If Only the Browns’ QB Play Were as Scintillating as Their HC’s Interviews

Rich has found his favorite new follow in the NFL, and it is the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

"Todd Monken, man. He's great. God, I love every word he says," Rich said. "Because he will tell you what he's thinking."

More than that, Rich said, Monken sticks to his beliefs. Everybody assumed Monken's belief in Deshaun Watson had to come from ownership or management, that a thumb was on the scale. It doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't matter that Watson averaged fewer than three air yards per attempt in the win over the Bucs. He didn't turn it over, and he made the plays at the end in a way Tampa could not, with a Browns defense that looked "pretty damn good."

Now comes the part nobody thought would happen: Watson's first home start of the season in Cleveland. Rich laid out the history. The way things went the last time Watson played in that stadium in the preseason. How he got the job. How they looked against Jacksonville. The fan base that either didn't want him or that he had already alienated, even though, Rich noted, some of those fans alienated him first by cheering his injury a couple years ago.

Watson, for his part, said the right thing when asked about the reception. "I don't never try to go to war with the fans," he said. "Ready for support, ready to feel their energy, ready to get this big dub for the city of Cleveland." His motto, he said, is to keep pushing forward and find a way to win on Sunday.

The opponent is Carolina, and Rich expects a real game. Bryce Young has Coker, Terrace Marshall and McMillan, two of whom currently rank fifth and ninth in receiving yards through two weeks. On the Cleveland side, Denzel Boston has proven to be a threat. The crew's note was simpler: the Browns have to get the run game going.

Then Rich got back to the part he cares about most. "When Todd Monken talks, I don't know what he's about to say, but I don't care. I just want Todd Monken sound bites." Asked what advice he gave Watson before stepping in front of the Dawg Pound, Monken delivered.

"What have you done all the work for, man? What have you worked 22 months to come back to play and give yourself a chance to play at a high level?" he said. "I said let it rip. What do you have to fear? Let it rip, man. You've already had a hell of a career already and man, let's just go down fighting."

The crew loved it. One of them summed up Monken as a guy who has been a football coach forever, is finally getting his shot, and has to talk about this every single day. The reaction in studio was essentially to put it on a banner. Somebody else went further: Cleveland's going to make the playoffs. Another voice reminded everyone he had the Browns as a sleeper team, and the room marveled at how fast the mood swings from week one's "what a disaster" to week two.

Then the crew went to the betting board. Watson for Comeback Player of the Year is 75 to 1. Monken for Coach of the Year is 22 to 1, the same as Ben Johnson, which drew a "That's insane," though the crew pointed out that after Johnson's season last year, doing it again now just counts as meeting expectations. Kellen Moore is currently the favorite through two weeks.

And Jim Harbaugh? Dead last at 80 to 1, tied with Dan Quinn. The show promised to keep monitoring that one week to week and watch it rise like Lazarus.

That set up the finale. A parlay of Harbaugh for Coach of the Year and Watson for Comeback Player of the Year pays 6,000 dollars on a 1 dollar bet. It was quickly christened one of Chris Brockman's wild futures.

If Watson's play ever gets as entertaining as his head coach's press conferences, Cleveland might not need the long shots.