Playing with an edge can make a young team dangerous. It helps a roster push back against bigger opponents, survive hostile crowds and win games that look lost. But that edge has to come with discipline, or it starts costing more than it gains. After Sunday’s blowout in Pittsburgh, one former Browns player believes Cleveland has crossed that line.
LeCharles Bentley did not hold back after the 27-6 loss to the Steelers.
“Just an undisciplined football team. It was excusable early on… the “edge” was needed… at this point, clown show. Now it’s just sloppy and unserious. Time for Monken to pull it in a bit,” Bentley said.
Just an undisciplined football team. It was excusable early on… the “edge” was needed… at this point, clown show. Now it’s just sloppy and unserious. Time for Monken to pull it in a bit.
— LeCharles Bentley (@64AMDG) November 1, 2026
The numbers back up his point about discipline. The Browns were flagged 9 times for 85 yards on Sunday. They entered Week 5 as the most penalized team in the league, were flagged 14 times in the first meeting with Pittsburgh and 12 times against the Carolina Panthers.
The issues go beyond penalties. Over the past 3 weeks, Carson Schwesinger, Luke Wypler and Daniel Thomas were all fined for illegal hits, and on Sunday the Browns lost 2 fumbles, went 0-for-3 in the red zone and failed on both 4th-down attempts.
Bentley’s line about the edge being needed early is fair. Todd Monken has embraced a scrappy identity, and that attitude helped a young team bounce back from the 34-10 loss in Jacksonville and win 5 of its next 6 games, all by 4 points or fewer.
But the week leading up to this game showed the downside. Jared Verse said he was not worried about Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh’s offensive line or anyone else on the Steelers. Heyward finished with 1.5 sacks, T.J. Watt added 2, and Deshaun Watson was sacked 8 times. Verse did not record a sack.
Monken has addressed the sloppiness before. He called out the penalties after the Carolina win, said the team was not clean enough after the loss to the New York Jets and opened his press conference after the Tennessee win by saying it was “not perfect at all.” Bentley’s point is that saying it is no longer enough.
The good news is that the fix is in the Browns’ control. Young teams can learn discipline, and this roster has already shown it can respond to adversity. That response needs to come quickly, with a trip to New Orleans next Sunday and 1st place in the AFC North now in Pittsburgh’s hands.
NEXT: Fans React To Browns' Blowout Loss To Steelers
