Is Hue Jackson actually a good hire by the Bengals?

Marvin Lewis has brought Hue Jackson back to Cincinnati less than two weeks after he was fired by the Browns.

Hue Jackson is back in a familiar place, and it’s not far from the job he just left.

The Cincinnati Bengals have hired Jackson to join Marvin Lewis’ coaching staff less than two weeks after he was fired as the head coach of Cincinnati’s in-state and AFC North rival, the Cleveland Browns. Jackson’s official title is special assistant to the head coach.

Obviously, Jackson’s resumè doesn’t exactly do him many favors. He was running the show in Cleveland for two and a half seasons, and in that time, the Browns compiled a record of just 3-36-1. That included a 1-15 season in 2016, and an 0-16 campaign in 2017.

But even though Jackson was an utter disaster as a head coach in Cleveland, bringing him back to Cincinnati could have benefits that could give the Bengals a leg up on the Browns, whom they still have two upcoming games against this season.

First off, Cincinnati is a comfortable place for Jackson, who has had two previous stints as a member of Lewis’ coaching staff. He served as his wide receivers coach from 2004-06, and then returned in 2010 to a position in which he served as offensive coordinator, as well as overseeing the secondary, special teams and running backs.

Jackson ultimately left Cincinnati for the head coaching job in Cleveland, instead of waiting it out and likely taking over for Lewis when he moved on.

The familiarity was obviously a big selling point for Jackson. But also, with two games to play against the Browns this season, Jackson will play a big role in how the Bengals look to approach their rival. Jackson spent two-plus seasons with this team, and can basically read them Cleveland’s entire playbook.

The Browns haven’t been a difficult team to beat for most NFL teams in recent years. But having someone like Jackson, who knows all about the kind of football Cleveland plays, coaching the Bengals will give them an even bigger advantage.

If anything, this could give Jackson a chance to get revenge on the Browns for firing him, even though that was pretty inevitable.