:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61039287/usa_today_10986670.0.jpg)
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson may be ready to put a lid on his assistant coaches.
During his Monday afternoon press conference, Jackson expressed his displeasure with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams chastising defensive back Denzel’s Ward’s tackling technique.
Ward left last week’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles after experiencing back spasms following a tackle on Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. When asked about it during his time with the media on Sunday, Williams pulled no punches in describing what he saw on the play, according to clevelandbrowns.com:
“Maybe (Ward) will finally listen to me and stop doing those stupid things the ways he is trying to tackle and maybe tackle the way I tell him to tackle and he will not get hurt.”
That did not sit well with Jackson, who told the assembled media members on Monday that the Browns do not need to be calling each other out in the media, according to Tom Withers of the Associated Press:
Jackson didn’t seem pleased with Gregg Williams’ criticism of Denzel Ward’s tackling. “We don’t need that in the media,” he said.#Browns pic.twitter.com/RAgXWtHIVC
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) August 27, 2018
This is the second time during training camp that Jackson has expressed displeasure at one of his assistant coaches for speaking openly with the media.
On July 29, offensive line coach Bob Wylie said that moving Joel Bitonio from left guar to left tackle would be a last resort. On Aug. 1, Jackson announced that Bitonio was moving to left tackle and told the assembled media members that they “ask the coaches way too many questions.”
Jackson and the entire NFL knows that Williams lacks a filter when he speaks, so it is a bit odd that Jackson would be bothered by Williams speaking candidly about a player. Not to mention the irony of doing so to the media.
The regular season can’t get here soon enough.