The Cleveland Browns have taken many beatings over the years, both on the field and in the media. Regardless of who is manning the sidelines or taking snaps under center, the franchise usually ends up serving as a punching bag, or a punchline, or a get-right game. Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and current NBC NFL analyst Mike Tomlin dropped a JuJu Smith-Schuster quote during a recap of Cleveland's 34-10 Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it perfectly sums up how the public views this football operation. “The Browns is the Browns.” Todd Monken resented the assumption.

The first-year NFL HC oozed passion and intensity after his team earned a surprise 23-19 road victory versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “The Browns are gonna Browns! F*** that!” he said in the postgame press conference. “The guys took that to heart.”

Tomlin did not seem to take any offense, only expressing gratitude that he could now ignite a team without facing the ramifications on the gridiron. Monken admitted that he got caught up in the moment.

“First of all, I have a ton of respect for Mike Tomlin,” he told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday. “I hope to have the career that he's had as a head coach. And the only way you kill a narrative is to play better and to coach better. I tell our players {that}. It just happened they got me on a little roll.

“In that moment, I was just fired up, because in a lot of ways, you are that until you prove it wrong…. I really didn't have that planned. And now I told the guys, ‘we got to continue to play good, dudes. I put that out there. I backed myself into a corner now.'”

“At that moment, I was just fired up,” – Browns HC Todd Monken on his response to Mike Tomlin’s “Browns are the Browns” comments.

Monken added that he has a ton of respect for Mike Tomlin. pic.twitter.com/vWRfLZ9fTD

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) September 25, 2026

Monken's frustration was understandable. He had only spent one year with Cleveland before eventually becoming the head coach. Dismissing the Browns because of their history discredits the potential value he can bring to the organization. Though, in fairness to Tomlin and any other skeptics, the team provided no evidence for growth after getting demolished by the Jags. What were people supposed to think?

Clearly, ensuing embarrassment left a mark on the locker room, and that might be the best thing Monken could have asked for going into Tampa. Deshaun Watson enjoyed one of his best Browns performances, the defense came through when it mattered most and Cleveland left Raymond James Stadium with a 1-1 record and a whole lot of vigor.

Now, the AFC North squad must prove it can repeat the triumphant effort in Sunday's home opener versus the Carolina Panthers (1-1). Todd Monken said it himself. Only tangible results can end negative narratives. They will look to produce those in Huntington Bank Field, and if successful, fans should prepare for another electrically charged press conference.