Following an embarrassing Week 1 loss, the Cleveland Browns looked to be on their expected and perhaps preferred track to a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Now, after two straight comeback victories, they are thinking about the playoffs instead.
Head coach Todd Monken said that he was going to change the negative narrative that has surrounded the franchise for years. Less than one month into his first season, he may have already done just that, at least in some people’s eyes.
FOX Sports analyst Ralph Vacchiano made a bold declaration about the Browns after their Week 3 win against the Carolina Panthers, saying they can’t be treated as a punchline anymore.
“The Browns Are No Longer the NFL’s Go-To Punchline Under Todd Monken” Vacchiano wrote. “It turns out, maybe Todd Monken wasn’t completely delusional with the confidence he showed heading into his first NFL head coaching job. Because after their 21-18 win over the Panthers on Sunday, the Browns are 2-1, and it would be foolish to dismiss them as a punchline anymore. Maybe it won’t last. But don’t dismiss these wins as a fluke.”
As if Monken wasn’t already motivated enough after waiting his entire life for this opportunity, former NFL coach Mike Tomlin added fuel to that fire by mocking the Browns after their 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener. From there, Cleveland went out and defeated Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, which was followed by a 21-18 win against the Panthers in their home opener.
A lot of the optimism surrounding the Browns right now has to do with the play of quarterback Deshaun Watson, who threw a game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of each of those games. More importantly, he seems to have Browns fans on his side, at least for now, with another huge home game coming up against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. With every team in the AFC North at 2-1, a victory could further legitimize Cleveland as a potential postseason contender.
Of course, things can change back negatively as quickly as they turned positive. Watson has been mediocre or worse for most of the three games, but he has been able to make plays late to overcome that and earn two wins.
Either way, it is a very small sample size, but so far, so good for Monken and the Browns as they look to change their reputation around the league.
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