Todd Monken's gutsy OT call failed, but Browns coach sent the right message | Opinion
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At least Todd Monken had the guts to go for broke.
No, it didn’t quite work out. The Cleveland Browns lost in overtime on Sunday when their fiery coach opted to try winning at New Orleans with a two-point conversion rather than extending the game with a PAT kick.
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And what a disaster. The play was blown up by a heavy rush that forced a Shedeur Sanders incompletion. Even if the Brown had converted – following Harold Fannin’s scintillating, 39-yard catch-and-run TD – it would have been wiped out by Tytus Howard’s blatant holding call.
Saints 23, Browns 22.
Time for some 20-20 hindsight.
“You’re not going to get the ball back, probably, so you’re really saying tie or lose. That’s my opinion,” Monken explained after Cleveland (5-4) dropped a second consecutive game.
“In that moment, I said, ‘Nah, that’s not me. So, we’re going to go for the win right here and it’s going to be win or lose.'"
Hey, as the noted football philosopher Bruce Arians liked to say, “No risk-it, no bisquit.”
No, this isn’t the same ole “Browns is the Browns” operation under their first-year coach. And Monken’s decision, even if it didn’t work, underscored a culture change that is not short on pushing the envelope. I’m not blaming Monken for his aggressive, win-or-else decision, although the play’s design can invite scrutiny. The Saints (3-5) had two timeouts after Cleveland matched their OT touchdown with a minute remaining on the clock.
Go for it.
Of course, Monken isn’t in it for moral victories. Yet there’s something to be said for walking the talk. The coach praised his team for battling, and for having a chance to win as Sanders made his first start of the season with Deshaun Watson inactive after missing practice while in concussion protocol.
Still, if the Browns wind up missing the playoffs by a game (or a tie), they can also reflect black on the blown opportunities inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that might have prevented the OT drama.
The Browns were twice set up inside the Saints’ 3-yard line and squandered those golden chances with some shaky execution near the goal line. In the second quarter, they turned it over on downs after an apparently mistimed exchange contributed to Quinshon Judkins getting stuffed on a fourth-and-goal from the 1. In the third quarter, after Sanders’ 60-yard completion to Denzel Boston moved the football to the 3, they settled for a short field goal after Judkins was dropped for a 2-yard loss and Sanders was sacked for a 7-yard loss.
Growing pains, which culminated at the end.
Sanders, who was sacked five times, pointed to himself when asked by the final play. And Monken wouldn’t provide specifics on the play’s design.
“All that’s on me, because I scrambled on that,” Sanders said. “Next time we get in that situation, I will have a better plan of what to do.”
Sanders, who started seven games as a rookie in 2025, undoubtedly had his moments. He posted a career-high 114.6 passer rating, completing 19 of 37 passes for 297 yards, with two TDs and no interceptions. He also converted a third down with a nifty 11-yard scramble.
“I’m really proud of him,” Monken said. “How hard he’s worked since I’ve been here. He wasn’t perfect. I wasn’t perfect. For a guy that really hasn’t taken snaps with the (starters) in 10 weeks…to come in there and battle, really, really proud of him.”
Monken praised how Sanders has matured as a player, asking keen questions and giving substantial feedback in communicating with coaches. Which begged the question of whether Monken has another crucial decision to make as it involves whether Sanders has shown enough to keep Watson on the bench.
I’m doubting that, but here’s how Monken handled the query: “I’m not getting into quarterbacking 30 minutes after the game.”
After all, that’s a decision that can wait until the time is ripe.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Todd Monken's gutsy OT call failed, but Browns coach sent the right message | Opinion