Will Cleveland Browns head coach Jackson actually let Haley do his thing?

Will Browns head coach Hue Jackson actually let new offensive coordinator Todd Haley do his thing next season?

Jackson doubters and haters – meaning most Cleveland Browns fans these days – are asking that question a lot this offseason. After leading his ineffective Browns to an embarrassing 1-31 record the last two seasons, the fact that Jackson remains at the helm of this struggling team baffles anyone who’s ever been held accountable at a job.

Acting as both the Browns head coach and offensive coordinator, Jackson’s play calling and decision-making yanked so many defeats out of the jaws of potential victories in 2017. It even make Jackson admit he was in over his head.

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Winless at the end of last season, he told the Akron Beacon Journal:

"“[Being both] could have been too much. When you look back, there are all kinds of decisions that you could say, ‘Man, I wish I would have done this differently.’ ”"

At least you got that right, coach.

Add to that the fact that, as CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora rightly points out:

"“Jackson…failed to identify or develop a quarterback in Cleveland…and earned considerable criticism for how he handled rookie DeShone Kizer.”"

At this point, Jackson’s leash is so short it might be a collar.

Give the man some credit, though – he went out himself and hunted down Haley, essentially his half-replacement, when it became clear that the Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t going to renew their slightly controversial offensive coordinator’s contract. Jackson could have pretended to solve the Browns’ offensive problems by snagging some wimp who he and quarterback coach Ken Zampese could have pushed around.

Instead, he hired Haley, a notorious bad boy who once yelled so angrily at his quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that the Sporting News says his own daughter called him out on it.

Good luck micromanaging that grouch, coach.

Depending on how you interpret Haley’s reputation of ruling through outbursts, he’s either just the guy the lackluster Browns’ offense (24^th in the league) needs to develop and kick their misfiring butts like he did with the Steelers offense (3^rd in the league). Or he’s a guy whose style only serves to piss off his fellow coaches and players alike.

247Sports.com’s Bryan DeArdo says the latter is exactly why Pittsburgh let him go.

"“Todd Haley‘s frosty relationship with his players and members of the coaching staff played a significant role in his departure as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator.”"

But to Browns fans, even that guy is better than having Jackson continue to bungle the play calling and mismanage the games.

Haley’s playoff experience doesn’t hurt, either.

And unlike Jackson’s pass-heavy play calling strategy, Haley seems to balance his offensive attack more evenly between the running and passing games. That should come in handy in the not-so-balmy winters of the AFC North. Especially given all the offensive weapons the Browns now possess, like new-adds wide receiver Jarvis Landry and running back Carlos Hyde.

Add in those flashy Browns up-and-comers like running back Duke Johnson, receivers Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman plus tight end David Njoku, and someone like Haley just might be able to help quarterback Tyrod Taylor balance it all.

As long as you stay out of it, coach.

It will be interesting to see whether coach Jackson will be able to let Haley do his thing the way he likes. Of course, with all the rumors flying around that Browns’ general manager John Dorsey actually brought in Haley to eventually replace Jackson, you can’t blame the head coach if he does whatever he can to stay relevant.

Otherwise, as La Canfora says in the same CBSSports.com article:

"“it’s easy to predict an in-season firing in 2018 … which could give the new offensive coordinator a chance to run the entire team, break Cleveland’s long losing streak and greatly raise his visibility and viability for future head coaching jobs.”"

Of course, there is a not-so-easy way to keep that from happening, coach Jackson, and that’s to start off next season with a bang.

And by bang, I mean wins. Lots of them. Well, more than five bangs, at least.

And the biggest bang imaginable would be a win at the season opener over Browns hated rival (and Haley’s bitter ex) the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aside from finally jumping into Lake Erie as promised, there’s no better way for Jackson to shut down his doubters and haters than by head coaching a win over the team that has owned the Browns almost every year since their return in 1999.

Do that and your leash starts to grow, coach. And so on.

Short of some wins, though, it will be a certain in-season changing of the guards. Then few Browns fans will shed a tear over Jackson’s departure.

Next: "Way too early" options for Browns in 2019 NFL Draft

In the meantime, it will be a nice change of pace for Browns fans to watch a guy like Haley get to do his offensive thing in Cleveland.

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