One of the most noticeable things about Gregg Williams during Cleveland Browns games is how much you don’t notice him.
For all of the bluster, sound bytes and swearing Cleveland Browns interim head coach Gregg WIlliams has been known for since he’s been a prominent coach in the NFL, it’s interesting that when it comes to games, he goes largely unnoticed. A credit to him in his stint as interim head coach is how smoothly the operation seems to run on Sundays, which is a significant change from Hue Jackson. And now Sundays, the focus is where it should be — on the players on the field.
Some of it is undoubtedly television and the way directors choose to shoot things, but during his 40-game tenure, Jackson’s face and expressions were always a feature during games. Part of that is because he’s expressive, but it’s also due to the amount of frustration and consternation on the sidelines during the sideline. Whether he was trying to make a decision or fighting with refs, it always felt far too off the cuff.
In the three games under Williams, he’s not on camera nearly as much and when he is, it looks the part of someone with the confidence of knowing what’s going to happen from his team. Granted, some of that is probably due to the games he’s coached being pretty well decided one way or the other early. But whether the Browns were losing to the Kansas City Chiefs or trying to hold on to their victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, his expressions didn’t change.
Perhaps a moment will come where he gets caught on camera lambasting a player, fellow coach or an official, but thus far, he’s composed. Even on a play like the reverse pass that went horribly wrong against the Atlanta Falcons.
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Maybe it’s just a good poker face and if it is, it’s working. One can’t help but feel like he’s simply more organized and planned out on game day than Hue Jackson. And maybe that confidence and planning is part of why the Browns have won two or their last three games in contrast to winning just three in the previous 40.
Years ago when Gregg Williams was early in his tenure as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, someone explained to me that when he went to interview for the position, he brought in notebooks with every single day from the start of offseason workouts to the end of the season planned out. What they were hoping to accomplish, meetings, time invested in various areas. For all of the issues Williams had, being organized was never one of them.
That approach has carried over in discipline, which has been a point noted by players including J.C. Tretter in a conference call. “Discipline has been great. I think it’s something we desperately needed. He’s really reined everybody in and has everybody focused on one single goal.”
It’s far less difficult to demand discipline as someone who practices it, holds themselves accountable. Jackson didn’t demand accountability or discipline and he certainly didn’t practice it. That approach has carried over to mistakes and penalties when it comes to practice, which the players are also taking note.
It’s far easier to operate when everyone has the same set of rules and expectations. Less surprises and confusion over roles and expectations. It’s simple and for a team with so many young players, it’s more effective.
With so many players not that far removed from college, it’s largely just getting them to understand what it really takes in the NFL. They’re embracing it and it’s coinciding with improved play. It’s not the only way to run a successful franchise, but it does seem to be what this team needed at this exact moment.
Organization. Discipline. Simplicity.
Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that everything appears to be running smoothly for Gregg Williams during games, since he’s planned for so much of it and holds himself and players accountable. Nevertheless, the change is a stark one for the Cleveland Browns given what had been the norm with Hue Jackson as the head coach. Details matter. This change isn’t the sole reason the Browns are winning more games than they were under Jackson, but it certainly helps and has been a welcome change for a locker room that felt like they could win.