Todd Monken responds to Mike Tomlin: It's not Browns being Browns, it's Browns playing poorly for one week

In the pregame show for Sunday night's matchup between the Cowboys and Giants, former Steelers linebacker Mike Tomlin commented on Cleveland's loss to Jacksonville. Referring to the Browns as "the Browns," Tomlin stated that this is "what you do when you go from coaching to television." During a Monday video conference, Cleveland's first-year head coach Todd Monken disagreed with Tomlin's assessment.

Monken emphasized that the team must own their performance, stating that "we didn't play very well. That's one week. That's not Browns being Browns, that's Browns being poorly on one week." He reiterated that the only way to change people's perception of the team is by playing better and coaching more effectively. With the upcoming game against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Monken acknowledged the pressure the Browns face to avoid being considered an also-ran, particularly if quarterback Deshaun Watson does not improve his performance.