Malik Jackson Sends a Message to Teammates

One of the reasons Malik Jackson was brought in to play for the Cleveland Browns was leadership and Tuesday, he took that public with a message that certainly sounds like it's aimed at the locker room.

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik Jackson made an interesting comment in regards to the problems on the defense in his media availability on Tuesday as the team prepares for their Thursday Night matchup against the Denver Broncos.

#Browns Malik Jackson said this "isn't a 9 to 5 job" and to improve they have to be thinking about the game all the time. At practice, at home and even "on a date with a girl" they have to be focused on football.

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 19, 2021

Perhaps this was simply a statement to what it takes to make it in the NFL, but it does appear to be a message to teammates in the Browns locker room, likely on the defensive side of the ball.

The Browns have been dealing with a number of coverage busts, especially the past couple weeks and it has cost the team dearly. So Jackson's comments seem to be suggesting that for the Browns to get through these problems, they need to be more focused on football than just in the building.

After their game against the Houston Texans, defensive end Myles Garrett started organizing players only meeting to go over third down checks. The next two games, the defense had their best two performances, giving up a combined 13 points to the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, allowing just six third down conversions on 27 attempts.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Browns gave up 47 points and allowed nine of 16 third and fourth down conversions. The Arizona Cardinals were also nine of 16 on third and fourth down conversions and scored 37 points.

Seemingly focused on younger players, who may not quite understand what it takes to be great in the NFL, it can still ring true for anyone in that locker room.

Consistently, players have put the onus on themselves to improve the situation on both sides of the ball and this team does have a young roster. Whether teammates truly listen to what Jackson is saying remains to be seen, but they are certainly going to hear them.