The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Browns’ offensive woes run too deep
Jackson doesn’t believe Haley can run Browns’ offense alone, plans to jump in to help
Head coach Hue Jackson believes he can help rescue the Browns’ stagnant offense by collaborating with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. But when it comes to calling plays on game day, he has no plans to strip those duties from Haley, he made clear on Oct. 22.
His words were softer in his day-after news conference than in the heated moments after the bitter, 26-23 overtime loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla. The Browns, the only team in the NFL without a first quarter touchdown, trailed, 16-2, at halftime.
It is just the latest drama in the long-running soap opera, “As Berea Turns.”
Jackson, a former offensive coordinator, after the game told reporters he will “jump in head first, all hands, feet, everything and go figure (the offense) out … It’s not going to be about butting heads (with Haley). I’m the head coach of the football team. I’ll do what I feel I need to do to get this team where it needs to be.’’
No matter how hard Jackson tried to smooth it over the next day, the implication was clear: Jackson doesn’t believe Haley can run the Browns’ offense alone.
Never mind the fact Haley ran the Steelers offense just fine for six seasons before joining Jackson’s staff.
“Everybody sometimes has their own blind spots,” Jackson said. “I’m not saying that Todd does, but I’m sure that another good set of eyes on certain things might help. I’ve always felt that way. I still think that two heads are better than one in certain situations.”
Of course, in Pittsburgh, Haley was running an offense that included veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell. Great talent makes it so much easier to be a successful coach.
“When I decided to bring Todd here, I made a commitment that he would have total autonomy of the offense,” Jackson said on Oct. 22. “I don’t think that you hire
a coordinator and put him in that position when you’re an offensive head coach to dabble in what that person’s doing.
“Obviously, the guy has been extremely good at what he’s done. His reputation precedes him. I think he’s doing some things extremely well here right now.”
The real problem is the talent isn’t good enough to compete with most teams for four quarters (and sometimes five). The Browns are better this season than in the past three, but there are still major issues that need one more draft to address.
• Baker Mayfield is not protected well. Left tackle Desmond Harrison could grow into the position, but he has been exposed as the rookie he is. Right tackle Chris Hubbard gets pushed backward at times. Mayfield cannot escape when that happens.
• The trading deadline is Oct. 30. The receiving corps is worse now than it was when the season
started. Instead of veterans being able to help the rookie Mayfield, Mayfield has to lean on rookies Antonio Callaway, Damion Ratley and Da’Mari Scott to go along with threetime Pro Bowl player Jarvis Landry.
Players, assistant coaches and fans are exasperated because the Browns have been close to winning three of the four games they lost. Jackson is exasperated because he is 3-35-1.
General Manager John Dorsey didn’t hire Jackson, and that’s part of the pressure on the head coach, too. There is no way Dorsey will give Jackson another season if this trend continues for nine more games.
Being teased and losing is agony for everyone with a stake in these games.
There would be no issue if Zane Gonzalez had just made that kick at the end of overtime against the Steelers in the opener, but the kick was blocked and the game ended 2121.
Gonzalez missed four kicks to the next week in a 21-18 loss to the Saints.
The Browns led the Raiders, 42-34, with less than a minute to play and lost, 45-42 in overtime.
The game in Tampa might have ended differently if Mayfield hadn’t fumbled the ball backward after making a first down on fourth-and-2 late in the first half, or if Jabrill Peppers didn’t fumble on a punt return in overtime. That blunder and a 14-yard completion from Jameis Winston to DeSean Jackson on thirdand-29 from the Tampa Bay 45 – another failure by the defense to make a stop when one was needed most -set up the dramatic, heart-wrenching 59-yard field goal by Buccaneers kicker Chandler Catanzaro.
Jackson aiding Haley isn’t going to correct those errors. But if all we had to write about from Berea was football without a sideshow, it just wouldn’t be a Browns story.