The Browns were doomed from the beginning.
The internal turmoil between former Browns head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley stemmed from their inability to develop a relationship from the get-go, according to an ESPN report. That was exposed in preseason on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series.
Haley and Jackson, both of whom were fired by the Browns on Monday after a 2-5-1 start, were at odds with each other from Day 1, according to ESPN, over the direction of the offense and how to handle No. 1-overall pick Baker Mayfield’s development.
Citing sources, the report states the two coaches fought through the summer, and their disagreements affected the offense’s progress.
In Episode 1 of the hit HBO series, there’s a meeting involving Haley, Jackson and running backs coach Freddie Kitchens where the trio discuss the Browns’ injury troubles, specifically centered on running back Duke Johnson.
This is where Haley and Kitchens, who previously worked together in Dallas and Arizona, disagree with Jackson’s ideology regarding the treatment of injured players in practice.
“I have an opinion on it. … We need to get so much done,” Haley said. “… If we live in our fears, I mean, our team has to get mentally tougher and be able to fight through the s–t that we’ve got to fight through. We’ve got to change this drastically and if we’ve got guys that haven’t done s–t sitting around doing nothing, I just don’t know how we’re going to do it.”
It seemed Jackson, who somehow kept his job after coaching the Browns to a 1-31 combined record in his first two seasons, felt threatened during the exchange, in which he awkwardly pulled rank to show who was in charge.
“Guys, listen,” Jackson said. “I’m excited about what you’re doing. I’m going to say it again, but the chair I sit in, it’s a little different then the chair you sit in. I get to watch from a different lens. And I think you guys can all respect that. At the end of the day, I get to drive this bus, and I’m going to get it the way I want it. That’s it. Period. That’s just how it works.”
The full transcript, posted on Cleveland.com, ended with Jackson citing a quote from senior assistant Al Saunders, reminding the two who is in charge.
“When it’s your team, do what the hell you want. OK? So this one’s mine. So that’s just the way it’s going to be and that’s a respect of everybody in this room but this is how we do it, and we’ll always have these kind of discussions because I’m only trying to make it better,” Jackson said. “If there’s something we can do better, we’re going to do it better. It’s just that simple. All right, let’s get out of here.”
As for Mayfield’s development, ESPN reported that Jackson wanted to make the play-call centered on Mayfield to make it an easier adjustment. But Haley wanted to keep his system in place, largely because the team’s receiving corps was decimated by injuries.
Jackson tried meeting with the Browns’ front office to find a way to get rid of Haley, but he was fired instead — as was Haley.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, infamously known for his role in “Bountygate,” will serve as the team’s interim coach.