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Good coaches protect their players. Browns coach Freddie Kitchens apparently provided a safety net for quarterback Baker Mayfield after Sunday night’s loss to the Rams.As explained by Chris Simms earlier this week on his Unbuttoned podcast David Edwards Jersey nfl draft , the much-criticized decision to run a draw play on fourth and nine in the fourth quarter possibly was made not by Kitchens but by Mayfield.Simms spotted the evidence while studying the game film.“As soon as the ball’s snapped, Freddie Kitchens looks and just stares at Baker Mayfield. Looks downfield to see the guy got two yards, right? And then looks back at Baker Mayfield like, with the arms out, like, ‘What are you doing?'”While Kitchens may have been lamenting the execution of the play, the more reasonable interpretation, given the pre-snap activities, seems to be that Mayfield changed whatever play Kitchens had called, dialing up the ill-fated draw play instead.Simms also thinks it was a bad decision because a draw wasn’t going to work against the specific defensive alignment. Linebackers were present on the side of the defense that the run attacked. The goal in a situation like that is to find a gap in the defense created by efforts to rush the passer.Since it was an obvious passing situation, the concept made sense. The decision to send a running back where defenders were, not where they weren’t, didn’t.“Before we all jump on Freddie Kitchens,” Simms said, “I’m pretty sure that Baker Mayfield would be the one to blame on that play.”If that’s the case, Kitchens surely scored points with his young quarterback for not throwing him under the bus. Some may say that Mayfield should have piped up and taken responsibility for the decision, given the criticism that was being dumped on Kitchens.Here’s what Mayfield said about the play after the game: “I know what you guys are going to try to do is blame the play calling, but that is why I said execution is the most important thing. Whatever we have called Tyler Higbee Jersey , we have to do our job.”Then, when Mayfield was asked whether he had anything to add about the play on Wednesday, he said, “No, it was just trusting our guys to make a play.”Execution aside, responsibility for calling the draw play remains unclear. Whatever the explanation, the play didn’t work. But it makes sense to pay even closer attention to the sausage-making process in Cleveland when key moments arrive. From Kitchens admitting that he’s new at this to the possibility that Mayfield opted to change the play that Kitchens called, decisions like that make the difference between wins and losses and, ultimately, playoffs or no playoffs. NEW ORLEANS (AP) — One way or another, the NFC Championship between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints will be won by a coach named Sean — with an Irish surname — who designs and calls plays for one of the most innovative and productive offenses in the NFL.The ties between the Saints’ Sean Payton and the Rams’ Sean McVay go well beyond a shared name.“We both cut our teeth in this league under Jon Gruden,” Payton said. “That (Rams) staff — there’s a ton of guys that we’re friendly with and that we know on that staff. Guys who we have worked with, and Sean and I have a real good relationship. He is an engaging guy, a fun guy to be around.”Article continues below ...Gruden, the current Oakland Raiders coach, was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles in 1997 when Payton was hired as quarterbacks. In 2008, Gruden was the head coach in Tampa Bay when he hired McVay as a receivers coach.During the past two seasons Payton and McVay have led their teams to the playoffs with one of the best offenses in football, thanks in part to elite quarterbacks — Drew Brees with New Orleans (14-3) and Jared Goff of Los Angeles (14-3).Both coaches have acknowledged they watch each other’s offensive film nearly every week — not just because of the possibility of playing against one another; they’re looking for good ideas.And then there are some connections on the roster and coaching staff. One of the Rams’ top receivers Taylor Rapp Jersey Cheap , Brandin Cooks, was Payton’s first-round draft choice in 2014. Los Angeles’ running game coordinator is Aaron Kromer, a former running backs and offensive line coach under Payton, including on the 2009 Super Bowl-winning squad.Players on both teams praise their coach’s intangible feel for how a game is developing.Saints Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead extoled Payton’s “fearlessness” in his play calling and said the coach has “so much believe and confidence in us and the system that we can go out and make a play no matter the down and distance.”Goff mentioned how McVay sends in plays “with confidence and having a good feel for everything.”“There’s certain moments in games where being a good play caller — you can’t teach it — but there’s certain moments where you have to go for that dagger or you have to pull back a little bit,” Goff continued. “There’s just different ebbs and flows in games. I think he’s got a great feel for that.”The main thing that separates the two is age and experience. The 55-year-old Payton got his first head coaching job 13 years ago, is coaching in his third NFC title game and trying win his second Super Bowl. In his second season as a head coach, McVay, 32, is preparing for his first NFC title game.The same goes for their QBs: the record-setting Brees turned 40 on Tuesday and Goff is 24.“He’s been doing it at really high level for a lot longer than I have,” McVay said of Payton. “He’s an outstanding coach — clearly referenced by the way that his team is playing this year, how they’ve played over the course of his career when he’s been leading the Saints. So, I don’t think we’re in that category yet. We’ve got to do things for a lot longer to be able to be mentioned in that same breath.”Getting to a Super Bowl by winning Sunday would be a good start for McVay and the Rams, whose first loss this season came when they last visited the Superdome on Nov. 4 and fell 45-35.Here are some other story lines surrounding the high-stakes rematch:LOST LEADERNew Orleans placed top defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on injured reserve this week after he tore his Achilles last Sunday against Philadelphia . Not only was the 2016 first-round draft choice the anchor of a defensive front that helped the Saints rank No. 2 in the NFL in stopping the run, but he also ranked second on the club with eight sacks. Without his trademark mix of quick spin moves, powerful bull rushes, and ability to draw double-teams, the Saints will rely more on tackles David Onyemata and Tyeler Davison, along with rookie Taylor Stallworth and recently signed veteran Tyrunn Walker.RAMS REINFORCEMENTSBrees carved up the Rams’ defense for 346 yards passing and four TDs in the teams’ first meeting Taylor Rapp Jersey Womens , but the Rams have reason to believe they can do better this time. Star cornerback Aqib Talib was injured and missed the game in November, but he is back in uniform. Los Angeles typically doesn’t line up cornerbacks against specific receivers, but defensive coordinator Wade Phillips could consider it to get Talib against Michael Thomas, who had 211 yards receiving largely against Marcus Peters in the last meeting. Phillips also has two additional months of experience using edge rusher Dante Fowler, who had just arrived in a trade with Jacksonville for the last meeting.DOME ADVANTAGESince Payton and Brees joined forces in 2006, the Saints have gone 6-0 in playoff games in the Superdome, including two wins the season they won the Super Bowl. Payton suggested that the environment in the dome — while not an overwhelming factor — is nonetheless a factor that can influence an opposing offense in particular.“What’s important for our fan base is understanding when that crowd noise needs to begin differently this week than normal weeks,” he said. “That crowd noise needs to begin just as that last play finished. You get 65, 70 snaps of that crowd noise earlier than normal and louder than normal, it’s difficult.”WHIT’S HOMECOMINGWhile most of the Rams haven’t had much success at the Superdome, left tackle Andrew Whitworth made his share of fond memories there. The West Monroe, Louisiana, native won three high school state championships in the arena, and then he added a national championship with LSU when the Tigers won the Sugar Bowl over Oklahoma in January 2004. The 37-year-old Whitworth, a versatile blocker and locker-room leader, has been a major key to the Rams’ offensive success over the past two years. One week after getting his first career playoff victory , he’ll try to reach his first Super Bowl.