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Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett is closing in on the NFL single-season sack record.
Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett is closing in on history and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wants to avoid being a part of it.
Garrett enters the Browns’ Week 15 matchup with an NFL-leading 20 sacks, putting him squarely within striking distance of history. He’s just three sacks away from breaking the NFL’s single-season record of 22.5, held jointly by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. And Garrett is show he’s more than capable of piling up sacks in single games. The Browns’ powerful pass-rusher has multiple games this season with three or more sacks, including a five-sack performance against the New England Patriots.
Williams, respectfully, has no interest in being part of history as Garrett goes for the record on Sunday.
“Obviously, he’s right there at the sack record, almost there at the sack record,” Williams said. “And so, I’m going to try and make sure that he doesn’t get the sack record on us and on me. But, I think those games have prepared the offensive line, us as a game plan, and going against those type of players where they’re just the S-tier players where you just have to make sure every single snap, every single play, everything is not allowing them to wreck the game.
“That’s something that he can do. That’s something that he’s done throughout his whole career. And so, we’re excited for the challenge. We’re excited for this week. We’re excited to try and get back into the win column.”
Bears on Browns’ DE Myles Garrett: Special Season for Him
The Bears know exactly what kind of challenge awaits them on Sunday, and it starts with finding a way to slow down Garrett. Inside Chicago’s building, there’s no mystery about their top priority. First-year head coach Ben Johnson made that clear this week, offering emphatic praise for the Browns’ star pass rusher ahead of their matchup.
“He’s just a complete player,” Johnson said. “When you look at the size and strength and speed, it’s just a unique package where he really has it all. He’s very strong. He’s got that bull rush that can take a tackle and put him on roller skates and walk him right back into the quarterback, which happens quite a bit. Every team that you see on tape, they have a plan for him, to slow him down.
“And yet, the chip gets off of him and he just still walks that tackle on back into the quarterback. He does a great job with that. And then, heaven forbid you ever leave him one-on-one, and that’s really where he shows up. He’s almost unblockable that way in pass protection. So, a lot of respect for him. He’s done an incredible job. Just to look at the number of double teams, triple teams as you see on tape, and yet he still has 20 sacks on the season. It’s pretty remarkable. And it’s a special season for him.”
Browns Defense Coming Off Rough Performance
The Browns defense didn’t play to their elite standard last week at home against the Tennessee Titans. The unit gave up 184 rushing yards and allowed some backbreaking conversions on third downs. Despite being on a record tear, Garrett’s focus has been on winning. His message isn’t shifting to the locker room despite their 3-10 record.
“Same thing I always tell them — prepare to win. Prepare, work hard, don’t change anything about. From your focus, your preparation, your routine, from the beginning of the year to now,” Garrett said. “This is setting us up for the rest of the year and next year. How we choose to handle these games is defining not only our team, but us as men.”
The Browns are a 7.5-point road underdog against the Bears.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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