Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken stands by a risky fourth-down gamble and a questionable challenge in win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Vows to stay aggressive in the future.
The Cleveland Browns got a much-needed win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday to open the season 1-1. It was a much-needed win for new head coach Todd Monken, but even by his own admission, things were far from perfect in Week 2.
In fact, on two different occasions in the first half Monken made questionable decisions that could have ultimately blown up in his face had Cleveland lost. One day after earning his first win as a head coach in the NFL, Monken tried to explain both moves.
The first one came in the form of a bit of a head-scratching challenge attempt with 6:30 to go in the second quarter. Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton caught a short pass from Baker Mayfield on an out route that was good for three yards, but immediately had the ball punched out by Denzel Ward for what was ruled a catch and a fumble.
Monken threw the challenge flag to make the officials review whether or not it was actually an incomplete pass. Essentially, Monken was fighting over three yards, wanting the Bucs to run their next play backed up in third-and-eight instead of third-and-five. Either way, though, the Browns defense was set up with an opportunity to get off the field.
"The [difference] between 3rd-and-4 and 3rd-and-8 to me is, is pretty big," Monken explained. "And between upstairs and myself, we didn't think he got the third foot down on the first view, and then we got a second view. I was like, well, maybe he did.
"I don't regret it. I mean, the call sheet's different from 3rd and 4 to 3rd and 8. You could argue like, 'well, was it really worth it for a 4-yard gain?' Well, at that time of the game, it's early in the game, uh, getting off the field was important to me, and I just happened to be wrong."
Ultimately, the Buccaneers picked up the third down after the call on the field stood, but the Browns defense got off the field two plays later, after a holding call pushed them back into a third-and-15 instead.
It worked out for Cleveland in the end, but it seemed like small potatoes at the time and keeping the timeout was probably more valuable than three yards in the grand scheme of things.
Funny enough, the second questionable decision came on the ensuing series for the Browns offense. Facing a fourth-and-one from his own 34, Monken kept the offense on the field, looking for some momentum with his team locked in a 6-6 tie.
The call was a Quinshon Judkins run into the B gap on the right side, which was absolutely stuffed by Tampa Bay, which took over with incredible field position that turned into a field goal and a 9-6 lead that the Bucs took into the break.
Monken made it clear one day later, he regrets nothing.
"I'm gonna go for it again when we have inches to go," he asserted. "In that situation, we probably would have run the sneak [with Harold Fannin Jr.], but after botching that, that wasn't an option. I'm gonna be aggressive, I'm gonna play to win the game.
"And I'm more disappointed in our execution of it, our decision, maybe, in the type of play, but I'm going to be aggressive if I don't want to give the ball back to them when it's inches. We have to be able to sneak it and we have to be able to get it when the opportunity arises."
Fortunately for Monken, gifting the Bucs three points didn't come back to bite the Browns. In today's day and age, staying aggressive in a situation like that is par for the course, so it sounds like that mentality won't be changing anytime soon for Cleveland's head man.
