Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has not minced words in recent weeks about former head coach Hue Jackson. During the Browns win on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Mayfield appeared to stare down his former coach.

“You’re supposed to play with emotion,” Mayfield said. “You’re supposed to play with passion. Quite honestly, if you don’t like it, whatever. Football’s not meant to be a soft game. I could care less.”

According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, the tensions between Mayfield and Jackson have been traced back to when Jackson accepted a new job with the division rival Bengals.

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“Mayfield has made no secret of the fact that he doesn’t care much for Jackson, his first NFL head coach, who was fired midway through this season. After the first Bengals-Browns game Mayfield avoided Jackson’s attempt at a hug, and now we have Mayfield saying he doesn’t much care if people don’t like his staredown of his former coach.”

The Browns have been nothing short of fantastic since the organization parted ways with Hue Jackson and it's clear that the team plays with a different kind of fire since the coaching change. Mayfield especially has thrived in recent weeks and this seems to be the beginning for a young and talented Cleveland team.

The only question is who will be the head coach next season, however it seems as though interim head coach Gregg Williams has done a great job and deserves first priority over any other considerations.