Head Coach Todd Monken (10.28.26)

Todd, the Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry is what it was, this one goes a lot farther back than that. How much time did you devote with your players talking about rivalry, other than it’s the game for first place in this division? I mean, history.

“Not much.”

 

You don’t see value in that?

“No.”

 

You think it’s better that they don’t know?

“Well, it has nothing to do with our team. I mean, this year, whether it’s where we’re at record-wise, comparing the past or the history against the Steelers, it’s a divisional game. So, as I always say, what matters is what we do today, how we practice today, how we prepare today for any opponent. It’s bigger because it’s obviously a divisional opponent. The fastest way to get in the playoffs is win your division. That’s the fastest way to get in the playoffs. I mean, you’re guaranteed in the tournament, and we’re a long ways away from that. That’s not what I’m saying. That’s why the game is what it is, and rivalries are made up of good teams playing each other, and we’re fighting like hell to be a really good team.”

 

You haven’t been around; the team hasn’t been around for 22-straight regular season losses in Pittsburgh. But when you look at winning on the road, what are the things, maybe the mistakes and errors that magnify and compound when you’re on the road? What things can you not have on the road?

“Well, again, I don’t know the other 20-something years, whatever that is. I’m just worried about this year, and really today, that’s all I’m worried about. But I know playing on the road, I’ll get to playing on the road. Playing on the road is difficult no matter where you’re playing, in terms of your operation, your communication, right? You’ve got to bring your own juice, right? You’re not going to have the crowd behind you to pick you up when you know it’s an NFL game, it has its ups and downs. You’re going to make plays, they’re going to make plays. How do you sustain that mental stamina to make it through whatever it is, 60 plays, six seconds at a time, every play independent of each other? And certainly, more difficult on the road for sure. But again, we’ve handled it pretty well, you know. Last week we handled, I thought, pretty well. Obviously at Tampa we handled very well, and a couple we haven’t. So that’ll be the real challenge.”

 

Todd, what does it take to be a really good two-minute quarterback? And what is it about Deshaun (Watson) and his skill set that is helping him to excel in those moments this season?

“Well, first off, you have to have good people around you. I mean, you have to be able to protect. You have to have good skill players that can make plays at the most critical moments. And the quarterback has to have a belief in himself as a player when the game’s on the line to be able to make plays, and understanding situational football. And I think we’ve found a way to do that over the course of the beginning of this year.”

 

Jared (Verse) is not practicing today with the knee. Is that something that could keep him out Sunday?

“I don’t anticipate that. Just a little bit of swelling, and we just thought it’d be good to just keep him off of it.”

 

And then, going back to the on the road, you’ve got such a young team. What’s your message to them about going on the road, playing for first place at the mid-way point in the season?

“I really don’t get into that. I haven’t gotten into it before any game, of what you’re playing for, because to me it’s all in the preparation that starts today. Like, at that moment, you’ve either put in the work or you haven’t. By the time you get to the Saturday night speech or that Sunday, you’ve either put the work in or you haven’t. You either have the belief in your preparation, or you don’t at that time. So, I don’t really get into that. I know it’s a great place to play. I mean, it’s fun to play there, and I really look forward to it, you know, and our guys will enjoy playing there. It’s a fun atmosphere to go play at and see where you’re at. That’s where it is. And today all we’re trying to focus on is having the best Wednesday we can. We already started at 8 o’clock, team meeting this morning, and till we finish and let them go here later this afternoon, that’s all we can control right now, is our preparation, how we go about it every single day. And we’re constantly looking to improve. The improvement part of it, you know, the work that it takes, and that understanding of that, as players and an organization. That’s where the magic is. The magic’s in the preparation.”

 

How can scheme and structure help create yards-after-the-catch opportunities?

“Oh, I think it can. I think there’s a combination of scheme, structure as part of that. Players, their ability to separate is a part of that. It’s a collective.”

 

What have you guys seen from Dawand (Jones) and how he’s handled these handful of times where he’s had to step in and play some significant snaps for you guys this year?

“Yeah, I think it’s never easy for a player to have to come off the bench and be a little bit cold. I thought he did well. You know, I’m sure there’s plays, like every player, he’s no different than every player, that they wish they had back. But I think Dawand has really worked hard. I mean, over the last few weeks you can see it in practice, he’s been more diligent. He understands, you know, that at any moment he could go in, and the expectation of this position is that he’ll play well.”

 

Now that Dillon Gabriel’s active, how does that change the room, particularly on Sunday?

“I haven’t gotten there yet.”

 

How have offenses, a player like Dylan (Sampson), or even like KC (Concepcion Jr.), how have offenses kind of evolved as far as using guys like that for matchups, or to create mismatches, even if it’s for other guys?

“Sure. Explosive players that you can utilize in space. And Dylan was even just a shell of himself, you know, the first game back. I expect him to be even a better version of himself this week and next week as he gets back from being off for the better part of six weeks, five weeks. And KC, not only is he quick, he’s powerful, he’s tough, and thinks ‘score’ every time he touches the ball. So, finding ways to get him the ball is obviously critical to our offense. It showed the other day.”

 

The guys in the locker room have talked about how it’s a different Browns team, it’s a different culture, understanding, like, we are not focused on history and all those things. Just despite that, how much would a win over the Steelers, being a team that can maybe break that, what that history is, be 3-0, winning the division for the first time since ‘93? How much would that mean when continuing toward that narrative of: it’s a different team, different culture?

“I really, honestly don’t get into that. I know it’s a divisional game and I know it’s next, and they’re all important, and that’s why I try to not get too much into that, because it’s one of 17. It happens to be one-plus, because it’s a divisional game, but they’re all going to be important, right? The last one was critically important to get us to five. This one’s critically important to try and get us to six. And then you go from there. So, I’m not trying to avoid the question. That’s really not what I’m trying to do. But I try not to put too much emphasis on what-ifs, if this, if that, whether it’s win or lose. I don’t control that part of it. Me personally, what do I control? The messaging to the team, to our coaches, the game plan we put together, and getting our guys to have a practice today that’s worthy of the preparation we’re going to need to go play them Sunday.”

 

The Steelers have always gotten most of their pass pressures from their edge rushers, but do you see them using some interior blitzes a lot more? Especially in their last three games?

“Sure. I think that’s a trend in the NFL. Patrick (Graham) does a really good job, you know, of mixing up their pressures, whether internally or externally. Their edge guys are crafty, use their hands well, explosive off the edge. They do a great job of batting down balls. So, they do a really good job schematically, with Patrick, their coaching staff, batting balls down and being disruptive. And that’s the start of having a really good defense from front to back.”

 

It’s only been a few weeks since you last played them. How much does that previous game kind of factor into, you know, as you get ready for this, preparation for this one? And what are you, just specifically, what’s the biggest things you’re kind of looking for as you break down their last two or three games?

“Well, it’s the same for both of us. I mean, you played a team three or four weeks ago, you have a little bit of an idea of how they viewed what we do offensively, defensively and special teams in terms of preparation. But usually, like any team, you evolve as the year goes on. Who we were then and who we are now, offensively, defensively, special teams, has changed. Not dramatically. You can’t change dramatically. But there’s certain things you lean on more than others. And it’s the same with them. You know, I’m sure after they played us, they went back and looked at some of the things defensively, offensively, that they needed to clean up, just like we did. And the things that we do well, we need to do better than they do it. And they’re going to say the same thing. The things that they do well, they’re going to have to find a way to do it better than we do it. And that’s the chess match every week, is trying to find a way to do it better than they do it.”

 

So, you’ve coached in this division now five years, plus eight games, seven games. Which venue is the toughest to come into and win?

“Oh, they’re all tough.”

 

In the division?

“Oh, in the division? I don’t know. They’re all tough to go play in the division. I mean, I think any game on the road is tough to play at. And, you know, it’s the nature of the NFL, I think they’re all difficult to go play. Like any venue, when their team’s doing well, it’s difficult to go play there. And that’s what we’re trying to build here, to make it as difficult as it can be for opposing teams to come here. And how do you get that? By playing good football.”

 

With the way the offense performed last week and also the first half against Pittsburgh, is that closer to what you imagined it could perform back at the beginning of the season?

“It’s been a little bit of an up-and-down challenge. But that’s part of the NFL, right? That’s part of when you play the best in the world as you’re trying to find your way, your footing, your players, coaches, schematically, to be consistent. Every team’s a little bit different. We’ve had moments where we played really good football. We have moments where we haven’t played nearly as well as I think we’re capable of. And like I always say, we’re always under construction. And sure, there were certain aspects about what we did last week that you feel a heck of a lot better about. And the second half of the Ravens game, and certain parts of other games we played in other parts. Not good enough. You know, operationally, execution-wise, schematically, it’s always us, and you’re always fighting to clean it up and be able to stack plays. And that starts with, you know, what we come up with from a schematic standpoint and then how we see it during the week. It allows us to execute at a high level come Sundays.”

 

Aaron Rodgers has attempted a pass at least 34 times in five of their seven games, his season low is 30. Just what type of pressure does that put on the defense when you know he’s just going to come out and sling it the way he does?

“Yeah, I mean, he’s been doing it for years, right? And I said it last time we played him. I mean, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I mean, gold jacket, I mean, one of the all-time greats. And yeah, it’s never fun, but that’s the NFL. You know, you’re going against the best of the best, and every starting quarterback in the NFL is elite. And then there’s tiers of that. They’re all elite, or they wouldn’t be one of the best 32 in the world at what they do. That’s pretty freaking cool, okay? So, then you start to take the ones that have done it at such a high level for a long time, and there’s a reason why they throw it that often, because he’s damn good at throwing it, and that’s why you throw it that often. And to me, when I think of Aaron Rodgers, I think of accuracy, quick release and operation. That’s what I think about, you know, having another coach on the field. And, you know, in my mind, I always say, when you play those quarterbacks, when you have a chance, you’ve got to find a way. I’m not saying we can or can’t, but those are the hard guys, because when they have the ball at the end, man, and they’re hard enough with three downs, let alone you give them four downs. So, you’ve got to find a way, when you can, to build on those leads, because it comes down to the end, man, those guys, they’re not going to blink. And that’s what we’re trying to be able to build.”

 

The running game was so much better in Nashville. Watson only had to keep the ball three times, run the ball. Even though that’s been a weapon for you, would you like it to be at a minimum more?

“Oh, for sure. Oh, I think so. I think every team would want to say that they could gain X-amount of yards without using the auxiliary areas, your quarterback, some of the other pieces that you have. It’s not always possible. It’s week-to-week. I do think we started to take steps the week before against Baltimore, albeit a baby step, but I think we’re on the right track at what we feel like we need to do to be able to at least be efficient in the run game and give yourself a chance to take the pressure off the quarterback. And we were better last week on run-downs. We were able to stack plays, and that allows you to call the game a heck of a lot more comfortably. And so, you know, hopefully that continues. But each team is different. Every team, every week, is different – what their defense poses in terms of what they do well and what we have to do well.”

 

Speaking of good two-minute quarterbacks, and you answered some of this already about Aaron, but is there really anybody better than Aaron in just taking control at the line of scrimmage or being in that two-minute drill and just getting the job done?

“I mean, I’m pretty old, so I’ve seen some pretty good ones. When I was at Jacksonville, I saw Peyton Manning in the same division, it was the same way. Like, it was like score more longer, you know, I mean, because they get the ball at the end. And I’ve seen it watching Tom Brady. I wasn’t in the same division, but you would see it then. And all of your elite quarterbacks have that ability at the end of the game, just like any professional player, right? A great basketball player has the ability to make the last shot, right, when it’s on the line, or a great hitter comes up and comes up with a clutch base hit, or a closer. Those are the guys that are hard. I mean, they’re just not only elite at what they do, they have that certain confidence that they’ve done it time and time again. And that’s half the battle, is within ourselves, is that belief system. And they have it.”

 

 

 

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