‘They better get us now’ – Browns HC Todd Monken got bold after Cleveland’s Week 1 loss to the Jaguars
Todd Monken didn’t hold back with how he’s feeling about his Browns following a blowout loss to start the season on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Cleveland Browns opened the 2026 NFL season with a 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and there wasn’t much to feel good about walking out of that one.
Cleveland managed just 272 total yards against Jacksonville’s 360, and the defense had no answer for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who carved up the Browns’ secondary all afternoon. After the game, Browns coach Todd Monken struck a defiant tone despite the lopsided result.
“I’m not down, I’m disappointed. I mean, you’re not going to get me down,” Monken stated. “I mean, waited a long time to be a head coach in this league, man. It’s freaking awesome. And we’re not where we want to be, and they better get us now. I mean, because again, we’ve got a good young group, and we just didn’t play well today.”
Browns’ youth showed in Week 1
Cleveland is one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, and it showed in the season opener. The Browns saw flashes from young players like wide receivers Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, offensive lineman Austin Barber, and No. 9 overall pick Spencer Fano. Those glimpses of potential were real, but they were buried under a mountain of mistakes that young teams tend to make early in a season.
The Jaguars controlled the game from start to finish. Lawrence finished 18-of-23 passing for 245 yards, four touchdown passes, and zero interceptions. He was sacked just one time and spread the ball around effectively, with six Jacksonville players recording at least 20 receiving yards. Cleveland’s defense simply could not get off the field.
Road gets tougher with Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers next
The Browns now sit at 0-1 with another road game ahead in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield. That’s not exactly the soft landing a young team needs after an opener like this one. Mayfield and the Bucs are coming off of a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and it’s going to be a tough test.
Monken’s postgame comments point to a coach who believes better football is on the way from his group. For a team this young, bumps and bruises were always going to be part of the process. The question now is how quickly Cleveland can clean up the mistakes and start turning those flashes from its young core into consistent production.
