The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima

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Andrew Berry Built This Mess, Now He Wants Us to Trust Him Again Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima debate whether Watson or the defense deserves more blame for the blowout, with Ken calling the defense the worst of the three phases despite a rough Watson performance, and both agreeing the Browns front office seems terrified to trust Shedeur Sanders even though Watson visibly plays scared. They replay Andrew Berry's explanation for not investing more at quarterback and push back hard, arguing Berry can't cite bad "infrastructure" from last season without owning that he built that same infrastructure, and question whether fans should trust him with this year's critical quarterback evaluation given the Watson trade's fallout. A caller named Ben widens the target to ownership, arguing the Haslams are exploiting fan loyalty while raising ticket prices for the new stadium, though Ken pushes back that nobody forced Monken's hand on starting Watson.

Alex Smith Rips Watson: "How Out of Touch Do You Have to Be?" Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima play Alex Smith's blistering criticism of Deshaun Watson for complaining about fan reaction despite his massive guaranteed contract, noting a growing list of former quarterbacks who've publicly turned on him. They argue Watson looks genuinely afraid on the field, comparing his cautious drops and hesitant throws to how anyone off the street would play under pressure, and question whether Todd Monken needs to simplify the offense's language since both Watson and Shedeur Sanders reportedly struggled with getting plays out in camp. A caller debate follows about whether rushing a rookie quarterback into a bad situation would even help, with Ken conceding the loss wasn't only on Watson given a defense that also got roasted and shaky coaching decisions.

Ken Is Tired of Hearing Todd Monken Call This His Dream Job Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima replay Todd Monken's postgame comments about how long he waited to become an NFL head coach, with Ken arguing the sentiment reads as amateurish and lacks the edge he wants from a coach after a 34-10 blowout. They contrast Monken's debut with Kevin Stefanski's similarly ugly first game that still led to a playoff run and Coach of the Year, though Ken doubts this roster has that ceiling given the youth and quarterback situation. Callers Brett and Wade weigh in, with Wade arguing Deshaun Watson looks visibly afraid to play and that the Browns are sticking with him purely because of the money invested, a claim Ken says he largely agrees with.

Daryl Ruiter: There's Nothing Left in Deshaun Watson's Tank Sep 14, 2026

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Daryl Ruiter joins Ken Carman and Anthony Lima to dissect the Browns' loss, arguing Watson's box score stats mask an ugly performance where he showed no feel for the field, took needlessly deep drops, and remains a liability physically given his surgery history and the coaching staff's baffling use of RPOs with him. Ruiter says he can't explain why Watson beat out Shedeur Sanders for the job, calling the preseason evidence for that decision essentially nonexistent, and all three agree it would be a bad football decision to start Watson again if he plays similarly poorly against Tampa Bay. They also note the defense was arguably worse than the offense, with Trevor Lawrence carving up Cleveland for four touchdowns and Jared Verse managing more tackles than Myles Garrett despite the drop-off in pass rush.

Why Jared Verse Can't Replace What Myles Garrett Did for This Defense Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima dig into why the Browns' pass rush collapsed without Myles Garrett, pointing to Jared Verse admitting he wasn't ready for how often he'd get chipped and double-teamed now that he's the focal point instead of a complementary piece. They tie it to a broader theme: Jacksonville had zero respect for Deshaun Watson's arm, loading the box and blitzing freely, which further exposed a defense already missing Alex Wright. Callers Greg (Dayton) and Greg (Dallas) pile on, one apologizing for thinking the hosts were too negative in the past, and Ken reiterating he won't pick the Browns to win a single game the rest of the season.

Lima Likes: Akron OC Marty, Sark's Quick Exit & Myles Garrett's Injury Sep 14, 2026

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Anthony Lima finds silver linings in the Browns' blowout loss, praising Austin Barber's line play, KC Concepcion's touches despite fumbles, and giving Nick credit for backing Rocket Sanders before anyone else did. The bigger story is Akron OC Marty Wims, who gets the game ball from head coach Joe Moorhead after a win, gets mobbed in the locker room, and even lands an ESPN GameDay interview with Nick Saban, with Ken and Lima ribbing each other over who was actually on the broadcast. They close with a bit on Steve Sarkisian dodging a postgame sideline interview and Todd Monken's surprisingly spry sprint off the field.

Is Ryan Day's Conservative Play-Calling Costing Ohio State Big Games? Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima break down a wild college football weekend, defending Dante Moore and Arch Manning while ripping Ryan Day for playing conservatively and lacking urgency in Ohio State's loss to Texas, with a detour into Oklahoma's defensive dominance over Washington State. A caller named Tay tries to blame Cleveland media for hyping Deshaun Watson's "operational" skills in the preseason and thus influencing Todd Monken's decision, but Ken pushes back hard, pointing out Monken made the call himself and that people inside the building reportedly think Shedeur Sanders is even worse at those same operational details. Ken closes by insisting he takes no pleasure in fan backlash toward Watson and doesn't believe there's some grand conspiracy forcing Monken's hand at quarterback.

Should We Already be Worried About Todd Monken's Future? Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima mock Monken's "we got to be better" postgame word salad, comparing his rough debut to Kevin Stefanski's own disastrous first game, before replaying Andrew Berry's explanation for not investing more at quarterback this offseason. Ken pushes back hard on Berry, arguing the front office can't call quarterback "interdependent" while also being the ones who built a shaky supporting cast, and admits he can't fake outrage all season since he expected this level of bad. The two also debate whether blame belongs more on Monken's setup (a patchwork offensive line, no Myles Garrett or Jim Schwartz) than on Monken himself, with Ken saying he doesn't want to be searching for a new coach again but is already nervous about what this season represents.

Could Shedeur Sanders End the Deshaun Watson Era Next Sunday? Sep 14, 2026

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Ken Carman and Anthony Lima replay Todd Monken's dodge of a question about whether Deshaun Watson starts in Tampa, arguing that Monken's non-answer and refusal to commit reveal he's already considering a change. They float a "poetic" scenario where a blowout loss forces Cleveland's hand, with Ken noting some fans are openly rooting for Watson to lose badly enough that the QB change happens before he faces Cleveland again down the road. A caller pile-on follows, with Frank ripping Watson's mechanics and comparing him unfavorably to Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, while Ken argues Watson's performance isn't even his worst as a Brown, undercutting any "rust" excuse since he's never looked good in Cleveland.

Is This Already the Same Old Browns Dysfunction Under Monken? Sep 14, 2026

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Anthony Lima replays his own breakdown of Deshaun Watson's first-half interception, comparing it to coaching an 11-year-old, which sends Ken Carman into a rant about how the blowout loss insults fans' intelligence and cements his refusal to ever pick the Browns again this season. A wave of callers follows, questioning whether Todd Monken's vague QB competition and non-answers on a potential in-season change signal Cleveland is repeating the Stefanski era's dysfunction. The segment wraps with a news recap: Watson's final stat line, Myles Garrett's four-week absence after knee surgery, and the Guardians pulling within a half-game of first place.