It seems, at least at first glance, that Browns head coach Hue Jackson simply took the safe route on Wednesday in naming Brock Osweiler as the starter for Monday night’s second preseason game against the New York Giants at FirstEnegy Stadium.

And perhaps that is indeed why Jackson did it. It’s easy. It makes sense. Osweiler’s experience is much greater than that of either rookie DeShone Kizer, who will play second against New York, and Cody Kessler, who blew it, falling to third after going into training camp as the starter.

Osweiler is a steady hand, and there is a lot of reasons to like a steady hand at the most important position in team sports. That’s especially true for the Browns, whose problems at quarterback in the expansion era are well-documented.

But there’s just something inside of me that continues to sense that Jackson still doesn’t like Osweiler and doesn’t want him to be the starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season opener on Sept. 10. I think he was the dissenting voice in a room in which Browns Executive Vice President Sashi Browns and Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta cast their ballots for Osweiler. The majority rules, but it was not a unanimous decision.

And I think Jackson is counting on Osweiler struggling again, like he did in the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints. And that would open the door for the coach to do what he wants to do, and that is to name Kizer – if he performs well against the Giants, just as he did against the Saints – to start the third preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 26. Jackson said Wednesday that whomever starts against the Bucs likely will also start against Pittsburgh.

I could be totally wrong, but that’s what I think – and I think it convincingly. Every time Jackson praises Osweiler, it’s just not convincing – in the least bit. He’s searching for words. It’s lukewarm. It’s half-hearted.

Stay tuned.