Todd Monken Fires Back at Mike Tomlin as Browns-Steelers Rivalry Heats Up Again

The Browns-Steelers rivalry doesn't need the two teams to actually be playing each other to stay interesting, and Sunday proved it once again. After Cleveland picked up its first win of the season, head coach Todd Monken made it clear that a comment made earlier this year by former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hadn't been forgotten.

Where It Started

The whole thing traces back to Cleveland's Week 1 loss, when Tomlin, now working as an analyst for NBC, used the phrase "the Browns are gonna Brown" while discussing the team on television. The comment spread quickly and became a bit of a talking point around the league.

Monken's Response

Fast forward to Sunday, when the Browns finally got into the win column. Monken didn't let the moment pass quietly. He addressed Tomlin's comment directly and delivered an emotional response, suggesting his players used the criticism as fuel heading into the game. The comments spread just as fast as Tomlin's original line, quickly becoming one of the bigger storylines to come out of Cleveland's win.

Tomlin Fires Back

Tomlin wasn't going to let that go unanswered either. Appearing on NBC's Football Night in America, he joked that he was glad he could still provide motivation for a team even though he's no longer coaching. He also gave Cleveland some credit, pointing out the improvement the Browns showed from Week 1 to Week 2, particularly on defense.

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