BALTIMORE, MD - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns meets with head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-7 at M&T Bank Stadium on November 10, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

BEREA (92.3 The Fan) – Since the AFC North was formed 14 years ago, the Cleveland Browns have finished in the basement 11 times and are well on their way to make it 12 – including each of the last 6 seasons.

Hue Jackson was hired by the Browns to help finally turn things around but it’s not gone well in year 1 of the latest plan to construct a team that remotely resembles a competitive squad.

Mired in the longest overall losing streak and worst start to a season in franchise history, Jackson had a simple message for his fellow AFC North rival coaches Thursday afternoon as his team prepares to face the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday.

“They better enjoy it now,” Jackson said. “Because it’s not going to be like this very long. I promise you that.”

Jackson’s former team, the Bengals have already pummeled Cleveland once, 31-17 4 weeks ago, while the Ravens swept them – 25-20 after leading 20-0 in Week 2 and then 28-7 last Thursday night. Pittsburgh is next and this has the potential to be even uglier as a loaded Steelers team rolls into town motivated to end a 4-game losing streak.

Jackson has admitted in recent weeks that this season has been difficult on him personally and professionally.

While late night comedians and national pundits crack their jokes about the Browns still being historically bad, with the hours Jackson and his staff invests daily, there us nothing funny about 0-10 to him. But he hopes that someday he’ll look back and find this season amusing.

“Heck yes. For what we are trying to do, which is be division champs and hoist the Super Bowl trophy, I promise you I will look back at this year and I will probably laugh about it at some point,” Jackson said. “Right now, I can’t. I can’t stomach it, but I will because I truly believe in what we are trying to accomplish and what we are trying to do.

“It is hard and it is hard when you are in it – there is no question about that – but I truly believe it is the right thing to do.”

Brown credits the support of owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam as well as executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry for keeping his spirits up and focused on the task at hand – turning this lump of coal into a diamond.

Earlier this week Brown said that the season won’t be judged only on wins and losses, which is a good thing for the Browns’ first-year head coach. Thursday, Jackson took up for Brown and clarified the distinction between not passing final judgement on the team’s record versus what he preaches weekly to his team – winning is everything.

“Sashi is as competitive as anybody I know, and we are all trying to win,” Jackson said. “I don’t know any other way to do this, me personally. With the team, that is all we ever talk about. I don’t care what the situation is here as far as what anyone thinks about talent, these things, the elements or any of it. I am always trying to win. I just don’t know any other way to do it. I don’t want our players to know any other way to do it.

“I know this is honestly killing him and all of us, but at the same time, we understand what we are trying to do, where we are trying to go, but I don’t want anyone to have the message that we don’t want to win or that we are not working to win or that we are not trying to win because that is not the case at all.”

Jackson’s success with the Browns hinges on Brown’s ability to find elite talent, something that after 14 draft picks and an offseason of free agency has come into question recently.

“Me and him are joined at the hip,” Jackson said. “We have one vision, and it is to make this organization the best and one of the best in football. It is unfortunate that it is not happening at the rate that everybody wants or wished, and I am on the top of that pole. I will be the first to tell you, I love to win. I do not like losing. Never have, never will, and I am struggling with it now.

“He is committed, understands and is all in to doing one thing, and that is helping this organization get back to where it rightfully belongs for a long time, not just for a flash in the pan, not just for a year, but for time, for sustainable time of winning football games and winning championships. That is what we want to be about.”

We’ll just have to wait to see how this plan pans out before deciding just who will get the last laugh.