Zay Jones can reflect on the past 18 months and see how much

he's matured as a player and a person.Looking back Denzel Ward Jersey , the Bills' second-year receiver realizes how ill-prepared he was entering the NFL as a second-round draft pick in 2017. Jones had the wild idea then in believing his success at East Carolina, where he set NCAA records for career and single-season receptions, would immediately translate at the professional level."You have to understand that things just don't happen like that," Jones said, snapping his fingers for emphasis."Things take time," he added. "For me as a man, just understanding this league, how it goes and finally letting the dust settle with everything, I've learned a lot."It's a hard-earned perspective gained from his season-long struggles as a rookie, followed by a frightening meltdown during which a bloodied and naked Jones was arrested 鈥?but not charged 鈥?after trashing a downtown Los Angeles apartment in February.Jones, who still has scars on his right knee from the outburst Authentic Jabrill Peppers Jersey , wouldn't change a thing if he could."It hurts sometimes because there's growth pains," he said. "You don't understand what the NFL requires until you're in it. And hopefully, for some guys it's not too late."It wasn't too late for Jones, who is beginning to show signs of emerging as a dependable receiver on a young and patchwork offense expected to have rookie Josh Allen back under center Sunday, when Buffalo (3-7) hosts Jacksonville (3-7).Jones entered the bye week coming off a career-best outing. He had eight catches for 93 yards and a touchdown in a 41-10 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 11, with Matt Barkley starting for Buffalo. Jones now leads Buffalo with 37 catches for 392 yards and two TDs receiving. He's already passed last year's totals in catches (27) and yards (316) while matching his scoring output."I'm proud of myself, I wouldn't lie to you," Jones said. "It was nice to just sit back during the bye week and recognize the things that I've done, but also know there's still a long ways ahead."It's a far better place than where Jones was a year ago, when he was being criticized for dropping too many passes and not being on the same page with quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The most memorable incompletion came in the final seconds of a 9-3 loss at Carolina in Week 2, when Jones failed to bring down a pass near the goal line.That's not the type of production anyone Youth David Njoku Jersey , including Jones, was expecting from a player who finished his college career with 399 catches, including 158 in his senior season.In Jones' defense, he spent a portion of last season playing with a shoulder injury. It was also unfair to expect Jones to stand out amid a group of receivers mostly made up of rookies and journeymen.Jones was disappointed by his lack of production and stung by the criticism."If people want to place the blame on me last year, sure I'll take it," he said. "But it's helped me grow as a man. It's helped me grow as a football player. I've matured."How much Jones matured wasn't immediately apparent in February, when security video showed him arguing with his brother before being arrested for vandalism. It didn't help that Jones required surgery to repair a knee injury, which sidelined him through the second week of training camp in August.Jones won't go into detail, except to say what happened in Los Angeles could have cost him his life.He will acknowledge having made mistakes."I'm a professional in what I do. And I take that criticism," Jones said. "Is a lot of it deserved? Maybe some."Coach Sean McDermott is impressed by the maturity Jones showed in putting the past behind."He persevered, and that's a testament to Zay http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-larry-ogunjobi-jersey ," McDermott said. "He's still a work in progress, like we all are. But to be able to step back and learn and grow from those moments on the field and then off the field in February says a lot about him as a person."NOTES: DE Shaq Lawson did not practice a day after hurting his elbow. ... DE Trent Murphy, who has missed three games with a knee injury, practiced on a limited basis. ... LB Matt Milano has been cleared from the concussion protocol. One of the great challenges for humans is to figure out what they’re good at and do it, and to figure out what they’re not good at and not do it. Twice-fired NFL coach Hue Jackson, like former NFL coaches Norv Turner and Wade Phillips, is very good at being an NFL assistant coach, and not nearly as good at being an NFL head coach.While Jackson may still aspire to be an NFL head coach after an abysmal career record of 11-44-1, punctuated by a 3-36-1 disaster in Cleveland, no NFL owner should ever again fall under the spell of Hue’s performance as an assistant coach (which surely will be very good) coupled with the best efforts of his friend(s) in the media to get him a third bite at the NFL apple (which surely will be attempted).So lets assume that the book can be closed on Hue Jackson’s time as an NFL head coach. Here’s an eye-opening stats from ESPN, shared by Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times on Twitter: To match Jackson’s .205 career winning percentage Jarvis Landry Jersey , Patriots (and once-upon-a-time Browns) coach Bill Belichick would have to lose a lot of games. Specifically, Belichick would have to lose 867 straight games. Putting it another way, that’s more than 54 straight years of 0-16.OK, so Belichick may not be the fairest example. So we ran the numbers with a coach far closer to Hue than Belichick in career achievements: Former Colts coach Chuck Pagano. Based on a career winning percentage of .549 (56-46) in 102 career games, Pagano would only have lose to 171 straight games to match Jackson. That’s nearly ten-and-a-half consecutive winless seasons.So, yes, Hue Jackson has proven that he’s not suited to be an NFL head coach. Maybe, if he’s lucky, he won’t get a chance to keep proving it.