Todd Monken had a blunt message after Cleveland Browns fans briefly booed his sputtering offense Sunday: Give them a reason to cheer.
Deshaun Watson eventually did, delivering a late touchdown pass to help Cleveland escape with a 21-18 victory over the Carolina Panthers. But the home opener tested the crowd’s patience as the Browns struggled to move the ball and repeatedly hurt themselves with penalties.
“All fans wanted to see was us score a damn touchdown. Isn’t that all they want to see? Then they’re back. Not stupid (expletive) penalties,” Monken said afterward.
Cleveland finished with 12 penalties for 84 yards. The offensive line was a particular source of frustration, with right tackle Tytus Howard continuing a difficult start to his Browns career. Monken believes his team has considerably more to offer, provided it can clean up the mistakes.
“We’re going to be a damn good football team once Browns stop hurting Browns,” he said.
Tytus Howard’s False Starts Add to Browns’ Frustration
Howard committed three false starts, including two on the same first-half possession. His penalties alone cost Cleveland 15 yards before the ball was snapped.
Early in the game, consecutive false starts by rookie guard Austin Barber and Howard pushed Cleveland backward on third-and-short in field goal range. An offense already struggling to find a rhythm kept making its job harder.
The Browns sent a fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Howard this offseason. They also committed to a two-year, $45 million extension, with the new years beginning in 2027.
That investment came with an expectation that Howard could provide stability on a rebuilt offensive line. His early play has fallen short, and Sunday’s repeated mistakes were particularly costly for a team having trouble sustaining drives.
Howard notched a Pro Football Focus rating of 50.6 heading into Week 3, which ranks 58 out of 66 qualifying players.
With Barber starting beside him, Cleveland needs Howard to be a dependable veteran on the right side. Avoidable penalties have instead become another problem for Monken to fix on a short week.
Deshaun Watson Gives Browns Fans a Reason to Cheer
Watson ultimately supplied the touchdown Monken said the crowd needed. After briefly leaving the winning drive following a hit, he returned to find Harold Fannin Jr. for the go-ahead score and Denzel Boston for the two-point conversion. Watson eventually left the field and headed to the locker room to fans cheering his name.
Monken praised that response while accepting responsibility for the offense’s struggles.
“How cool. We had not coached well enough on offense. We did not play well enough. He probably did not play as well as he wanted. But to get knocked down and come back in and make a play,” Monken said. “I’m really happy for him.”
Watson finished 16 of 30 for 144 yards and two touchdowns, helping Cleveland improve to 2-1 with its second consecutive victory. It wasn’t the prettiest performance but it was gritty.
“We pour our hearts and soul into it. I’m excited about our guys; defense played great, Deshaun came back, and we’re 2-1, and we haven’t even touched what we can be,” Monken said.
Cleveland hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, giving the offense a quick turnaround to address the mistakes.
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