The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t muster any offense against the New England Patriots in Week 2. To add insult to injury, former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin received an indirect shot from Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken after the Browns upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Last Sunday during NBC’s pregame show, Tomlin said the phrase, “the Browns is the Browns” during Cleveland’s Week 1 highlights versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. There were’t many Browns highlights in the clip, as Jacksonville defeated Cleveland 34-10.
Social media saw Tomlin’s phrase, which he said he borrowed former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, as a major diss at the Browns. Monken addressed the comment Monday, telling the media that Tomlin was entitle to his opinion and that the Browns had to play better.
Monken delivered a much more emotional message back to Tomlin after the Browns defeated the Buccaneers in Week 2.
“Browns are going to Browns. [Expletive] that,” said Monken to reporters Sunday night, via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “So, the guys took that to heart.”
Monken didn’t use Tomlin’s name, but clearly, the line was intended for the ex-Steelers coach turned NBC analyst.
Deshaun Watson Also Addresses Mike Tomlin’s Browns Diss
Sunday was a long afternoon for the Browns. They sat through a long lightning delay late in the fourth quarter versus the Buccaneers.
But the weight was worth it for Cleveland, as the Browns edged their former quarterback, Baker Mayfield, and the Buccaneers for their first win of the season.
Monken clearly let out some emotion to reporters after the win. So did quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“Monk said what he said,” Watson said to reporters with a smile during his press conference right after his head coach’s. “That’s how we all feel.”
The Browns improved to 1-1 with their victory Sunday. It’s very early to be checking the standings, but the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens both lost Sunday, falling to 1-1. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals won again to improve to 2-0.
After Sunday, one could argue the best two teams in the division are the Bengals and Browns. Maybe that doesn’t last long, but nobody had that prediction when the season began.
Did Mike Tomlin Awaken the Browns?
Maybe Monken and his team will only find motivation in Tomlin’s quick one-liner for a week. But it’s rather obvious the Browns used it as bulletin board material in Week 2.
That’s terrible news for the Steelers, who face the Browns in 11 days.
First, the Steelers will meet the first-placed Bengals during Week 3. Just four days after, the Steelers will visit the Browns on Thursday Night Football.
Under Tomlin, the Steelers performed terribly on Thursday nights on the road against division rivals. Two AFC North contests in the span of five days makes the next stretch very tough for first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
Last October, the Steelers also had the Browns and Bengals in the span of five days. They defeated the Browns at home Sunday and then lost to the Bengals on the road Thursday.
As an NBC analyst, Tomlin isn’t supposed to be rooting for the Steelers anymore, at least not on television. But he could benefit his former team by not sending any disses toward the Browns over the next couple weeks.
Browns HC Hits Back at Mike Tomlin With Fiery Message After Win