Jackson says Browns’ offense needs time to jell

Hurricane Hue blew into the media room at Browns headquarters around 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 20. He blew out of the room 10 minutes later after making it clear there are no quick solutions to turn around a team that has won four of its last 39 games.

Hue Jackson was hired as head coach in January of last year. He is 1-17. His predecessor, Mike Pettine, was 7-4 through the first 11 games of 2014 but just 3-18 after that before being fired after the 2015 season.

Jackson was in rare, blustery form while answering questions from reporters who want to know why the Browns, 0-2 heading into their game with the Colts on Sept. 24 in Indianapolis, are struggling again.

“I’m pulling my hair out,” Jackson said. “There are some things we have to do better to be the offense that I want us to be.

“I never told you we were going to be a juggernaut in the first two games. We’re going to keep working at this. We’re on this practice field working every day to get better, and I think we are getting better at some things. That’s my charge to the players, and that’s my charge to the coaches. I think we’re getting there. We’ll arrive at some point in time. We’re not there yet, but that’s part of it.”

The Browns are the only team in the league whose stable of quarterbacks has no NFL wins among them. Rookie DeShone Kizer is 0-2. Backup Kevin Hogan has never started an NFL game and third-stringer Cody Kessler was 0-8 as a starter last year.

Issues for the Browns go deeper than the inexperience of the quarterbacks, yet Jackson remains upbeat despite the overwhelming challenges he faces. Though he does not carry the title of offensive coordinator, he calls the plays on game day, just as he did last season.

“We have a right tackle (Shon Coleman) who is learning how to play with a bunch of veteran players,” Jackson said. “We have a right guard (Kevin Zeitler) who is new to our organization who is learning a new center (JC Tretter) and they communicate a lot.

“We have a left guard (Joel Bitonio) who just got back (from a knee injury) who is communicating with a new center and a new right guard, who has also played with the left tackle (Joe Thomas) all the time who hasn’t been out in practice a lot but in the game. That’s what you’re seeing.

“You have a new young quarterback. You have basically an offensive line that’s new that’s going to be good. We have new receivers (Kasen Williams, Reggie Davis, Kenny Britt and Sammie Coates) that we insert here and there. We have a new young tight end (rookie David Njoku) that’s playing. We have runners (Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson) who are learning how to play off (follow the blocks) of the (new) offensive line.”

“Our charge is to keep trying to find a way to win the game. At some point in time, hopefully here soon, we’re going to be the offense I think we can be. I think that’s understanding DeShone better, them understanding DeShone better, how he says things, where he sets on certain drops, where he is when we’re trying to run the ball. All of that to run an offense goes handin-hand.”

Jackson’s message boils down to the players practicing together and meeting together. They cannot practice more than they already do, so it takes time and players and coaches continuing to pull in the same direction. Team owner Jimmy Haslam has to do his part by staying patient.

Jackson said he is not feeling heat from Haslam, who since buying the Browns in 2012 has fired Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski and Pettine as head coaches.

“I don’t have to convince Jimmy,” Jackson said. “Jimmy knows. Jimmy sees. I think Jimmy is a very patient person, understands where his team is, wants to win worse than anybody in this building and expects to win, but knowing that, hey, this is where we are and we’re going to get there. We’re going to get there, and we’re going to get their sooner than later. I promise you that.”

Jackson bristled at the suggestion the Browns would be better off hiring an offensive coordinator. He said critics would not want the job once they realize what it entails.

“People are entitled to their opinions,” Jackson said. “I respect them, but I don’t think that’s the case at all. Our situation is I know where we are. I think if those people who keep saying that were in this building, they would be pulling their hair out and probably wouldn’t even walk through the front door.

“You have to know how this works. You have to have been through this to get this over the hump, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I think it will get there.”

The Browns visit the 0-2 Colts on Sept. 24 in Indianapolis.