Todd Monken Press Conference — October 23rd, 2026

[0:00] Denzel shows up on the injury report today. [0:03] How did the injury happen? [0:06] I don't know that. [0:06] I don't know how it happened. [0:09] I just know that when we met afterwards [0:11] that something had happened to his finger [0:13] and we were getting it looked at. [0:14] So, I mean, knowing Denzel, I would expect him to play, [0:18] but we'll see. [0:21] We just got a chance to talk to Mason. [0:23] He sounds pretty excited about being back. [0:25] How do you feel about finally having him back out there, too? [0:28] Well, like I said, I was excited when [0:33] he got injured that it wasn't anything more than it was. [0:39] And we were going to be able to get him back [0:40] because he was up to such a great start. [0:42] And he loves playing football, loves his teammates. [0:45] And you can feel him on the field. [0:47] And so it's great to have him back. [0:50] With Grant still in the protocol, [0:53] does he have to clear a final hurdle before he's ready Sunday? [0:56] Yep. [0:59] That could happen as early as this afternoon, [1:01] or it could even happen tomorrow when he'll still up? [1:03] Tomorrow. [1:04] I think it's tomorrow. [1:05] Yeah. [1:07] What about this group that Mason's injury [1:10] looked maybe worse than it is? [1:12] He got back, and now he's set to play Quinchon with the ankle, [1:16] Carson playing through the ankle. [1:17] What does it say that these guys are pushing so hard [1:20] to get back on the field week in and week out [1:22] with different injuries? [1:24] I think we got a lot of guys that are wired the right way. [1:27] I think that says a lot about them, you know, [1:30] and how much they enjoy playing with their teammates [1:35] and being on the field together and not wanting [1:37] to let their brother down and get out there [1:39] and do whatever they can to get back. [1:41] And I think being connected helps that. [1:45] I think winning helps that. [1:47] I think having a strong coaching staff that supports the players. [1:51] And I think it's all of the above, but it says a lot about the player themselves. [1:56] How about the notion of possibly Quinchon and Dylan back for the first time since the opener? [2:04] What might that do for your running game? [2:06] Yeah, it didn't even feel like how long we have Dylan in the opener, like the opening kickoff? [2:10] Like, I mean, if I think, I mean, if I'm remembering it right, you know, again, [2:17] there's a lot of things we need to do better on offense. [2:19] But to have those guys back together, I think, should be a boost for us. [2:23] When you're talking to Jared brought up specifically, how smart, how do you see that show up? [2:37] Well, again, it's a little more difficult for me to say that because I'm so involved with the offense. [2:42] But I think diagnosing plays, formations, his diligence during the week that allows him to identify, you know, [2:54] any type of trends or formations that may, you know, pop up that he would have looked at during the week. [3:00] And the one thing he's really good at is when he sees it, he goes. [3:03] You know, there is no hesitation. [3:05] He's put in the work and he lets it rip. [3:08] And I think that shows up. [3:10] How do you feel about what you guys have done to try to generate some earlier offense? [3:18] Do you feel really good about what you've seen this week? [3:22] Yeah. [3:23] I got that question earlier today. [3:25] And it's if we knew we would have it fixed. [3:29] And obviously we've got to scheme it better, got to coach it better, got to execute better, [3:34] certainly early in the game because it's below the line. [3:38] I mean, we just haven't given ourselves a chance early. [3:41] And there's enough to go around in all of it, and that's usually the case. [3:45] And then at the end when we're finding a way to win, there's enough to go around there too. [3:49] We're calling it and we're executing and we're doing it there. [3:52] So it's all of us collectively fighting to looking at what we're calling, [3:57] how we're scheming it, who we're playing. [3:59] And, you know, like I said, we're still under construction. [4:05] Todd, you've talked a lot about your heavy involvement with the offense. [4:09] How much have you kind of adjusted, at least during game day, of at least, you know, [4:14] being able to sort of pay attention to what's also happening, defense, special things, [4:19] you know, compared to, you know, in the past when, you know, you were able to solely focus? [4:25] Well, I feel lucky, you know, whether it's Byron and special teams or with Rudy and also having Dom [4:31] and then the defensive staff that was here, you know, the previous year, [4:36] I feel really good about those guys, you know, making adjustments and during the game [4:40] that I don't have to spend. [4:42] And we've had success, right? [4:43] So the more those areas are successful, the easier it is to really try to focus on [4:49] how can we fix what we're doing offensively, right? [4:51] And so when that isn't happening, that isn't as easy, right? [4:55] But it's been fine. [4:57] I mean, every now and then I'll flip over to the defense and between, like I said, [5:00] looking at the tablet, talking to the offensive staff, talking, you know, with Rudy, [5:05] but letting them do their job listening to, you know, the conversations back and forth. [5:10] And then obviously, you know, like even last week with Byron, like, okay, [5:14] where does, you know, where does Dre want the ball? [5:18] Like if I'd hate to move it to the left hash and he says, no, no, I wanted the right hash. [5:22] We're on the right hash, right? [5:23] The communication that takes place during the game for those critical moments. [5:28] But it's been fine. [5:30] It's, you know, it's been fine. [5:32] There's certainly things that the hardest one was the Jets when it was raining, you know, [5:36] and just your call sheet and just that was the biggest one, [5:39] the communication there and then the call sheet itself, but everything else has been fine. [5:44] Malik is rostered, but putting up some of the best numbers of his career [5:49] these last two years in Cleveland. [5:50] Just how valuable and how much does he mean to his defense, [5:55] to the defensive line and what you guys are trying to do? [5:58] Well, I said it before, like I voted for him all pro last year and I voted for him. [6:03] I thought he was super disruptive playing the run and the pass. [6:08] And I'd never been around him, only known him from afar, but when you get around him [6:14] and even in the off season, I mean, he's going to stay in Houston, [6:18] like he's going to work there and be with his family. [6:21] And I'm thinking, yeah, right, you know, this is going to stink. [6:25] We need this guy to come back and be ready to go. [6:27] And all he does is come back and show up and they just say he's ahead of schedule. [6:32] He's ahead of schedule. [6:33] That says a lot about him as a man, you know, to not be here in the building [6:37] and get the work done. [6:38] That's rare. [6:40] That's not normal. [6:41] It's not easy on your own to work out and do all those things that he does. [6:48] So, and then he shows up here and the first day he's back. [6:51] Like I said, I thought he was ready to go the first day. [6:53] He was jumping on boxing to go right then. [6:56] I said, nah, it's going to be four weeks. [6:57] I'm like four weeks, it's just so cool. [7:01] And how he carries himself, the way he leads, [7:05] and the way he carries the message. [7:09] In some ways, the first, the early struggles of the offense [7:12] could have anything to do with the fact that you guys are so brand new [7:16] in every way on offense that you're not really even sure yet [7:21] how defensive coordinators are going to attack you until you get to the game. [7:27] I mean, it seems like guys keep on saying, oh, we saw more, [7:30] you know, shell, or we saw more this or that. [7:33] Like, is it like an adventure every week to show up and see what they're going to do? [7:38] Some of that, some of that I think is true. [7:40] I think some of that would be an excuse. [7:43] I think there's a part of that, that we're trying to feel our way with our personnel, [7:51] who's playing, what we're calling, what we're designing. [7:55] But there's also a part of that that you can't take that too far and exonerate yourself [8:00] from the things that where we can put our players in the best position to be successful. [8:04] And you don't get to where you're at without owning it as a coach and saying, [8:10] we certainly have to be better. [8:12] Now, we've been good when we've needed it, and we haven't turned the ball over, [8:15] which is a recipe to giving yourself a chance. [8:18] I mean, so that part of it, as long as we've ended the possession with a kick, [8:22] we've certainly not given them anything, and Bojo's been a weapon punting. [8:27] So, and again, we certainly have a ways to go, and that's starting with coaches [8:34] and then players and scheme. [8:35] But I wouldn't want to use any type of, like I said, any reasoning of why. [8:41] We certainly aren't where we want to be because we're not. [8:44] And that's a good thing, we're 4-2, and we haven't gotten there yet. [8:48] And we're going to need that. [8:50] And the players know it, and the coaches know it, [8:53] and we're going to continue to work at it to take the next steps each week. [8:58] Similarities between your defense and Tennessee's defense [9:01] from the attacking style front, are they complete opposites in the back end [9:06] in the coverage? [9:06] I know Robert gave a talk a couple weeks ago about trying to explain [9:10] how they like to do the back. [9:12] Is it really different when you contrast the front to the back? [9:15] Well, I think everything starts with an initial structure, [9:19] and then you make it your own, right? [9:25] What Kyle Shanahan does on offense now is not what it was at one time, [9:29] the West Coast. [9:30] I mean, it evolves, right? [9:32] So, ultimately, the structure and the belief system, obviously, [9:38] Rudy having a strong connection to Robert over the years. [9:42] But then at that point, then you make it your own, your own personality, [9:46] coverage, your rules, you know, how aggressive you are, whether it's man or zone, [9:51] whether it's blitzing, all those things. [9:53] And so, you know, like I said, the structure is very similar, [9:56] but everybody puts their spin on it. [10:00] Is it that this Titans team seems to have put it together in the last order of their game [10:06] against the Colts and erupted with yards and points and takeaways and sacks [10:11] and all that kind of stuff? [10:12] What does that say to you or your? [10:15] Well, momentum's a powerful thing. [10:18] It really is. [10:19] I think of the Tampa game when, you know, when Denzel caught that skinny [10:24] and bounced off somebody. [10:25] It's like, wow, that felt like a moment, you know? [10:29] Like, and for them, it was, you know, getting a couple turnovers, [10:34] some special teams play to get a little bit of the juice, right? [10:39] And, like I said, momentum's a powerful thing. [10:42] And so, we're going to have to be on point. [10:46] They've got good players and good coaches. [10:48] And so, and we've been winning in team fashion. [10:52] We've been winning at times with special teams and with defense [10:55] and then drives at the end of the game. [10:57] And so, and we both have pretty young teams. [11:01] So, we're all trying to take that next step in our development of our players [11:05] and development with us schematically to continue to take steps. [11:11] Anything in particular Dylan has to do, a step he has to still take, [11:16] or is it just sort of seeing how the knee responds [11:19] and for him to be good to go on Sunday? [11:25] Oh, Samson. [11:26] Oh, somehow, I was, I thought you were going on Dylan Gabriel. [11:29] And then I was like, the knee, I'm like, well, he didn't, [11:31] I thought he had, you know, back. [11:34] No, I think he's been fine. [11:36] I would anticipate that we'll have him up. [11:37] I mean, I don't know that. [11:39] Certainly, we could have a setback. [11:40] But what I've seen, and we started it a little bit last week, [11:44] and I just think he's taken another step forward. [11:47] You said you guys just haven't had him for so long. [11:50] But, I mean, just from what you've seen from him, [11:52] how valuable can he be in the screen game in particular? [11:55] Yeah, just getting the ball in his hands. [11:56] He's so explosive. [11:57] Saw it in the preseason, saw it last year. [12:00] And just the juice he brings. [12:02] And I'm not taking anything away from J-Mac and estimating those guys, [12:05] because they were great last week. [12:06] We don't win it without those guys, [12:08] and Deuce doing a great job with them. [12:09] But, you know, Sam brings juice to practice, [12:13] smile on his face, energy. [12:15] And, you know, we're excited to have him back out there, [12:17] and I think he's a weapon. [12:21] Here with you as an NFL head coach, [12:23] how different is it than when you used to go on the road [12:25] with Southern Miss the whole time? [12:27] Oh, we're comparing it to Southern Miss. [12:30] The hotels are nicer. [12:32] Our playing is nicer. [12:36] But the players are the same, you know. [12:38] The meetings, our meeting rooms are bigger, you know, [12:43] than the smaller ones at some of the other hotels [12:45] we stayed at. [12:48] But I would just say that it's pretty cool. [12:52] Pretty cool to be a head coach and go on the road with your team [12:55] and, you know, get on that plane [12:57] and try to take another step in terms of your program. [13:01] And I think that's probably as much as anything. [13:07] It's the same. [13:08] You have to figure out what the hell you're going to say to the team [13:10] that night, you know. [13:12] The meetings you're going to have in terms of the messaging. [13:16] So all that's very similar. [13:19] And, but there's nothing like being a part of a team. [13:22] Nothing like it. [13:27] Thank you.