OC Todd Monken (12.26.19)
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken:
On if it is tough to try to keep players focused with the holiday and being eliminated from the postseason:
“Anytime you have any holiday – you know you have Christmas or whether you deal with Thanksgiving – I think it is always difficult for what we do. I do not even mean the last game. I just mean in terms of the outside. When you are winning and you are on a winning streak; everybody is telling you how good you are, and when you are struggling, people are telling you things you need to improve on. To me, our job is to come to work every day and put the best product we can on the field.”
On what QB Baker Mayfield can improve in the offseason to grow in this offense:
“There are so many thing collectively that we need to work on offensively, and I am sure he would comment on the things that he feels like he needs to work on in the offseason.”
On if Mayfield’s ‘footwork ever got right’ this season, given it was a topic mentioned multiple times throughout the year by Mayfield and coaches:
“Right – I do not know if right is the word – I think there are times you really see improvement there where he is able to go through is reads, his progressions. We have protected better the last few weeks, which I think has helped. We just have to continue in terms of route discipline and protection, and I think then the confidence will continue to grow.”
On benefits of offseason training and learning or are most of those elements only truly developed in games:
“I do not think there is anything that you can’t improve on or at least work on. Is it a little bit harder without live bullets – not only guys coming off the edge in terms of protection but also details in terms of routes and how we do it? Sure. Sure, there is nothing like actually getting out there and practicing together collectively as a group because drill work only takes you so far. It is a good step. It is a start, but it is only a start and then you carry it over. There are layers to learning and continuing to grow, not just him but all players. It starts in the meeting room, you take it from there to individual and then you take it to team work and then to games.”
On if he would encourage Mayfield or other QBs to work with another QB coach during the offseason:
“There are a lot for every position – I guess I would call them trainers in terms of what they do for players. You have it at all positions. Some are strength and conditioning. Some are technical in terms of what you are asking from a player. In fact, most players have at some point in their careers and a lot of guys at the professional level, have sought out for help from people outside of the building, which again is fine. That is up to each individual player. I would say there is a big difference between – again, all of it is good; people that dedicate their time and their livelihood to improve players’ performance on the field – but there is a difference. There is a difference between tutoring and training and then what we have to do, which is be held accountable for their actions.”
On if he goes into a game aware of players’ individual stats like WR Odell Beckham Jr. needing 46 yards to reach 1,000 and if it ever becomes a direct objective for a game:
“I actually had not heard that until today so that would be up to the head coach.”
On what Beckham has shown by playing the entire season with an injury:
“The year I have been around him, he likes to play the game. He likes to play football. He is very competitive. He is a very prideful young man. It has been hard on him. It really has. It has been hard on him to not be able to play at the level he is accustomed to. He has worked his way through each week, gotten to the game and given us a chance to still be explosive.”
On the ending of the first half against the Ravens:
“Disappointing, I think, is the best way of putting it. At one point, just talking in generalities, you are up 6-0. You have really controlled the game as a team. The defense has played really well. We have not turned it over. We have not played as well as we would like on offense. We had some opportunities that we did not take advantage of, but the interesting thing is when we had the ball up 6-0, we had three snaps and then it was 21-6 and right there was really where the game got away from us. There is no way around it. It does not mean we still did not have opportunities – we did – but that was a tough pill to swallow.”
On it becoming common for NFL head coaches and coordinators to allow another coach to call plays during Preseason Week 4 and if there are discussions about him calling plays this week:
“No.”
On RB Nick Chubb earning PWFA Joe Thomas Player of the Year honors and Chubb’s importance to the offense:
“I think you hit it on the head – he has been the one mainstay. For the most part through 15 games, there would be a couple in there, but for the most part we have been able to run the football and that has started with having a tremendous scheme, but I think our guys have developed each week and then having the players up front to be able to block it, which they deserve some of the credit. Nick obviously is certainly very capable in terms of taking what we have come together collectively as a gameplan and executing that and breaking arm tackles. He has been ultra-consistent and durable. It is hard. I think that is the biggest thing. For as often as he has carried it, to be durable and then continue his productivity even with (RB) Kareem (Hunt) coming on board. A tremendous football player and tremendous person. I can’t say enough about Nick obviously, beyond even as a player.”
On if there is something particularly memorable about Chubb as a person:
“Nick? He has a great personality. He is awfully quiet, but again, anything you ask him to do, he does. A consummate pro – for as young as he is that he is consummate pro.”
On Mayfield set to become the first Browns QB to start all 16 games since 2001 despite battling a few injuries this year:
“He is mentally and physically tough. That is how he is wired. He loves to play football. I do not think he could ever see himself not playing on Sundays. You would have to drag him off the field. The doctors would have to say, ‘X,Y and Z could happen if you play.’ Otherwise, he is going to want to play. That is just how he is wired. I do not care what it is and I do not care what event it be. If there was something at stake and he could compete at it, he is going to want to be out there and get after it.”
On if he was aware it has been 18 years since a Browns QB has started all 16 games:
“No”
On if it crazy to think it has been 18 years since a Browns QB started all 16 games:
“It is now that you say it. It is almost like saying and knowing yardage that a player needs [to reach a milestone]. Unless someone brings it to my attention, I am always kind of focused on Cincinnati this week and what we are going to do today at practice to give ourselves the best chance to have success against Cincinnati because that is really all that matters right now.”
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