Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken responds to remarks by former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin after the Browns’ Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tomlin commented on Cleveland’s 34-10 defeat, including criticism of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s performance.
Monken pushes back on the framing that Cleveland’s struggles reflect a recurring pattern. In response, he says it is not “Browns being Browns,” but rather the team playing poorly for a specific stretch. The discussion centers on how to interpret one disappointing game: Tomlin emphasizes the quality of the Browns’ execution and Watson’s output, while Monken argues against viewing the loss as evidence of a broader, inherent issue.
Both accounts reference the same matchup outcome and the same core subject—Cleveland’s offensive struggles—while differing in emphasis. Tomlin’s comments highlight what he saw in that particular loss, whereas Monken frames the response as a matter of performance rather than identity.
