Deshaun Watson is finally giving the Browns the version they were hoping for, and Todd Monken is a huge reason why.
Four weeks into the 2026 NFL season, Cleveland sits at 3-1 and has ripped off three straight wins after losing on the road to Trevor Lawrence’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Since then, the Browns have beaten Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Pittsburgh, and Watson has been right at the center of it all.
Over his last three games, all Cleveland victories, Watson has gone 64-of-93 for 650 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. That’s the kind of production that starts changing the conversation fast, especially for a quarterback who has spent most of his Browns tenure under a cloud of injuries, disappointment, and a contract that looked impossible to justify.
Deshaun Watson over his last 3 games:
64-of-93
650 passing yards
5 TD, 1 INT
3-0 record
The Browns now sit atop the AFC North. pic.twitter.com/dDqFhqMGi3
- Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 2, 2026
Monken’s arrival has clearly changed the feel of this offense. Plenty of people around the league questioned Cleveland’s decision to hire him, but Ravens and Georgia fans already knew what he could do. He has built a reputation as an elite offensive mind, and Watson looks like a quarterback who is settling into that system at exactly the right time.
The track record is there. Monken helped Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.
Before that, he guided Stetson Bennett IV to two national titles at Georgia. That history is part of why Carson Beck had been connected to the Browns during the 2026 NFL Draft process, and why the idea of Bennett landing in Cleveland has still lingered.
The bigger picture is simple: Cleveland is winning, and Watson is a major reason why. The Browns now lead the AFC North, and while there’s still plenty of baggage around Watson’s name, there’s no denying what the results look like right now. The quarterback who once looked like the league’s worst contract is suddenly playing like a centerpiece again.
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Tom Allens defense has spent the build-up searching for answers in recent film, trying to sort out the best way to handle Miamis passing game and the weapons around Mensah. Clemson does not just have to account for a quarterback in rhythm, it has to prepare for a different kind of challenge than the one it saw before, with Miamis receivers giving the offense more ways to attack every level of the field. For a secondary that has been under the microscope, this is the kind of test that can reveal a lot in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]