Will Hue Jackson End Cleveland Browns’ Futility?
On Wednesday, the Cleveland Browns officially agreed in principle to hire Hue Jackson as their head coach, ushering in a new regime.
Hue Jackson becomes the Cleveland Browns seventh head coach since Butch Davis led the franchise to the postseason in 2002, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Browns and Hue Jackson have reached agreement, per sources. Press conference to introduce him later today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2016
The Browns have brought in and sent out coaches in a continuous search resembling a revolving door, but Jackson could be the guy to turn things around in the Dawg Pound.
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Why so optimistic?
Well, Jackson is no stranger to propping up slumping offenses.
Offensive Coordinator – Oakland Raiders 2010
In 2010, he accepted an offensive coordinator position with the Oakland Raiders and engineered a top-five offensive attack, averaging 25.6 points per game tied with the Atlanta Falcons’ then-potent offense.
Running back Darren McFadden ran for a career-high 1,157 yards as a key component within the second-best rushing offense in the league under Jackson in Oakland.
The Raiders high-powered offense featured quarterback Jason Campbell in his final season as a consistent starter in the league. He threw 13 touchdowns, eight interceptions and 2,387 yards in 13 games and 12 starts.
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Head Coach – Oakland Raiders 2011
Jackson assumed head-coaching duties after the front office fired Tom Cable. The Raiders maintained a highly productive rushing attack utilizing a two-man backfield, featuring McFadden and Michael Bush, averaging a combined 131.9 rushing yards per game.
According to Jackson, the organization made a collective decision to upgrade the passing offense, trading a first-round pick (2012) and a second-round pick (2013) for Carson Palmer, who wanted to part ways with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Raiders narrowly missed the playoffs in a three-way tie atop the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos—all teams deadlocked with 8-8 records. Ultimately, the Raiders lost divisional tiebreakers. Incumbent general manager Reggie McKenzie fired Jackson after one season as a head coach in order to hire his own coaching staff.
Most Raiders fans still pine for Jackson. He delivered one of two non-losing seasons to Oakland over the past 13 years:
Raiders’ 8-8 record in Hue Jackson’s only season as head coach (2011) is tied for the best record by any Raiders team since start of 2003.
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 13, 2016
I like #HueJackson hope he gets a head coaching gig, IMO he should have not been let go when he was HC of the #Raiders!!
— Kerry French (@KFrenchy5) January 10, 2016
Nonetheless, owner and de facto general manager Al Davis’ death ushered in a new regime in Oakland.
Offensive Coordinator – Cincinnati Bengals 2015
Eerily similar to Oakland’s 2010 offense, the Bengals also averaged 25.6 points per game (ranked sixth) in 2015.
Most notably, Jackson further developed Andy Dalton into a confident aggressive quarterback on the field. He ranked second in yards per pass attempt, averaging 8.4 per contest. Once viewed as a conservative game manager, Jackson pushed Dalton to new heights as a playmaker.
Despite fielding a supremely talented offense, the Bengals lost Dalton to a thumb injury in Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which potentially hindered a deep playoff push. Cincinnati averaged 19 points per game over the final three weeks of season and scored 16 points in a wild-card loss to the Steelers at home.
Verdict on Hue Jackson
According NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Browns offered personnel control in their proposal to Jackson, who didn’t waste any time exercising his leverage:
One key factor in the #Browns favor: Hue Jackson would have significant personnel control if he was hired. Not sure others could offer that
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2016
The Hue Jackson Era in Cleveland will trigger the end of Johnny Manziel and the #Browns. Expect the new coach to move on from the QB.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2016
Considering all the hoopla surround quarterback Johnny Manziel, Jackson’s first intended roster move shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The Browns will likely draft a quarterback to replace a dysfunctional Manziel and journeyman Josh McCown.
With Jackson’s track record, expect a viable rushing offense with a featured ball-carrier and a receiving threat out of the backfield to add another dimension to the passing attack.
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Ultimately, Jackson’s success will hinge upon his choice at quarterback. The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick behind the Tennessee Titans, who selected quarterback Marcus Mariota in 2015 draft.
Cleveland has the entire quarterback draft pool available for its first draft pick. Who will Jackson choose? Jared Goff (California), Paxton Lynch (Memphis), Carson Wentz (North Dakota State), Connor Cook (Michigan State) or Christian Hackenberg (Penn State)?
Jackson must choose wisely. His choice at quarterback will inaugurate a binding marriage that will either bring the Browns out of the AFC North cellar or become the latest experiment gone awry.
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Player statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com.