The Cleveland Browns hoped to generate some positive developments in their second preseason game on Saturday against the Buffalo Bills, but after getting blown out again by a score of 31-7, there really isn’t much for the fans to get excited about. The offense was stagnant once again while the defense got shredded both through the air and on the ground.
Shedeur Sanders started the game and did a solid job until he eventually threw an interception, finishing his day 9-of-11 for 74 yards and a touchdown to go along with that pick. Deshaun Watson was notably worse in his quarter of play, completing just five of 12 passes for 36 yards and a bad pick of his own.
Head coach Todd Monken opened up about the loss with the media after the game, and he was understandably not too thrilled. However, he put a positive spin on things and stressed that they’re all in this together and he loves the guys in the building with him.
“Proud of the way we started off the game. Second week in a row I felt like we started off well. It got away from us in the second half. The bottom line is it doesn’t matter who takes the field for us. It’s the expectations of themselves, their names on the back, and the expectations of us as an organization and how we’re going to play. That was not good enough, the second half. It never will be. We’re in this together. I love our guys, I love the way we work, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” said Monken.
Todd Monken’s thoughts on #Browns 31-7 preseason loss to #Bills pic.twitter.com/KeKAMpj1XX
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) August 23, 2026
This clip is a good representation of who Monken is as a coach. He is never going to sugarcoat things, but he also wears his heart on his sleeve and knows how to keep things in perspective. These two preseason games were mostly awful, but they’re still just preseason games and almost none of the starters played today.
That being said, he was honest about still expecting more from everyone, including himself. He has been open about working to change the culture in Cleveland and develop this organization into a model franchise that other teams are going to want to emulate for years after he is gone.
The young talent in this organization is the most exciting thing the fans have to look forward to in 2026. Hopefully one of these quarterbacks can emerge and produce at even a league-average level so the season isn’t a waste. Let’s all hope these two preseason games are examples of Sanders and Watson just getting all the turnovers out of the way before Week 1.
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