Jackson, Haley and Mayfield. They averaged 23.75 points per game in the Kitchens-Mayfield era.

With one of the league's richest rosters in terms of talent, Cleveland has not been able to maximize the potential of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. or Mayfield. Mayfield's regression has been steep after achieving historic rookie success during the second half of the 2018 regular season. During those games, the quarterback was getting rid of the ball quicker and operating an offense that runs through the running backs and tight ends. The addition of Beckham led the Browns to force feed him the football instead of doing what was productive a year ago. There were several other examples of questionable personnel choices, clock management and challenged calls.

The fact that the team has won four of their past five games is apparently a feather in the coach's cap but it could be argued that the sheer talent disparity between Cleveland and their competitors during that stretch allowed them to overcome continued in-game coaching mistakes. It is not to say that the players have fulfilled all of their assignments but to assume coaching helped push them over the top would be misguided. Meanwhile, distractions have followed them around every turn: Beckham does not want to be in Cleveland, Beckham is wearing accessories on the field, Kitchens is wearing a controversial shirt the night before playing Pittsburgh, Mayfield insults training staff, Whitehead threatens fans on Twitter, etc..

Ownership is faced with a decision that carries potential Super Bowl implications. Cleveland has their franchise quarterback on his rookie contract, which allows them to pay other positions more. His rookie contract will realistically only last another two or three years. It would be a shame for ownership to make the wrong decision, one way or another, and squander away what most are deeming a "Super Bowl window.'' 

It would not be a surprise if the Haslams did keep Kitchens though. The same ownership who retained Hue Jackson coming off a two year stretch where the team went 1-31. It is admirable that they give coaches a chance considering that has mired the franchise for years but it is a decision that has to be made for the right reasons.