The Cincinnati Bengals found themselves pouring gasoline on the rivalry with the Cleveland Browns last season when they brought on Hue Jackson.
Jackson, fired in Cleveland, linked up with Marvin Lewis in the middle of the season and Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield wasn’t too happy about it.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes recently chatted with Mayfield about the situation:
I ask him if he relished beating the Bengals last season. “Absolutely,” he says. “I’m not gonna lie to you and say that the first time I played Hue did not feel good. It’s human nature to want to get revenge.”
The Bengals ended up getting swept by the Browns, with Mayfield having plenty to say publicly about Jackson at the time and even taunting Jackson during the middle of a game.
While Mayfield making noise is becoming a noticeable trend, this one is also a bit understandable — Jackson spent little time unemployed, instead jumping to an in-state rival in the AFC North knowing he still got to face the Browns twice that season.
Looking forward, the Bengals have to worry about Mayfield twice in 2019 and beyond, though Jackson has had a quiet offseason besides a coordinator interview in Arizona.
