CLEVELAND (AP) — Todd Monken's faith in what the Browns could do in his first season as coach hasn't wavered, even when Cleveland was blown out at Jacksonville in the season opener.
Not only did the Browns bounce back from that 34-10 defeat, they have gone on a run to the top of the AFC North.
Thursday night's 27-24 win over Pittsburgh has Cleveland 3-1 for the first time since 2023.
“If you said that was the way we would start the season (in Jacksonville) after the way we worked, I would have said you’re nuts. And if you’d have said we’d be 3-1 after that first game, I would’ve said you’re nuts. But that’s a credit to our players, because all they do is just work,” Monken said.
Deshaun Watson has led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter in the last three games, the first Browns quarterback with such a streak since Brian Sipe in 1979.
Against the Steelers, Watson had his best passing game of the season. After relying on short passes for the first three games, the 10-year veteran had five deep throws (at least 20 air yards), including a 29-yard throw to Denzel Boston that ended up being a 60-yard gain during the second quarter.
“He believes in all of us,” Watson said of Monken. “For him to be able to trust me in these moments is major. Coach Monken is awesome, I love playing for him and he’s going to always make sure he tries to bring the best of out each other.”
The defense changed its strategy after the opener by bringing more pressure. After having a 12% blitz rate and 24% pressure rate in Week 1, the Browns have blitzed on nearly one-third of snaps and have generated pressure 43% of the time. Cleveland had a season-high five sacks on Thursday night.
Even though Monken has made believers of his team outside the locker room, he stresses that the Browns remain a work in progress at the one-quarter mark of the season.
“Again, we’re always under construction, all of us, the older guys and then the younger players that are in there, that are just going to continue to get better,” he said. “Certainly, there’s some things we do schematically to help them, but I think they’re going to continue to get better.”
Rookie wide receivers KC Concepcion and Boston combined for nine catches for 153 yards against the Steelers. Concepcion is tied with Harold Fannin Jr. for the team lead in receptions with 17, while Boston has four catches of at least 28 yards.
Reducing penalties. The Browns were flagged 14 times for 88 yards, including nine in the first half. Their 43 accepted penalties are the most in team history four games, surpassing their 42 in 1951.
Corey Bojorquez had a 62.5-yard gross average on his four punts, including an 81-yarder in the fourth quarter. That was the third punt of his career that went at least 80 yards.
Cornerback Myles Harden was targeted seven times and allowed four receptions for 117 yards and a touchdown.
An MRI on Friday revealed defensive tackle Mason Graham sustained a left MCL sprain and an ankle sprain during the first quarter. His return will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. That is good news for the Browns, who initially feared the 2025 first-round pick might have sustained a season-ending knee injury. Center Elgton Jenkins (concussion) was inactive.
20 — Consecutive games in which Fannin has had at least two receptions, tied for the third-longest streak by a tight end to begin his career.
The Browns will enjoy their mini-bye. Players are off until Tuesday before beginning preparations for their Oct. 11 game at the New York Jets.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson celebrates after their win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Cleveland Browns place kicker Andre Szmyt celebrates after scoring the game winning field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken watches during the second half of an NFL football game in Cleveland, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Stephen Vogt and Will Venable don't need to pore over extra scouting reports as the Cleveland Guardians get set to host the Chicago White Sox in Saturday's Game 1 of the AL Division Series.
The AL Central rivals last faced each other two weeks ago, when the Guardians took two of three and moved into the division lead. Cleveland ended up winning its third straight division title and 14th since 1995.
Chicago won the season series 7-6 after Cleveland took 11 of 13 in 2025.
It's the third straight year the Guardians will open the postseason against a division opponent. They faced Detroit in the 2024 Division Series and in the Wild Card Series last year.
“There’s a little bit of a rivalry there because all three years that’s who you’ve been racing with to get in. There’s emotion. There’s a lot of things that make this series really exciting,” said Vogt, Cleveland's manager. “I do think there’s no secrets. We know them. They know us. So it’s just go out and execute and let’s see who can win three games before the other team.”
Venable pointed out that only one run separated the teams this season. Chicago had a 58-57 edge.
“I mean, it really has been crazy kind of the back and forth that we’ve had all year. So we’re excited about the opportunity to play these guys, but we know full well how challenging it is to beat them,” the White Sox manager said.
Chicago comes in with momentum after its two-game Wild Card Series sweep at Houston. Nine players made their postseason debuts in that series, including second baseman Chase Meidroth and catcher Kyle Teel. Meidroth went 4 for 7 with a homer and four RBIs against the Astros, while Teel was 3 for 10. Teel also was successful on all five of his ABS challenges behind the plate.
Cleveland (85-77) has the third-youngest lineup in the American League and used 145 different batting orders this season. Depending on final roster decisions, the Guardians could have as many as seven players making their postseason debut, including Jo Adell, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels near the trade deadline.
Both teams will send rookies to the mound in Game 1 with Chicago’s Hagen Smith opposing Cleveland’s Parker Messick. According to Sportradar, it will be the 23rd postseason game in which both teams used a rookie starting pitcher.
Chicago will begin the series with a bullpen game. Smith will be the opener again after throwing three scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 6-3 victory at Houston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA) made three appearances against Cleveland in the regular season, going 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA. The left-hander allowed the go-ahead run during the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 6-3 victory on Sept. 16 that moved the Guardians into the AL Central lead.
“I think he gives us a really good shot up front here. I do feel like we can lean on some of the bullpen arms to get us through some bulk here and Hagen is as good as any for us,” Venable said.
Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA) will go against the White Sox for the fifth time this season. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has won his last two starts against Chicago.
“Every lineup you’re going to face is pretty good. And I’ve got just as much information on them as they do on me, so I think it’s just best stuff on best stuff and whoever executes more pitches is going to win and whoever hits more mistakes is going to win,” Messick said.
The heartiest of White Sox fans, including Pope Leo XIV, could have envisioned their dramatic turnaround from three consecutive 100-loss seasons to winning their first postseason series in 21 years.
Vogt saw signs beginning last season that Chicago's rebuild would take root.
“I thought they had some really good players last year but records don’t always tell the full story of a team. You could tell at spring training (this year) this is going to be a different team. What they’ve done putting it together has been really cool,” Vogt said.
Cleveland is batting .255 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, second-best in the American League. The Guardians were 14th with a .231 average before adding Adell and Nathaniel Lowe. Adell had a team-leading 32 RBIs since coming to the Guardians while Lowe drove in 27, including a big league-best eight sacrifice flies.
Steven Kwan's .353 batting average since the All-Star break was best in the majors.
While Cleveland was the only team in the majors without a batter who hit 20 home runs, Chicago had three with at least 30. Japanese rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami led the way with 35, followed by Miguel Vargas (33) and Colson Montgomery (31).
Vargas went 14 of 46 with three homers and 10 RBIs against the Guardians this season. Montgomery also had three homers but was 9 of 47, and Murakami went 3 of 19 while going deep twice.
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Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable (1) reaches for the game ball from relief pitcher pitcher Sean Newcomb (15) to make a pitching change during the fifth inning in Game 1 of baseball's American League Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt walks to the mound to make a pitching change during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
