Todd Monken was feeling it. Minutes after his Cleveland Browns improved to 2-1 on the heels of their second straight fourth-quarter comeback, Monken took the podium with his familiar raspy voice and a new look — a backwards hat.
Monken was channeling his inner Dan Quinn for a reason. It was an ode to Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, whose unit bailed out Monken’s offense once again in Sunday’s 21-18 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Browns had 12 accepted penalties, fumbled away the second-half kickoff, and averaged just 4.1 yards per play. Quarterback Deshaun Watson engineered just enough fourth-quarter magic to salvage an uneven day and give the defense a lead to protect.
But now three regular-season games into his tenure, Monken is learning a harsh reality through trial and error. The Browns win on defense. They did before Monken got here, and that’s their best path to victory in 2026.
“It’s never easy, you know, it’s just not,” Monken said. “I credit our defense for going back out there — it’s why I have my hat backwards. It’s for Rudy. I don’t ever wear my hat backwards. But hats off to the defense. I mean, what a great job they did.”
Backwards hat Todd Monken on Cleveland’s 2-1 start: “We’re going to be a damn good football team once Browns stop hurting Browns.” pic.twitter.com/9c66Kw8W6Y
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 27, 2026
Todd Monken is still learning when to trust the Browns' dominant defense
Rutenberg’s group has been hitting 3-pointers at an elite rate this season.
Last week, when Monken opted to gamble on fourth-and-inches from his own 34 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for no reason — it was early in the game and the score was 6-6 — Cleveland’s defense shut the door and forced the Bucs to settle for a field goal.
On Sunday, when Malachi Corley fumbled the kickoff return at the start of the third quarter, the Browns held Carolina to a quick three-and-out.
Then came the end-of-game situation. Rutenberg’s group was able to keep Bryce Young and the Panthers from even attempting a game-tying field goal in the final minute after Monken made yet another questionable clock management decision on offense.
The Panthers stuffed a Watson run on third-and-1 and burned their final timeout with 1:05 remaining in regulation. Leading 21-18, Cleveland could have attempted a chip-shot field goal with dependable kicker Andre Szmyt to push the lead to six points.
Sticking to his promise to be aggressive, Monken kept his offense on the field and called another running play with Quinshon Judkins that never had a chance. The ball went back to the Panthers with a minute left. They only needed to gain about 40 yards to have a realistic shot to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The Browns’ defense shut the door on Young, who got the Panthers close to midfield before a flutter-ball interception to safety Ronnie Hickman sealed it.
“To me, it’s 50/50,” Monken said of that fourth-and-short call in hindsight.
There’s a balance between staying aggressive with the offense on the field and making the decision that gives the team its best chance to win. Taking the points, then forcing the Panthers to drive the field for a touchdown with no timeouts, was the obvious play.
Todd Monken's clock management is still a work in progress for the Browns
Monken also had some fun with reporters about a situation on the sideline that tested his entire operation late in the fourth quarter.
Watson took a big hit and stayed down long enough that the trainers ran onto the field. His pass deep down the field to KC Concepcion was actually broken up and intercepted, but a roughing the passer penalty on Carolina gave Cleveland an automatic first down.
By rule, Watson had to leave the game for at least one play. The Browns were trailing 18-13 with 2:36 remaining in regulation, and Shedeur Sanders trotted onto the field to loud cheers from the home fans for a first-down play at the Panthers' 29-yard line.
Sanders completed a short pass to the flat, and Watson trotted back out to replace him — prompting a smattering of boos.
Watson quickly flipped that noise into a positive. On third-and-10, he found tight end Harold Fannin Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown and the lead with 1:48 remaining.
“Well I didn’t know,” Monken said of the wild sequence. “I mean, [Watson] popped up and they said he’s gotta come out. And then as I was calling it, he was like jabbing at me like, ‘I’m good. I’m good.’ And I’m like, ‘OK, fine. Frick, I just called the play. ... It’s amazing how many people want to talk to ya when plays are going on. It’s amazing. Just let it play out — I’m joking around.
“But he was ready to go back in. He went back in and — guess what? All the fans wanted to see was us score a damn touchdown. Isn’t that what they wanted to see? Isn’t that it? And then we’re all back, right?”
Monken should be reveling in the moment right now. His team is 2-1 and hasn’t come close to putting together its best four quarters of complementary football yet.
But that backwards hat after Sunday’s game could end up being a symbol for the Browns' 2026 season. Monken still needs to master his feel for the game — not as the offensive play-caller, but as the head coach.
The defense has now bailed him out multiple times, and the symbolism at the podium Sunday was impossible to ignore.
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