Todd Monken didn’t try to soften anything after Deshaun Watson heard boos in his return to Huntington Bank Field.
The Browns coach made it clear he sees the crowd’s reaction as part of the job, not something to overthink. After Cleveland’s 31-7 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, Monken’s answer to the question of what it feels like to get booed was as direct as it gets.
“Hey, how does it feel to get booed? It's a pretty easy question,” Monken said.
“It sucks. I don't want to get booed.
It comes with the territory. You don't want to get booed?
Let's play good football. Let's play good at quarterback.
Let's play good on offense. Let's play good as a team.
“And then you don't have to worry about all that because it can turn just like that. Win, play good football, and everybody will be fine.
That's just part of it. I mean, that's why I told him, you good?
We're good. Part of what we do.”
Watson said after the game that the treatment felt like more than just a reaction to what happened on the field. Monken, though, stayed on the same message: play better, and the noise changes.
That was the broader theme of his comments Sunday as well, with the Browns set to make a major decision at quarterback. Monken said he plans to name a starter on Monday, with Watson and Shedeur Sanders having been the main contenders throughout the offseason work.
“I still have a few things to weigh out,” Monken said while speaking to the media on Sunday. “I’m not going to get into that. But we anticipate naming a starter tomorrow.”
The coach was also asked about the possibility of Watson facing another rough reception in the Week 3 home opener, and he didn’t sound worried about the crowd at all.
“I’m not concerned about that,” Monken said. “What I’m concerned about is us playing well, as a team and on offense. Because when you play well, none of the other stuff matters.”
Watson had been viewed as the favorite for the job through the offseason, but Sanders stayed close in the race. After two preseason games, Monken is ready to make his call, and the Browns will learn Monday which quarterback has won the job.
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