Head Coach Todd Monken (10.1.26)
Todd Monken’s opening remarks:
“Alright, great job again by our guys. Resiliency at the end. Big credit to Denzel Ward. I mean, he changed the momentum of the game. We just didn’t convert the first drive, and then we had a big play and then stalled, and Denzel flipped it. And then we kind of got things going a little bit, got in a good rhythm. Then we just turned it over in the second half, moved it decent. But a credit to our guys, we actually got the ball backed up at the one, got a first down, really had a chance to end it and didn’t. But just a credit to our players, I mean, just never say die attitude. And happy for Deshaun (Watson). Not happy about the sack there at the end, okay. But three straight fourth quarter comebacks, man, really cool, really cool for him and our team. I’ve said it since I got here, our guys just come to work every day and say, spot the ball. We had a great Monday, and they didn’t blink when we did a little bit on Tuesday, trying to speed it up a little bit. And then Wednesday, and we walked through today at the facility, again, they didn’t blink. They didn’t say, ‘why are we doing this? Why are we doing this?’ They just show up and work. And so does our staff, they show up and work. And a credit to our staff and the players, that this is what it’s all about, is the players, the work they put in, and our staff.”
I know you mentioned this a little bit, but how can you just encapsulate or put into words how Deshaun came up off the mat after that first game and put together an amazing run here to get you guys into first place?
“First of all, it’s a credit, I’ll go back to Deshaun, but to our team. I mean, that was a complete, maybe disaster is a little bit strong, but that’s a tough opening game in every phase, other than maybe kickoff return, maybe, other than that. But the guys trusted the process. We got stung a little bit, and our guys responded to that. And, man, that locker room is fun, right there celebrating those guys. Big, big, big divisional win. And so, but Deshaun, before the game, I got a chance to, I was in the coach’s office, and I was going over the call sheet with him again, and I said, isn’t this really cool? Like, you’re going to be introduced last, isn’t that really freaking cool? It was only seven weeks earlier, and, right, it’s, ‘where are we going to go from here, right? The Bills game at home, right? Where are we going from here, where are you going, where are we going?’ So cool.”
Do you have an update on Mason (Graham)?
“I do not.”
And can you talk about the way that line responded losing him, and then Mike (Hall Jr.) goes out, but is able to come back?
“I don’t have anything on Mason. Mike, how awesome is that, to come back? Gets hurt, probably going to be out, you’re going to be down to two defensive tackles, and Mike comes back. And that’s just how our guys are wired, man. They want to play for each other. We’ve got a tremendous connection. Winning helps that connection, just does. Seeing the fruits of their labor coming to fruition is probably the biggest thing, I think, with anything in life, is the work you put in, you got to see the results. It’s one thing to talk about it, it’s another thing to go out there and do it. And they did, and they have.”
Can you tell us who got game balls tonight?
“Mike Hall Jr., Denzel, Grant (Delpit) for the game winner, Bojo (Corey Bojorquez), who’s been kicking the hell out of it, that 81-yard punt that backed them up, Dre (Andre Szmyt) for the game winner and Deshaun.”
When you talk about Szmyt, no question about 56 yards? Just go out and put it right through?
“I mean, he said he could make it, so I said, ‘well, go kick it and make it.’ I said, ‘no pressure, but they’re going to have the ball about midfield with one of the best kickers in the history of the NFL. No pressure.’ I’m joking. I didn’t say that to him. I was thinking that, though. I’m like, s—, I hope he makes it.”
What was that moment just like for him, seeing him knock that home and be the guy who’s delivering the final kick?
“He’s in such a good place right now, really, and that’s our job to keep him there.”
Given that you had to wait so long to get your first head coaching opportunity, for it to start like this, and I assume you still have a long way to go, but how do you feel your journey has prepared you to be where you’re at right now?
“Well, first of all, you said it, we’ve only got three wins, right? But I’ve said this all along. If you had gotten me at 45, you wouldn’t have gotten the best version of me. And this has nothing to do with me, first off, I’m not saying that, I’m very humble, because I’ve always been around really good players and really good coaches. But the last years, I think that experience has helped. And I feel like I still got juice, still feel like I go to practice and get after our guys, but it’s still only three [wins]. And there’s a lot of things we can continue to get better at, and we will, because our guys are humble and they’re still hungry. And it’s really cool, because it means the next one continues to matter. That’s all you want to be. You just want to be in a position where the games matter, right? That’s what we want to be in, that’s what our fans want to be in, and that’s what we’re going to fight for every day.”
Did that opener shape you at all? How you guys played and have you even let yourself think about maybe being three and one at this point?
“I mean, I’m human. I don’t go beyond thoughts. If you said that was the way we would start the season after the way we worked, I would have said you’re nuts. And if you’d have said we’d be three and one after that first game, I would’ve said you’re nuts. But that’s a credit to our players, because all they do is just work. It’s them. I mean, they didn’t blink. Like I said, that week after was a little chippy, and that was a good thing, they were not happy with the way we played, and sometimes that’s good.”
This team would have reason to have some self doubt after the last two seasons. But your influence in telling them from the very beginning how much you believe in them, how much of an effect do you think that has had on these guys?
“You’d have to ask them. I can’t speak for them, but I’ve always believed in the players that I’ve coached, and I believe in these guys. What other way is there? What other way is there than to believe in the players that you have to play for you? I don’t know any other way. It makes so much sense to me to believe in the guys you have and the work that they put in. It just seems so simple. Believe in your players.”
Can you talk about the way you guys had to beat out that amazing comeback by Aaron Rodgers and all the crazy things that happened at the end. Starting at the one, and all of the stuff that happened, him sneaking for the conversion, and Jared (Verse), and just the dramatic fashion that you guys won this game.
“First off, what a great catch by Jerry (Jeudy). I’m so happy for Jerry. And it probably wasn’t enough for a game ball, but for a guy that really isn’t starting now, he’s a rotational player, that’s so cool for him. And it’s not easy. Not easy for a veteran player to have young players kind of beat him out, but we needed it in a big time, and that was a big time catch.”
Can you talk about Jaleel (McLaughlin)’s first touchdown when he ran in? I mean his journey to get here seems almost impossible.
“Yeah. Great job blocking. He made one cut. The guys on the perimeter finished. Malachi (Corley) was out there blocking. And that was a spark, the interception and that, kind of a little bit like maybe it was at the Bucs with Denzel (Boston) and the catch and the breaking the tackle. And sometimes you need that, you need plays to change the momentum, the field, where it’s going, especially with a young team, especially with us, like, hey, let’s go. And then you stack some plays together, and you score touchdowns in the red zone, and that gives you a chance.”
What about the ice in Deshaun’s veins for him to just maintain his composure throughout the game with everything that went on, penalties and young guys?
“Yeah, no, again, a big credit to him. And we still have a ways to go collectively. He does, we do, offensively, putting it all together, being able to stack plays. For the most part, Browns didn’t hurt Browns, but we still, too many, too many alignment issues. We turned it over twice. The one was unfortunate, the batted ball, the exchange. What a great play by T.J. Watt. That’s dumb by me, to run a zone read at him, you’d think you’d have learned your lesson, over seven times playing them, just dumb.”
The offensive line, it kind of feels like their best game cohesively as a unit tonight. How did you feel about their presence?
“Again, we’re always under construction, all of us, the older guys and then the younger players that are in there, that are just going to continue to get better. Certainly, there’s some things we do schematically to help them, but no, I mean, I think they’re going to continue to get better, because the way they work, like all the players we have, with the way they work, they’re going to continue to get better. There’s no way you can’t. There’s absolutely no way you can’t. But get out there and work.”
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