Hue Jackson struggled to push out the words.
A season he never fathomed reached another low point on Sunday, and as the Cleveland Brown's first-year coach wrestled to put it into perspective, Jackson paused to gather himself. He tapped the side of the podium with his right hand and pursed his lips as his eyes welled up.
This hurts.
"Being 0-12 is probably the hardest thing ever," Jackson said after the Browns lost 27-13 to the New York Giants.
Unfortunately, with four games left, it might get harder for him.
Following the game, Jackson, saddled with a rookie-laden roster, met with Cleveland's "upper management" in his office before his news conference.