Unless and until the Browns name a starting quarterback, coach Hue Jackson will be asked plenty of questions about the position. On Wednesday, Jackson was sure to emphasize that the success of the team will be determined by much more than quarterback play.
“Defense is going to win some. Offense is going to win some,” Jackson told reporters. “This quarterback is going to do really good in this period and he’s going to do really good in that period. What I’m going to do is going to get the consistency throughout our football team. That’s what I’m chasing as a head coach -- the competition, what we need to do each and every day going out there, how the quarterback position leads the whole team, on top of the offense, how the linebackers and our front plays on defense along with our secondary. That is a huge key to our success as we continue to move forward.”
Jackson then pointed out another key to his team’s success.
“I’m not excluding our offensive line because our offensive line is a key to any of our quarterbacks playing well,” Jackson said. “I think we all recognize and understand that, but I think those guys are getting better each and every day. The communication is good. Cam [Erving] is getting more vocal. There’s a lot to this. It’s not just the quarterback. There’s a whole part of this, and we’re working on it each and every day. There’s not another group, in my opinion, that’s working as hard as this group collectively to be as good as they can be. Some days it’s going to look spectacular. Some days it’s not, and when it doesn’t I’m going to find a way to flip it and get it back to looking like it should be.
“I’m proud of these guys. I’m proud of the work ethic. I’m proud of what they do each and every day. I’m proud of when they walk in this building how they come in here every day ready to compete and get better.”
It’s a great attitude, and it’s one of the reasons why Hue Jackson was by all appearances a great choice to coach the team. That said, at some point the talent must be there, and no amount of coaching can make up for the fact that the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers all have superior players at most positions.
