Todd Monken predicts an increase in downfield laterals

The NFL is a copycat league. And there's an emerging trend that one new head coach believes will soon be copied.

Browns coach Todd Monken has a prediction: There will be more downfield laterals.

"I do think that laterals are going to be a bigger part of our game," Monken said during a Wednesday appearance on PFT Live. "I believe that you get these zone looks. Now, you've got to throw it to the guy you trust, because you don't want that damn thing on the ground. But I do think that is going to become more and more in vogue with teams as you see more and more success with your ability to, first off, get the ball in someone's hands as the defense starts to collapse, collapse, and get yourself an explosive play."

Monken believes it won't be something that happens only in specific situations.

"Not just on third downs, not just on fourth down, not just as a gimmick play," Monken said. "Obviously, Ben [Johnson] started doing that a lot in Detroit. Give credit where credit's due. And then others have started to do that a little bit more. And it takes some stones to do it. If the ball ends up on the ground, you're gonna get critiqued for it, but I can see the game going that way, where plays have built-in laterals. It just feels like it can go that way."

It's an effective way to counter a defense's pursuit of the ball and, if/when the defense is bracing for it, to get the defense a little wobbly and uncertain.

Still, as Monken said, execution will be critical. A bad lateral potentially becomes a lost possession, followed by public and private questions as to the sanity of the coach who called the play.