Todd Monken initially brushed off former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s recent “Browns is the Browns” diss. He had a much different response, however, following the Browns’ Week 2 win over the Buccaneers, Monken’s first win as an NFL head coach.
“Browns are gonna Browns. F–k that! The guys took that to heart,” Monken said.
Cleveland certainly played inspired football on Sunday. The Browns’ defense had their way with former Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield, sacking him three times and holding him to 182 yards and an interception. Offensively, Cleveland received a vintage performance from Deshaun Watson, who had his best game as a Brown. Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Texans, went 24 of 30 for 238 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. He also finished the game as Cleveland’s leading rusher.
Monken’s initial months as the Browns coach were tumultuous. He watched GM Andrew Berry trade away Myles Garrett and, in recent weeks, has had to defend his decision to start Watson over Shedeur Sanders. Monken then endured a forgettable head coaching debut as the Browns were walloped by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.
But on Sunday, Monken and the Browns finally had a reason to celebrate. For Monken, the celebration included a spirited response to Tomlin and an emphatic defense of a once-proud franchise.
Tomlin, to his credit, laughed off Monken’s response to his initial comments.
“I’m glad that I can still motivate, although I’m not coaching anymore,” he said.
The origin of Tomlin’s initial comments dates to January 2021, when then-Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster uttered, “The Browns is the Browns” ahead of Pittsburgh’s wild card playoff game against Cleveland. Smith-Schuster and his teammates then watched as the Browns came to Pittsburgh and left with a 48-37 win.
Ironically, Tomlin’s former team looked like the modern day version of the Browns on Sunday against the Patriots. The Steelers scored just three points and were outscored by New England’s defense during an eventual 20-3 loss that evened their record at 1-1.
Monken has his own unique history against Tomlin and the Steelers. From 2023-25, he faced Tomlin’s Steelers seven times as the Ravens‘ offensive coordinator. After being swept by Pittsburgh in 2023, Monken helped the Ravens defeat the Steelers twice late in the 2024 season that included a decisive win in the AFC wild card round. Monken’s tenure in Baltimore ended, however, a year later in Pittsburgh after the Ravens missed a field goal on the final play of the regular season.
Monken will get his first chance to face the Steelers as the Browns coach in Week 4, when Cleveland hosts Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Browns have won four straight home games against the Steelers that include two wins on primetime.
