Cleveland Browns Fire HC Hue Jackson And OC Todd Haley

by
Former Writers
October 29, 2018

Erik Drost via Flickr

Browns Fire Head Coach Hue Jackson And Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley After 2-5-1 Start

NFL insider Adam Schefter reported early Monday afternoon that the Cleveland Browns had fired their head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson had been with the Browns since 2016 when he was first hired as head coach. Jackson’s record as the head coach in Cleveland finishes at a dismal 3-36-1.

It was also reported Monday afternoon that the Cleveland Browns had fired offensive coordinator, Todd Haley. This news came just one hour after the Jackson news had broken. Initially, many thought Haley would potentially be named interim head coach. With Jackson and Haley both gone, Gregg Williams is the only remaining senior coach who will take on the interim head coach position.

Halfway Through, Season Recap

The Cleveland Browns impressed viewers in their preseason performance as shown on HBO’s Hard Knocks. However many weren’t convinced. The Browns’ season opener ended in an upset tie against division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They lost to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, 21-18 but broke the famed losing streak in Week 3 with a 21-17 win over the New York Jets. Week 3 also gave quarterback Baker Mayfield his first regular season minutes after Tyrod Taylor went down. Mayfield would remain the starting quarterback from then on.

Another overtime game led to a narrow 45-42 loss against the Oakland Raiders. Cleveland went on to beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime 12-9 in Week 5. They then lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 38-14 followed by another overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-23 in Week 7. Sunday’s 33-18 loss to the Steelers was apparently the last straw for general manager John Dorsey and the rest of Cleveland’s front office.

Looking at the first half of the season from a bird’s eye view, half of the Browns’ games have gone into overtime, the average point differential in all of their games is about three, and while they’re below .500, they had multiple opportunities to be at .500.

Reaction To The Jackson Firing

Local sports pundits seem to be in favor of the coaching change in Cleveland. Throughout his 2.5 seasons as a Brown, many have criticized his lack of success. Dan Labbe wrote, “Jackson had his shot, even after the last two seasons, to try and be that coach. The Browns, wisely, decided to look elsewhere.”

Fans have had a more mixed review of the news.

With the news breaking in such a quick fashion, the reaction from players is yet to be revealed. While the dialogue will likely be conservative, someone will likely slip and allude to the tone of the locker room regarding the firing.

Why Now?

Sources out of Cleveland have pointed to a season-long power struggle between Jackson and Haley as one of the reasons for the firings. The lack of production from the offense along with their inability to secure wins needed to be stopped, and someone was going to be held responsible. Instead of just Jackson, Haley was put on the plank as well.

It’s unclear what the Browns think they stand to gain without both of the coaches from an offensive point of view. Additionally, Williams’ hands-on approach to the defense may suffer given his new role as interim head coach.

What’s Next For The Browns?

It is yet unknown how the team found out about the news or their reaction to it; however, the news isn’t necessarily shocking. Rumors of Jackson’s future firing began swirling before the start of the regular season. From his handling of personnel to game management, fans and players were growing tired of his performance.

Overall Cleveland has a team that is ready to win now. Their defense has improved drastically from last year despite their secondary struggles. The Browns have the ninth best rushing defense which has kept them alive in several games this year. Their 24th ranked offense is better than they appear on paper.

Rookie QB Baker Mayfield is continuing to adjust to the ups and downs of the NFL as the game gradually slows down for him. Mayfield is complimented by another rookie in Nick Chubb. Chubb is currently averaging 6.2 yards-per-carry after 52 attempts this year. While that number will likely drop as he receives more carries, it’s clear Chubb was worth the second-round pick.

The Browns also have a top ten receiver in Jarvis Landry. On Mayfield’s other side is Antonio Callaway and tight end David Njoku. Under the right head coach, these offensive weapons make a formidable opponent and maybe even an AFC champion.