Monken blitzes – Todd Monken says he thanked Lamar Jackson after landing the Browns head coaching job, but also told the quarterback that Cleveland will blitz him every third down—an exchange that ended with Jackson laughing.
Todd Monken’s first message to Lamar Jackson after taking the Browns’ head coaching job wasn’t just gratitude. It was a warning, delivered with enough confidence to make the MVP laugh.
In an interview with Brian Wacker of the Baltimore Sun, Monken described texting Jackson after the move and calling him a “tremendous person.” Monken said he told Jackson he “wouldn’t have this job without him,” then added that the warm feelings came with a condition.
“Then I said, ‘go f—k yourself,’” Monken said. “We are going to blitz you every third down. He laughed.”
The exchange captures the strange bridge between what Monken built in Baltimore and what he’s now trying to do as Cleveland’s coach. Monken spent three seasons as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. and while they didn’t win a Super Bowl. his résumé was strong enough to earn him the Browns’ top job this offseason.
Jackson’s recent numbers show why Monken would feel both grateful and energized. The quarterback won the MVP in 2023 and finished second in voting in 2024. But in both seasons. the Ravens were eliminated in close playoff games. and the quarterback’s injuries helped keep them out of the playoffs in 2025.
Monken pointed to the reality of coaching turnover after that run, saying that “everything has a shelf life” as the reason the Ravens made changes on the coaching side after the season.
With Cleveland now looking at Monken’s offensive background and Jackson as the centerpiece of their division. the promise of pressure has immediate consequences—especially on third down. where game plans often get decided. Monken’s job now is to stop the very quarterback he had been helping lead toward a championship.
That context matters because Monken didn’t land Cleveland in a vacuum. The account notes Cleveland had interest in him, and it suggests he may have been moving on either way. Either way. the Browns’ next chapter begins with a familiar figure from Baltimore—and Monken’s insistence that the blitz plan won’t be seasonal sentiment. It will be the schedule.
Todd Monken Lamar Jackson Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens head coach offensive coordinator MVP third down blitz
Blitz every third down? That sounds like a Madden setting lol.
He told Lamar to go eff yourself and then laughed?? Like ok bro, that’s either hilarious or super unprofessional. Also blitzing every third down feels like it’ll get exposed fast.
Wait so Monken is the reason Lamar got MVP? But now he’s trying to “stop” him… so does that mean the Browns are basically gonna play Ravens like every week? I don’t get it. Also injuries kept them out in 2025 or was that coaching shelf life thing.
Every third down blitz is gonna wear out the defense and then everyone will act shocked when it’s not working. I mean I get it pressure blah blah but Cleveland’s line has been shaky before. And the whole “shelf life” thing like coaches just expire? guess that means Ravens deserved it for not winning the Super Bowl anyway.