Hue to Baltimore

[HoosierCat]

per Hobson:

HUE J. SIGNS: One guy who is going to be watching Sunday with a lot of pride is new Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson.

Jackson, who was the offensive coordinator for the Falcons last season, coached Houshmandzadeh and Johnson to their first 1,000-yard tandem season in 2006.

As a nod to Jackson's belief in him during his break-out season in 2004, Houshmandzadeh invited him to his first Pro Bowl. But now that he has a new job, Jackson had to take a rain check.

"I know how hard they worked to get there. I'm extremely proud of both of them," Jackson said. "They know that. I know they'll go over there and represent the Bengals well and have a good time in the game."

The Bengals received permission to talk to Jackson last month, but there were no vacancies on the offensive side of the ball.

"I appreciate (Bengals president) Mike Brown and the team even thinking about the possibility of me coming back there," Jackson said. "They've got a good offensive staff there. They have good coaches. It probably worked out best for everybody."

Jackson, a former college quarterback at Pacific, has worked with quarterbacks in the Pac-10 but has never worked with new Ravens head coach John Harbaugh or offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

"John Harbaugh is a guy with fantastic energy and a lot of fire," Jackson said. "Plus, it's an organization that has had a lot of success in the AFC North, a division that I know about."

Given that Jackson has a good relationship with Johnson, there was some thought they might be reunited here in some capacity.

"Chad is a grown man. He has to do what he has to do," Jackson said. "Coach (Marvin) Lewis knows how to best handle it and I'm sure they will."