CLEVELAND -- From the physical looks of FirstEnergy Stadium and the Berea training facility to the roster, coaching staff and front office, the Cleveland Browns have changed almost everything under the direction of owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
However, changing a losing tradition into wins on Sunday afternoons in the fall has escaped the Browns. But despite comments of a culture shift from Sashi Brown, the executive vice president of football operations, head coach Hue Jackson knows the real changes happen on the field.
“The ultimate change of the culture will be wins and losses,” Jackson said. “The other thing that I am most proud of is how the guys work. They come to work every day. They understand our process. Our guys work extremely hard in the classroom and on the practice field. That is all I know.”
Brown spoke on the topic as the Browns headed into their inter-conference game against the New York Giants, which Cleveland lost by a 27-13 count at FirstEnergy Stadium.
With the win, the Giants improved to 8-3 on the season and remain in the playoff hunt in the NFC, while the Browns dropped their 15th straight game dating back to last December and fell to 0-12 on the 2016 regular season.
“When people say that the culture has changed, I am glad to know that,” Jackson said. “I don’t try to compare it to what has gone on here in the past. I just know that is how we are going to do it, and we need to even do that better.
“The way we interact with each other, the way we are throughout this whole building, hopefully, I think maybe that is what Sashi is talking about. Those things are outstanding. Those things are extremely good. That is beneficial as we move forward. At the same time, the culture that I want to get changed as fast as I can is really the wins and losses.”
Even with the Browns setting records for futility during the season, Jackson is not concerned about his future as head coach of the team. Rather, the first-year coach is focused on studying film and finding ways for the Browns to improve during the bye-week break, as well as getting the team ready to play the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Sunday, December 11th.
“I am not distracted by what my fate will be because I never would have taken this job if I thought it was going to be anything other than me being here and seeing this through,” Jackson said. “That part has never been an issue for me. Being 0-12 is hard on anybody. That is hard, period.
“I don’t like to lose and I don’t like being in this situation, but I know we are going to fix it. How we are going to fix it is together. We have to do it brick by brick and step by step. I know we are in the midst of doing that. We have great discussions and I know we will act on the things we need to do to get this place where we all want it to be and we know it needs to be.”
