After a 2025 season where the Cleveland offense grinded to a halt, limping to a brutal 31st-place finish in points per game, the arrival of Todd Monken as head coach feels like there’s real hope.
The passing game was inconsistent with zero creativity last year. However, Monken’s history suggests he has the exact “blueprint” needed to spark a turnaround using the Zay Flowers strategy.
In Baltimore, Monken didn’t let a receiver’s size or “prototypical role” limit them. Zay Flowers is smaller than both Jerry Jeudy and Isaiah Bond, yet Monken schemed him into a dominant force. This past season Flowers delivered his most productive year yet in both receptions (86) and yards (1,211).
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The plan for Cleveland is clear: use a heavy dose of creative screen plays to get the ball into the playmakers’ hands early, mixed with over-the-top deep shots that force safeties to back off.
For Jeudy, this means finally moving away from stagnant route trees and into a system that prioritizes “room to breathe.” Monken is a master at creating situational leverage, giving his receivers the space they need to make plays after the catch. Bond, with his elite speed, is the perfect candidate to replicate Flowers’ vertical threat, as well as quick open looks out of the slot, stretching defenses until they snap.
By mirroring the way he weaponized Flowers to stress defenses both horizontally and vertically, he’s set to turn Jeudy and Bond into the high-octane duo this city has been waiting for. Plus, GM Andrew Berry will surely add another receiving weapon in the draft to add to the mix.
The 2025 slump is over; the Monken era is about scoring points any way possible.
