Hold on, wait just a second. Did Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson seriously say he’s not sure who will be the starting quarterback for the team on Thursday night? He did say that. First off, I am here to remind you that under Jackson’s management, the Browns got just their second win on Thursday night. He is now in his third season as the head coach.
Everybody tried to cut Hue Jackson some slack over the last few years and put the blame on the terrible front office management. And while personnel decisions were often awful, it still doesn’t excuse the poor job done by Jackson over the years.
This season, the Browns ownership gave Jackson and the team a clean slate with John Dorsey as the general manager. Dorsey wasted no time as he acquired some notable veterans like Jarvis Landry, Carlos Hyde, and Tyrod Taylor.
He also had a ton of assets to work with in the draft and made perhaps the most important pick of the Browns’ decade by selecting Baker Mayfield at No. 1 overall. To say the Browns had a solid draft/offseason would be an understatement. They have all the tools to win football games, and now it is time for the coach to prove himself.
Is Jackson’s time still limited?
Although the Browns won their first game in what feels like forever, there is still a ton of question marks surrounding the head coach. First off, Hue Jackson had no intentions of letting Baker Mayfield compete for a starting position during training camp. It was understandable that they wanted to roll with the veteran who did a decent job in the preseason, but at least give the rookie a fair chance to prove himself.
It took a terrible first-half from Tyrod Taylor this past Thursday night for Jackson to change his mind. Actually, Taylor had to leave the game to head into concussion protocol. Had it not been for an injury, the Browns could have realistically been involved in a blowout with Taylor under center.
In came Baker Mayfield, who absolutely tore it up on Thursday Night Football. He passed for 201-yards, with an impressive 73.9 completion percentage. In other words, Mayfield gave the Browns new life and put them in a position to win the football game.
Does Baker start next week?
So, here comes the interesting part. When asked about if Mayfield would start in next weeks game or not, Hue Jackson stated that he has to go back and watch some film first before he decides. Really? What more does the man need to see?
It’s understandable if he says he would like to discuss the situation with his two quarterback’s first, but he can’t seriously consider trotting Taylor back onto the field next week. If he does, then the Browns should just have his termination letter ready to go if they lose the game, because that’s it. Enough is enough. It’s Baker Mayfield time in Cleveland, and Hue Jackson shouldn’t do anything to slow that down.
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