Todd Monken Earns High Praise Early in Browns Tenure

Entering Week 5 of the NFL season, the Cleveland Browns sit with a record of 3-1 after winning three straight games.

Cleveland has been one of the bigger surprises in the NFL this year, especially after they dropped Week 1 of the season. The Browns were blown out in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving thought to another long season for this franchise.

But in the three weeks since, Cleveland has been able to turn things around fully, with them looking like a possible playoff team. The success of the Browns has gotten to the point where some are looking at them with a chance to win the AFC North, which would be the first time in the organization's history.

One of the bigger reasons for the emergence of the Browns this year has been head coach Todd Monken, who is in his first season with the organization. Monken has gotten his players to rally together, blocking out all the outside noise surrounding the group.

Due to this, Cleveland has been able to see a lot of success, winning games that historically, the Browns would have lost. Monken has his impact all over the team, and he will be a key piece in helping the group stay the course the rest of the way.

NFL analyst Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report graded all new head coaches around the league, looking at their performances as a whole. For Monken, he was given a letter grade of "B+", which seems to be accurate so far.

Monken can't be given an "A" because of the way that Cleveland lost the first week of the season. But since that game, the veteran coach has seemed to get his players in shape regarding their play on the field.

The Browns will be taking on the New York Jets this week, with the team looking for a chance to go 4-1. If they can beat the Jets, it would mark only the second time since 1994 that Cleveland has started a year in this manner.

But the Browns aren't going to get ahead of themselves; instead, the team is trying to take things one game at a time, allowing the results to speak for themselves. Cleveland has a solid roster in place, and if they can keep up the strong production on the field, the playoffs aren't out of the question at all.