Todd Monken’s refusal to let the Cleveland Browns remain an NFL punchline has earned Pat McAfee’s approval.
After Cleveland’s 23-19 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monken pushed back on Mike Tomlin’s dismissive assessment of his team. McAfee liked the response from a coach trying to establish a different standard in Cleveland.
McAfee summed up the message he took from Monken’s remarks.
“‘Send that to Tomlin. Tell him we donʻt like it. The Browns are different now because Iʻm here.’ I like that, I appreciate that, I respect that,” Pat McAfee said of Monken’s fiery message.
The victory also gave McAfee reason to reconsider how quickly he had written off the Browns.
“Maybe this is a year that isn’t a laughing stock. We thought they were going to be in the (expletive) division for the entire season,” McAfee said. “Now weʻre just one week removed and they already beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
There’s still a long way to go for the Browns but Cleveland gave McAfee something to work with. Cleveland recovered from a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars to give Monken his first victory as an NFL head coach.
Todd Monken Fires Back at Mike Tomlin
Tomlin, the former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach now working as an NBC analyst, revived the familiar “Browns is the Browns” criticism following Cleveland’s season-opening loss. Monken remembered it when he stepped to the microphone after beating Tampa Bay.
“Browns are gonna Browns. (Expletive) that! The guys took that to heart,” Monken said.
The phrase carries some history in Cleveland. Former Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster used it before Pittsburgh faced the Browns in the playoffs in January 2021. Cleveland went on to win that game 48-37. Tomlin took Monken’s response in stride.
“I love my new role, you know why? I can provide bulletin board material with no personal consequence.”
Browns Need to Build on First Win
Deshaun Watson helped give Monken’s message some substance, completing 24 of 30 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. It was his most productive performance in years and it came when he needed it most. The Browns were considering a quarterback change but Watson gave the team a reason to stick with him.
Watson got some help from his young pass-catching corps. Denzel Boston provided the spark with a 55-yard touchdown reception. Watson later found tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard score that put Cleveland ahead for good.
The Browns still needed their defense to finish the job. Following a lengthy weather delay, Cleveland stopped Tampa Bay’s final possession when Baker Mayfield could not connect with Emeka Egbuka on fourth down. Monken made sure his players received the credit for the victory.
“That’s a win for our players. This is a players’ game, and our guys made plays and had a great week,” Monken said.
Cleveland returns home at 1-1 to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It will be Monken and Watson’s next opportunity to show that the improvement in Tampa can carry over.
Pat McAfee Makes Feelings Clear on Browns Coach Todd Monken