A coach can come into an NFL team with all of the accolades and reputation one might want. But until that starts to pay off in victories, there will always be some doubt that he’s cut out for the job.
As one of the oldest first-time NFL head coaches in history, there was already some built-in concern about Todd Monken taking over the Cleveland Browns, despite his status as a well-regarded, longtime assistant in the league. Then, after his team looked completely overmatched in a Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, even more questions started to arise.
Fortunately, Monken showed why he is so confident in himself and what he is capable of by getting the Browns to rebound for an upset win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. It was a necessary result that should continue to pay dividends going forward.
According to analyst Tytus Powell, Monken’s stock just went up in the locker room, as players got to experience firsthand that his methods do work.
“I think now that you’ve won, there’s a trust factor that comes into it. Things are looking a little bit different here. So there’s a little more buy-in. Now, more guys are like, ‘I can see the vision,'” Powell said.
Winning changes EVERYTHING. 👀🏈@1Tyvis says Todd Monken earned MORE BUY-IN from the #Browns locker room after pulling off the upset against the #Buccaneers. 🔥
▶️ https://t.co/OsJdeJ83gr pic.twitter.com/muSgUQxXxy
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) September 22, 2026
Monken further added to his legitimacy by taking on some dismissive comments that were made by Mike Tomlin following the season-opening loss. By making it clear that he and his team won’t stand for such rhetoric with a NSFW declaration after his first win, the 60-year-old enhanced his standing with his players.
It is even more important considering how young many of them are. With 21 either rookies or in their second season, they likely don’t know what they should expect from their head coach. But if they experience success, it is easier for them to believe that this must be the right way to do things.
There were also some fair concerns to be raised regarding Monken’s decision to name Deshaun Watson the starting quarterback ahead of Shedeur Sanders. Because the veteran has shown he is still a functioning NFL quarterback who can win games in the league, that can be put to rest as well.
Now, Monken must continue to build on his success by making sure his players avoid a letdown in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers.
NEXT: Chris Simms Reveals How Fans Will Likely React To Deshaun Watson Sunday
