Todd Monken didn’t come into the Browns’ 3-1 start acting like he had it all mapped out from the beginning. Quite the opposite. The early run has surprised him, and he said as much while crediting the players for the way they’ve responded after a rough opener.
“I’m human,” Monken said. “If you said that’s the way we’d start the season after the way we’ve worked, I would’ve said you’re nuts.
And if you said we’d be 3-1 after that first game, I’d say you’re nuts, but that’s a credit to our players because all they do is just work. They didn’t blink.
That week after was a little chippy, and that was a good thing. They were not happy with the way we played, and sometimes, that’s good.”
That reaction after Jacksonville mattered to Monken. The frustration wasn’t a setback in his eyes - it was proof the Browns cared enough to demand better.
Since then, Cleveland has handled close games well, winning three contests decided by one score. Even with the strong start, Monken made it clear the job is nowhere close to finished.
“We’re nowhere near where we want to be or where we’re going to be, but we’ve got the right guys and the right mindset every single day to attack it, which gives you a chance,” he said.
The win over Pittsburgh was another example of what Monken keeps pointing to: a team that doesn’t fold when things get messy. Cleveland had to absorb a long opening drive, 14 penalties and multiple turnovers, yet Denzel Ward’s interception helped swing the game and gave the offense a chance to settle in.
Monken knows what happens when a veteran quarterback is allowed to hang around. Even after the Browns built a lead, Pittsburgh kept making them answer.
“But you’re right, the resiliency of our team to keep fighting and to not blink, that’s the bottom, don’t flinch,” Monken said.
He said that lesson goes back to his time as a graduate assistant under Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, and the idea still fits the Browns nearly four decades later.
“Absolutely don’t flinch, and our guys have not flinched,” Monken said.
That doesn’t mean the mistakes get a pass. Penalties remain an issue, especially the ones that show up before the snap.
“And especially the pre-snap penalties, that’s something we control, that’s got nothing to do with them, it’s got everything to do with us,” Monken said.
Monken said he hasn’t tried to turn “believe” into some official slogan. Instead, he’s focused on the basics: trust the process, play physically, give effort and stay connected. In his view, belief has grown naturally as the results started to show up on tape.
“So, when you watch the guys work as hard as they work and connect like they connect with each other, there’s going to be a growing belief in what they’re going to show on tape, every time you take the field,” Monken said.
He also said the staff has had to keep adjusting, with the Jacksonville game reinforcing the need to stay aggressive on defense and continue tweaking the scheme.
At 3-1, Cleveland has put itself in a good spot. Monken’s confidence comes from the same place as his surprise: the way the Browns keep showing up, keep working and keep answering.
“I just think our guys believe in the staff, and the staff believes in them, but then you’ve got to go out there and do it.”
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