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CLEVELAND, Ohio – It's the biggest match of Hue Jackson's Brown coaching career.
This is not a win-win game.
But the Browns play the New York Jets at home … Thursday night … on national television.
The book takers even have the favorite Browns, despite their last win on December 24, 2016.
John Dorsey took over as general manager and started adding veterans such as Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry, Carlos Hyde and others so the Browns could win a match like this.
These are the Jets with a rookie starting quarterback.
Jackson must find a way to win. All the problems of his time 1-32-1 are not his fault.
But the man has hired and sacked 18 assistant coaches since taking office in 2015. He survived the dismissal of a football executive (Sashi Brown). He has a front office more in sync with what he wants on the list.
Dorsey is right when he says the team tends to play hard for Jackson. And no one is questioning Jackson's dedication to this job.
But at some point, the coach has to find a way to win a match, especially a close match.
Jackson had 10 games decided by three points or less.
His record is 1-8-1.
Go from the front
I know that good teams find ways to win tight games … and bad teams find a way to lose them.
But a 1-8-1 record does not reflect the coaches well.
Several fans have said to me: "We should be 2-0 this season".
Of course, the Browns could also be 0-2 instead of 0-1-1.
Close games often go one way or the other – except for the Browns, where they tend to go wrong.
Jackson must take responsibility for this, and he must have difficult conversations with his supervisory staff on how to solve the problem.
Yes, conversations.
Jackson must say "I drive this bus" as he did during a debate on "Hard Knocks".
I think Jackson is more open than what the clip showed. But self-examination is necessary.
Coordinators Todd Haley and Gregg Williams are former coaches.
Councilor Al Saunders is more than a trusted friend of Jackson, he is a savvy football man. Ask him for an honest opinion.
I am sure that other coaching staff could have valid ideas.
NOT JUST TO BE YOUNG
The young team and rookie quarterbacks have been the past excuses for losing tight games.
This leads to errors in the key parts of the game.
That's why it was discouraging to see Taylor launch expensive interceptions at the end of the last two games. Both were bad shots for a veteran quarterback.
But it's deeper than the quarterback.
It also deals with the psyche of the team.
I was watching Myles Garrett in the Superdome and I thought to myself, "This talented young player has no idea what it's like to win an NFL game."
The same thing with emerging star Larry Ogunjobi, another member of the 2017 draft class who has a record of 0-17-1.
Joe Schobert became a linebacker of Pro Bowl. His record with the Browns is the same as Jackon's: 1-32-1.
What are these talented players learning?
Josh Gordon's business is a positive step.
There was a scene in "Hard Knocks" where Josh Gordon finally arrived at the training camp.
"The Big Bird has landed," Jackson told some coaches.
"Is he fit?" Haley asked.
Unmasked, Gordon had a thigh problem and could not immediately practice. Then other problems arose, leading to his exchange in New England.
I wonder what young players have learned from Gordon's screenplay in recent years.
As I wrote, the team is better. The coaching staff is stronger. The door is open to beat a team like the Jets.
Now, Jackson has to show that he can do it.
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