Hue Jackson heads to Cincinnati
Associated Press
CINCINNATI
Hue Jackson needed only a few weeks to land another job in the place where he’s always welcomed.
The Bengals hired Jackson on Tuesday as a special assistant to head coach Marvin Lewis as he tries to resurrect Cincinnati’s historically bad defense. Jackson was fired by the Cleveland Browns last month after he won only three games in three seasons as head coach.
As soon as Cleveland let him go, the Bengals showed an interest in Jackson, who begins his third stint with them.
In his latest role, he’ll help Lewis — a close friend — to try to fix the defense and save the season. Cincinnati (5-4) has lost three of its past four games and is on pace to give up the most yards in a season in NFL history. The Bengals have allowed 500 yards in three straight games, a first for any team in the Super Bowl era.
They fired defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Monday, with Lewis taking over as defensive coordinator in addition to his head coaching duties. Lewis said on Monday that there was a plan to help him do both jobs, but didn’t get specific.
The Bengals play at Baltimore (4-5) on Sunday, a game that’s pivotal for both teams. Pittsburgh (6-2-1) has started pulling away atop the AFC North and the Ravens have lost three straight.
The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of postseason futility in NFL history. Lewis is 0-7 in the playoffs, the worst coaching mark in league history.