A victory over a divisional rival would usually give an NFL locker room every reason to celebrate. And after the Cleveland Browns edged the Baltimore Ravens 13-10, Deshaun Watson was ready to bring his teammates together off the field for celebration. However, the quarterback’s decision to host a party at his home sparked questions about the timing and drew attention to the Browns’ priorities after a hard-fought win.
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Meanwhile, HC Todd Monken had one surprising admission, as he had no idea until a few minutes before the party.
“First off, I had no idea. I had no idea you tried to throw the crib out there,” Monken told the reporters. “That was pretty cool. I didn’t know anything about it until Peter brought it up, about five minutes before it. We were in the locker room, and I think somebody mentioned post-game.”
“Something like a party at Sean’s or something. And then he said, ‘Yeah, come on over.’ And I thought he was just joking… So obviously, they went to his house Monday… I wouldn’t have mattered anyways. I mean, when they show up here on Wednesday, they expect us to have a better plan than we had last week.”
Rather than criticizing the QB for throwing a party so early, he emphasized that the team’s priority was improving its performance. Someone has mentioned a gathering after the game, but Monken initially assumed the invitation was a joke.
“The guys have been wanting to come by the house, and I think the timing was just everything,” Watson explained afterwards. “After the game, they were just like ‘party at 4’s crib,’ so I just made it happen.”
The head coach shifted the focus from the party and back towards the Browns’ preparations, especially after their comeback win against the Ravens. He saw the players’ willingness to spend time together outside the facility as a positive sign for a team trying to build a stronger identity.
“I think the more you spend time with someone, the more you embrace them, the more you connect, the more you grow closer to loving that person, the harder it is to let them down. And I think that’s a big part of it,” Monken added.
Monken’s perspective gave a different angle on the controversy. The gathering was after Cleveland’s win, in which Watson set up the decisive field goal with a 33-yard completion to Jerry Jeudy. It moved Cleveland to 4-2 and gave the team another late-game comeback to celebrate.
Monken made clear that the result did not overshadow the offensive problems that had surfaced during the game.
The Browns managed only 46 total yards in the first half against Baltimore and struggled to sustain drives before rallying after halftime. That uneven performance explained why the coach is focused on improving the game plan rather than questioning how his players spent their time together.
However, that offensive struggle was the reason Matt Sullivan of the Sporting News claimed it was quite early for the Browns to celebrate. There is a long season still ahead. Also, their win against the Ravens came when Lamar Jackson was absent, which might have been encouraging for the Browns.
Now Cleveland needs to ensure that the positive chemistry extends beyond celebrations. With the team aiming to stay competitive in the AFC North, their next move is to deliver a more consistent performance on the field.
Watson’s party may have brought the team together off it, but Monken will be looking for that connection to produce better football when the browns return to game action.