Todd Monken appears to be winning over one of the Cleveland Browns‘ most familiar critics.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin offered a small concession during NBC’s “Football Night in America” on Sunday, following Cleveland’s 13-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The win pushed the Browns to 4-2 and atop the AFC North, giving Tomlin another reason to reconsider his early assessment of the team.
“I kinda like Coach Monken,” Tomlin said.
Host Maria Taylor picked up on the comment.
“Y’all friends now?” Taylor said.
“I didn’t say we were friends,” Tomlin responded with a smile.
The exchange offered another entertaining chapter between Tomlin and the Browns, who have traded jabs throughout the opening weeks of the season. Tomlin hasn’t abandoned his Pittsburgh ties, but Monken’s team is giving him something to appreciate as an analyst.
Cleveland has won four of its last five games, including victories over both the Steelers and Ravens. For a coach trying to change expectations around the Browns, the divisional wins carry considerably more weight.
Mike Tomlin’s Browns Jab Drew Response From Todd Monken
Tomlin struck a different tone after Cleveland’s season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While discussing the Browns on NBC during Week 1, he borrowed the familiar line from former Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“The Browns is the Browns,” Tomlin said.
The comment reached Cleveland’s locker room. After the Browns responded with a 23-19 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, Monken made clear that his players had taken the slight personally.
“Browns are gonna Browns. (Expletive) that!” Monken said during his postgame press conference.
It was an emphatic response from a first-year head coach who had just earned his first NFL victory. Monken was pushing back against the idea that Cleveland’s opening loss defined what his team would become. Tomlin took the response in stride when NBC revisited the exchange that evening.
“Hey, I’m glad that I can still motivate, although I’m not coaching anymore,” Tomlin said.
The Browns followed that Tampa Bay victory with wins over the Carolina Panthers and Steelers, building a three-game winning streak before a loss to the New York Jets. Sunday’s comeback against Baltimore put Cleveland back in the win column.
Browns Took Their Own Shot at Mike Tomlin After Steelers Win
Cleveland’s social media team also found an opening to get involved. After the Browns beat Pittsburgh 27-24 on Thursday night in Week 4, the team shared a Minecraft-themed post captioned “game over.”
The post appeared to take aim at Tomlin, who had just shown off an elaborate Minecraft city he spent 12 years building on his YouTube channel.
The Browns have continued to give themselves opportunities to enjoy the last word, even while their offense remains inconsistent. Against Baltimore, Cleveland managed just 46 net yards in the first half. Its defense kept the game within reach, shutting out the Ravens after their first two possessions produced 10 points. Deshaun Watson eventually connected with Jerry Jeudy for a 33-yard gain to set up Andre Szmyt’s winning field goal.
Cleveland still needs more consistent production to reduce its reliance on late comebacks. But Monken heads into next Sunday’s trip to Tennessee with four victories and a team that is atop the division.
Mike Tomlin Changes Tune on Browns After Ravens Win