Todd Monken behind a podium has been must-see TV this summer.
Monken after a brutal season-opening loss? It was as entertaining as Cleveland Browns fans would expect.
Some of his messaging, though, came off like a quintessential hardo head-football-coach messaging that’s not likely to land with a Browns fan base that’s long over the all-talk, no-substance approach.
As usual, Monken had plenty to say after the Browns got run out of EverBank Stadium, 34-10, by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The game wasn’t nearly that close, as the Jaguars scored the game’s first 31 points and pulled starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence early in the fourth quarter.
The Browns were big underdogs in this one, but fans were hoping to see a better product, especially on defense. Instead, Deshaun Watson’s interception on the first series brought forth the all-too-familiar feelings of "here we go again."
In the aftermath, Monken may have been better off saying less.
Three postgame quotes that won’t work in Todd Monken’s favor after Week 1
1. ‘They better get us now’
Monken went rogue following a question on Deshaun Watson’s performance and status as the team’s starting quarterback.
“I’m not down. I’m disappointed,” he said. “You’re not going to get me down. I’ve waited a long time to be a head coach in this league and that is friggin' awesome. And we’re not where we want to be — and they better get us now. Because, again, we’ve got a good young group and we just didn’t play well today.”
“They better get us now” is a wild message to deliver after your team showed nothing outside of an improved kickoff return unit. The Browns couldn’t run the ball, refused to throw downfield until garbage time, and couldn’t get off the field on defense.
That's the kind of quote you might hear from a winning team that’s going through a rough patch, not a team like the Browns that hasn’t proved anything yet.
2. ‘I’m not firing me’
When pressed further on Watson, Monken said he would need to watch the tape. But instead of leaving it at that, he added this:
“I’m sure as hell not firing me. I’m not firing our staff. I’m not getting rid of all of our players. [Watson] happens to be one of 53 and however many practice squad guys we’ve got and our staff, and he’s one of that. So we’ll evaluate everything.”
It’s comforting that Monken isn’t trying to fire everyone, including himself, but that’s an odd thing to say after your debut as a head coach.
3. ‘Whatever there is externally doesn’t matter to me’
Monken said something similar to this after confirming Watson as the Week 1 starter back on Aug. 24. While no one expects the head coach to blindly make decisions just to appease the fan base, there’s something to be said about the ability to read the room.
The Watson experience has been so brutal, and his play throughout training camp and the preseason was so mediocre, that everyone saw Sunday’s uninspiring showing coming.
Everyone except Monken, that is.
“Whatever there is externally doesn’t matter to me. That doesn’t affect me,” he said. “That has nothing to do with my decision making. OK? My decision making is what’s best for the Browns now and moving forward. That doesn’t mean that I don’t understand the frustration. I’ve said that since I’ve been here. Same with me. I did not take this job to lose, OK?”
Buckle up. It’s going to be a long season for the great fans of Northeast Ohio.
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