Todd Monken explains why he chose a risky overtime two-point conversion against New Orleans, standing by his coaching philosophy.
Todd Monken is not interested in playing it safe. That’s especially true when he believes his team has a chance to win. The Cleveland Browns head coach demonstrated that philosophy in Sunday’s heartbreaking 23-22 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints. He chose to go for a two-point conversion rather than settle for an extra point and another period of football. Although the attempt failed, Monken stood firmly behind his decision. He made it clear that he wanted the victory, not another opportunity to survive.
After Shedeur Sanders led Cleveland to a touchdown in overtime, the Browns needed just one conversion to tie the game. Instead, Monken sent his offense back onto the field for the win. He explained afterward that giving New Orleans another possession with two timeouts remaining was a risk he did not want to take.
Todd Monken on going for 2 at the end. Says New Orleans would have been in 2-min mode with 2 timeouts and he didn’t want to give them the ball back pic.twitter.com/hBVjgVie9M
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) November 8, 2026
“Tie or lose is what you’re saying, if you kick this one, that’s my opinion,” Monken said, via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “You’re saying tie or lose, and in that moment I said, nah, that’s not me. So we’re gonna go for the win right here, and it’s gonna be win or lose.”
The decision reflected Monken’s aggressive approach throughout his first season in Cleveland. His 2026 campaign has featured five fourth-quarter comebacks. He helped the Browns build a 5-2 start before consecutive defeats exposed ongoing problems with pass protection. Cleveland has surrendered an NFL-high 40 sacks through nine games. Those include eight in its recent loss to Pittsburgh.
Now sitting at 5-4, Monken faces another important test against the Houston Texans in Week 10. His overtime gamble did not pay off. However, his message was unmistakable: the Browns intend to play to win, not simply avoid losing.
Todd Monken is not interested in playing it safe. That’s especially true when he believes his team has a chance to win. The Cleveland Browns head coach demonstrated that philosophy in Sunday’s heartbreaking 23-22 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints. He chose to go for a two-point conversion rather than settle for an extra point and another period of football.
