Preemptive reactions to Hue Jackson's candidacy as Bengals' new head coach

With Marvin Lewis out as the Cincinnati Bengals' head coach after 16 seasons, it's the end of an era. And there have been plenty of interesting reactions from the national media.

The reactions have varied, with many relating to strong feelings some have about the possibility of special assistant to the head coach and former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson taking over for Lewis, who told his coaching staff Monday morning that he's parted ways with the team.

"I think Hue should get an opportunity to speak with (the Bengals)," Lewis said during his press conference a short time ago.

On NFL Network's Good Morning Football, Kyle Brandt implored the Bengals not to replace Lewis with Jackson:

"I have a lot of respect for Marvin as a person and everything, so I'm not going to sit here and dance on the table and say, 'Hallelujah.' I'm really not," Brandt said Monday morning. "But I'm thrilled - thrilled - for  the Bengals' fans. If nothing else, a breath of oxygen. Something new. Something different. This is the first head coach since Dick LeBeau in 2002. We have won zero playoff games. In an era where we're seeing young coaches and energy and new things, this is a stale marriage. It's been stale for years. It's separate, single beds while there's young people and coaching running. ... It is so unbelievably tedious. I don't even know what the difference was this year versus years in the past! This was just Marv as usual. They didn't get to the playoffs. ... his press conference, said the usual stuff. And I'll tell you this - if they now double down and hire Hue Bleeping Jackson to take over the Bengals, I'm gonna be furious! We are seeing a weekly Broadway show in Cleveland - from Gregg Williams of all people - showing the shortcomings of Hue Jackson as a head coach! Hue Jackson has no business getting a head coaching job! We just learned how much better his replacement is with the same roster! If you're gonna say Marv is out and Hue is in? Don't do it! Fresh clean cut! We need it more than anything! I'm furious about this and it hasn't even happened yet! ... I'm really terrified that they're gonna hire Hue Jackson as their head coach."

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Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield acknowledged last week that he sent a message to his former head coach by staring him down as Cleveland clinched a Week 16 win against Cincinnati.

The controversy involving Mayfield and Jackson heightened following the season's first meeting between the teams, when Jackson appeared to go in for a post-game embrace and Mayfield kept it to a handshake. And it dragged on for several days after that.

Earlier, Mayfield was unapologetic about his criticism of Jackson - including a remark he made that Jackson is "fake" - and reiterated that he didn't like Jackson's move and isn't "looking for anybody's approval."

Mayfield responded via Instagram to remarks from former NFL offensive lineman Damien Woody on ESPN's First Take that Mayfield "needs to grow up" after Mayfield's postgame snub of Jackson.

"We have people that we believe in calling the plays now," Mayfield said after the Browns' 35-20 win against the Bengals on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

When Mayfield was asked in advance of the game whether the Bengals had an edge with Jackson on their sideline, the rookie QB answered, "No. ... Just no."

The Browns fired Jackson in October, and Mayfield suggested that the move "could bring this locker room even closer."

CBS Sports NFL play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle recently told Rich Eisen an anecdote on The Rich Eisen Show illustrating how the Browns were functioning just before the team fired Jackson - referring to the team as "complete, disorganized chaos" under Hue.

Vance Joseph, fired Monday by the Denver Broncos, also is a former Bengals assistant expected to be considered for the head coaching vacancy in Cincinnati.