Faced with a familiar back-against-the-wall position known well to Cleveland Browns coaches over the past decade, Hue Jackson has decided to empower wideout Kenny Britt instead of lamenting about his injured wide receiver corps.
With 2016 first-round pick Corey Coleman on injured reserve (broken hand), Britt is the only other base offense receiver with 90-plus snaps in 2017 left on the active roster. So far this year, he's caught two of five targets for 15 yards.
"I've challenged him that he needs to step up and make plays, and I think he will," Jackson said, via Cleveland.com. "I really do. This is where we are. We've got to make some plays, and we understand that these are the guys we have. And Kenny is the elder statesman in that room, and I think he'll raise up and help lead these young guys, and we'll go play good this week."
Added Britt: "I mean, he wants me to step up, bring more energy to practice and to the field, on and off the field and in the classroom. Because we're leading down a path that we didn't believe we were going to go."
Britt was essentially the Browns' one-for-one swap in free agency for departing receiver Terrelle Pryor. While Pryor is off to a faster start, his tenure in Washington has not been without issues, either.
Sans Coleman, this will be Britt's chance to replicate the 68-catch, 1,002-yard season he posted with the Los Angeles Rams a season ago that earned him a four-year, $32.5 million deal with Cleveland.
Quarterback DeShone Kizer needs as much help as possible while he acclimates himself to the speed of NFL gameplay, so a more involved and invested Britt couldn't hurt. If that doesn't translate to on-field production, Jackson will have some serious work to do on the white board.