Todd Monken had a coaching debut to forget.
The Cleveland Browns rookie head coach faced quarterback questions all offseason long as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders battled for the starting job. Watson eventually won out, getting the nod in Week 1 and taking his first regular season snaps since Oct. 20, 2024.
And Watson didn't make his head coach look good in a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was intercepted once and sacked five times. Coming out of a preseason that was also uneven, many are already wondering if it's time for Sanders to step in.
Monken isn't ready to pull the plug yet. He told reporters after the game that Watson isn't the only problem.
“We’ll analyze everything that we do," Monken said. "It’s not just him. We’re putting
this on Deshaun, which is unfair. Whatever there is externally, doesn’t matter to me. That doesn’t affect me. That has nothing to do with my decision making. My decision making is what’s best for the Browns now and moving forward.”
The coach was fiery during his media availability, disappointed with the outcome in Week 1. He noted that the inability to get a first down and get off the field on third down is a "recipe to get run out of the arena."
Monken wasn't willing to make excuses about the weather or crowd noise, adding that he isn't down, just disappointed.
"I didn’t take this job to lose," Monken said.
Ultimately, the coach didn't want to reflect too much on Watson, saying that he watch the tape to get a better idea of the performance. If anything, Monken gave off an impression that he expects the film will look better than it did in the moment.
"It’s never as bad as you think and it’s usually never as good as you think," Monken said.
Monken was quick to point the finger at himself for the Browns' shortcomings, which is admirable. However, the home crowd showed little patience in the preseason, especially with Watson.
The Browns still have another road contest before facing their fans at home. Monken might not be ready to make the quarterback change, but the fans certainly were during the offseason.
And if history is any indication, the paying customer will eventually get their way.
Watson and the Browns will focus on a Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If they fail to be competitive again, who knows what Monken will face ahead of his team's first home game in Week 3.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Todd Monken says it's 'unfair' to put Browns struggles on Deshaun Watson
