The Browns never had a chance this season.

Never mind the talented, high-priced roster of stars they put together.

Never mind that they won the offseason.

Never mind that many of the national prognosticators predicted them to be the new darlings of the league.

Never mind all of that.

The Browns botched the most important team-building task of all: They failed the chemistry test, trying to mix too many high-priced, high-ego stars into one locker room while tying to rebuild a broken program.

Because of that, they’ve been one of the most disappointing teams in the league this season, mired at 6-8 entering Sunday’s game at home against the 12-2 Ravens.

Because of that, the question is whether Freddie Kitchens will make it past his first season as head coach.

Kitchens — with his raw, swashbuckling style — has been a lightning rod on a team with a lot of them (start with Odell Beckham Jr. and go from there).

After the Browns were dusted by the 4-9-1 Cardinals last Sunday, Kitchens was asked about his job security and told reporters: “I don’t care about my future as Browns coach. I’m going to show up Monday, and I’m going to do the best job that I can do Monday. I’m going to work tomorrow to try to get the Browns better.”

The question, based on the Browns’ disappointing season and several questionable coaching maneuvers (you might recall going for it on fourth-and-11 from their own 19-yard line against the Patriots in Week 8), is how many tomorrows Kitchens will have to make the Browns better.

His postgame comments were eye-opening, but understandable, too, considering they came in heat-of-the-moment frustration immediately following a bad loss.

A day later with time to process what he said, Kitchens backed off those comments, telling Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan radio: “Of course I want to be back. I care about my job. I only care, though, about getting better today. That’s what I was trying to illustrate.’’

Kitchens went on to rattle off a list of the good things his team has done this season.

What Kitchens didn’t list was the seemingly endless succession of bad incidents and looks coming from his team — starting with defensive end Myles Garrett, the team’s top defensive player, suspended for the season with six games still to play after clocking Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with Rudolph’s helmet that Garrett had ripped off.

There was quarterback Baker Mayfield publicly questioning the team’s medical staff.

There’s been the predictable petulance of Beckham — who, according to reports, has been pleading with opposing players to get him out of Cleveland. Beckham last week denied those reports.

More recently, there was receiver Jarvis Landry jawing with Kitchens on the sideline last week, then running back Kareem Hunt calling out some teammates for mailing it in against Arizona.

Too much static from the dysfunction has led to too many losses and not enough consistency, and that has to fall at the feet of the head coach, whose primary plus when he was hired was his role in developing Mayfield as a rookie last season.

Mayfield, though, appears to have regressed in his sophomore year despite having an abundance of superior talent around him.

In 14 games last season, Mayfield completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 266.1 yards per game with 27 touchdowns (a rookie record), 14 interceptions and a 93.7 rating. In 14 games this season, he has completed 60.1 percent for 239.7 yards per game with 17 TDs, 17 INTs and a 78.7 rating.

These are damning numbers. For Mayfield. And, more importantly, for Kitchens.