Cleveland Browns: Hue Jackson coaching for his life against Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson claims to have ownership’s confidence as rumors swirl that he’ll be coaching for job against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Cleveland Browns season is hitting a fever pitch. There’s a sense among the Cleveland media that Hue Jackson is coaching for his job when the Browns play at the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.
The Fan’s Daryl Ruiter is tweeting ownership is unhappy with the organization’s current state of affairs. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr is asking if this is the end of the line.
According to Jackson, ownership doesn’t agree. He was asked if Jimmy and Dee Haslam were behind him and he made the following reply, via Cleveland.com
"“No doubt. No doubt. None. No question,” he said."
Asked to elaborate on the confidence he answered the question with…
"“Conversations,” he said. “Conversations.”"
From an outside view, Jackson’s going all in on the season. He’s taking more of a role in the offense. After all, it’s his specialty and why the Browns hired him away from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he was the offensive coordinator.
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If he’s going down, it might as well be his way or the highway.
Unfortunately for the third year coach, the highway back from Pittsburgh has been pretty bleak. There coaches have been fired after losses to the Steelers in the expansion era. Those coaches include Romeo Crennel (2008), Pat Shurmur (2012) and Rob Chudzinski (2013).
Excuses can be made for Jackson. He was supplied with miserable talent for two full seasons. Vince Lombardi wasn’t winning anything with the players given to Jackson.
And when some talent finally arrived, the public perceptions was that Jackson was having play calling duties stripped from him.
Alas, at some point you can’t make anymore excuses. The Browns talent jump from the previous two seasons is obvious. But instead of players taking steps forward by winning close the games, the Browns continue to go full-blown Browns.
The Pittsburgh contest promises to be the biggest game of the year. If the Browns win this thing, they’re 2-1-1 in the division, and believe it or not, they’re in the playoff conversation. A loss begins the spiral of losing, with Patrick Mahomes waiting to torch Cleveland in Week 9 before the Bye Week.
Making a change after a loss gives the Browns a chance to save their season, because the gray cloud of losing permanently looms over the organization every day, and at some point, a change needs to be made.
It’s up to Jackson now.
If he takes play calling duties wins, and develops Baker Mayfield into the rookie of the year candidate we’d all thought he’d be a month ago, Jackson, going to retain his voice in ownerships ear.
If Jackson fails, the book will finally close on what’s been a historically bad era.
So it will come down to this. Hue Jackson is coaching not just for wins, but for his career.