Orchard Park, N.Y. — It’s hard to get excited about the Week 16 matchup between the 10-4 Buffalo Bills and the 3-11 Cleveland Browns.

One team is in its final push toward the playoffs, while the other could be in contention for the top pick in next April’s draft.

But what the game lacks in intrigue, it makes up for with a star-studded matchup between reigning MVP quarterback Josh Allen and Browns superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett.

Garrett is closing in on the NFL single-season sack record and only needs 1.5 sacks this Sunday against the Bills to tie the record. Allen, a massive football fan, said he loves watching highlight reels of the game’s best players. However, he’s hoping to avoid being the quarterback that Garrett sacks for his NFL record.

“I do like highlight tapes, but I don’t like being a part of other people’s highlight tapes,” Allen joked after practice on Wednesday. “He’s an absolutely tremendous football player. He’s one of the greatest of all times. He is a force to be reckoned with. And we’ve got to be ready for everything that they can throw at us. But you have to be aware of where 95’s at at all times.”

Allen has faced Garrett twice since he entered the league in 2018. The Bills lost to the Browns, 19-16, back in 2019 when Baker Mayfield was still Cleveland’s quarterback. Garrett landed a pair of hits on Allen in that game but no sacks.

In the second meeting between the teams in 2022, the Bills came out on top on the scoreboard. Still, Garrett landed a sack of Allen, adding him to the illustrious list of quarterbacks he’s taken down that includes Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, and Lamar Jackson.

When Allen has sat down to watch Garrett’s tape, he’s marveled at the Browns rusher’s ability to get off blocks with his relentless motor that’s “higher than really anybody else that you’ll ever play.”

“He can beat you with speed and power,” Allen said. “I mean, he’s just the all-around football player.”

Garrett has lined up at right defensive end on 80% of his snaps this season. That means he’ll face off with Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins quite a bit on Sunday. But right tackle Spencer Brown will still see Garrett on a few occasions. Browns mentioned that the Browns allow him to move around and roam, which will enable him to create pressure outside of their structure.

“He’s a walking Hall of Famer out there,” Brown said. “You look forward to those competitions and just proving yourself, seeing where you’re at, and judging yourself. Not shying away from competition and I look forward to it.”

Garrett’s 21.5 sacks leads the NFL this season and is more than eight more than the next closest defender (New York’s Brian Burns has 13).

Garrett’s 21.5 sacks lead the NFL this season and are more than eight more than the next closest defender (New York’s Brian Burns has 13).

How impressive is Garrett’s sack production?

The Bills’ starting edge-rush duo of Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau has combined for just nine sacks this season. The Buffalo pass rushers haven’t even accounted for half of the sack production that Garrett’s had.

As for Brown, he’s hoping not to give up the record this week to Garrett. But if it happens, Brown said he hopes the Bills pull off the win.

“I think the win will erase if he gets the record,” Brown said. “I mean, the record might sting a little bit. If it does happen on me, I guess it’d be like, yeah, kids that’s me right there getting absolutely blasted. Hopefully it doesn’t happen but the win is the main focus.”

Brown said that Garrett is just like elite pass rusher Maxx Crosby and T.J. Watt. When that caliber of pass rusher is on the other side, Brown said they can rush and get to the quarterback at any time.

“(Garrett is) just so strong and powerful and I think he just breathes oxygen and he gets more yoked,” Brown joked. “which I’m jealous of. I actually have to work out. … So it’s not something you can really plan for, you just gotta read and react and hopefully you do it quick enough. I look forward to (the challenge).”