Mike Tomlin found a way to take a little credit for the Cleveland Browns’ first win after Todd Monken called him out.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers coach drew Monken’s ire with his “Browns is the Browns” criticism following Cleveland’s blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. After a 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Monken made clear those words had reached his locker room.
“Browns are gonna Browns. (Expletive) that! The guys took that to heart,” Monken said.
Tomlin, now an analyst on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” appeared happy to have supplied the motivation.
“I’m glad that I can still motivate although I’m not coaching anymore,” Tomlin said. “It’s good to be heard. … You’re welcome. You’re welcome.”
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson backed his coach after the win.
“Monk said what he said,” Watson said. “That’s how we all feel.”
The phrase already had a history in the rivalry. Then-Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster used it before the teams’ January 2021 playoff matchup, dismissing Cleveland as the same Browns team he faced every year. The Browns responded with a 48-37 victory in Pittsburgh, with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
This time, Mayfield was on the receiving end of Cleveland’s response.
Browns Overcome Mistakes and Weather Delay to Beat Buccaneers
The Browns had plenty of chances to let Sunday become another frustrating loss. Tampa Bay took a 16-6 lead early in the third quarter, putting Cleveland in a two-score hole. The Browns chipped away with a field goal before rookie Denzel Boston turned a short completion into a 55-yard touchdown to tie the game.
After another Buccaneers field goal, Cleveland answered with a 12-play, 68-yard drive. Watson’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Blake Whiteheart gave the Browns a 23-19 lead with 3:51 remaining.
Finishing it required another test. Lightning stopped play at the two-minute warning, forcing the Browns to wait more than two hours before returning to protect their lead. The defense held, with Mayfield’s fourth-down throw toward Emeka Egbuka falling incomplete.
Monken’s decisions had helped put Cleveland in a difficult spot earlier. His fourth-and-1 gamble deep in Browns territory failed before halftime when Quinshon Judkins was stopped, handing Tampa Bay a short field. The defense limited the damage to a field goal.
Monken also lost a challenge on a short Cade Otton reception that offered little potential payoff. Those decisions invited criticism, but Cleveland survived both.
Deshaun Watson Makes Case to Keep Browns Starting Job
Cleveland returns home at 1-1 to face the Carolina Panthers next Sunday, with Watson having given Monken a much stronger reason to stick with him.
Watson completed 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against Tampa Bay. Both touchdown passes came after halftime, when Cleveland finally found an offensive rhythm.
His work on the winning drive went beyond the touchdown. Watson extended the drive with his legs and found Harold Fannin Jr. under pressure for a crucial third-down conversion.
Monken declined to formally name his Week 3 starter immediately afterward, choosing to celebrate Watson’s performance and the win. Still, a change to Shedeur Sanders became harder to justify after Watson delivered the comeback Cleveland needed.
Mike Tomlin Responds to Browns Coach Todd Monken’s Callout