Young teams come with a built-in excuse. When things go wrong, it is easy to point to inexperience, rookie mistakes and players still learning what it takes to win in the NFL. Some coaches lean on that explanation to protect their players after a rough day. Todd Monken made it clear he wants nothing to do with it.
Monken was asked after Sunday’s 27-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers whether the performance was a product of having a young roster.
“I think that’s just an excuse. That’s an excuse. Do we have a young team? Of course, we have a young team. Does that exonerate ourselves from two turnovers the first two drives and keeping our poise or playing at a high level…otherwise, what are the other 5 wins? It’s bull****. It’s a frickin’ excuse,” Monken said.
"I think that's just an excuse. That's an excuse. Do we have a young team? Of course, we have a young team. Does that exonerate ourselves from two turnovers the first two drives and keeping our poise or playing at a high level…otherwise, what are the other 5 wins? It's… pic.twitter.com/otq2eZZ30q
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) November 1, 2026
Monken’s point is hard to argue with. The Browns have the 2nd-youngest roster in the league, but that same group won 5 of its first 7 games, all by 4 points or fewer. If inexperience did not stop them in those games, it cannot explain what happened in Pittsburgh.
The start set the tone. Cleveland turned the ball over on its first 2 drives, and the Steelers jumped out to a lead they never gave back. From there, the Browns kept making mistakes, going 0-for-3 in the red zone, failing on both 4th-down attempts and committing 9 penalties for 85 yards.
His comment about poise may be the most important part. The Browns were flagged for taunting twice while trailing by 21.
This is not the first time he has used strong language to make a point. After the Week 2 win in Tampa Bay, he rejected the idea that this would be the same old Browns, and his team answered with a stretch of wins that put it in 1st place. Earlier Sunday, he said simply that his team “earned that one.”
The Browns are now 5-3, a game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. They visit the New Orleans Saints next Sunday, 2 days before the November 10 trade deadline.
Monken made it clear that excuses will not be accepted, and the players’ response in New Orleans will show whether the message got through.
NEXT: Jared Verse Sends Clear Message After Browns’ Loss To Steelers
