CINCINNATI — Myles Garrett is poised for a shot at making NFL history as he aims to break the league’s sack record this Sunday in Cincinnati. The standout defensive end for the Cleveland Browns needs just one sack to surpass the 22.5 sacks held jointly by Michael Strahan of the Giants and T.J. Watt of the Steelers.
Garrett exuded confidence during a recent press conference, stating, “My confidence hasn’t waivered. I’m fully confident that it will come.” He remained unfazed by the lack of a sack in last week’s game against the Steelers, where the Browns earned a 13-6 victory. When asked if he had considered the possibility of not achieving the record, he dismissed the notion. “No. You don’t think about what’s going to go wrong in your life, do you? Just think about how to make it go right,” he remarked.
Historically, Garrett has demonstrated his ability to pressure Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, having sacked him 11 times in their nine matchups, a figure that ties him with Lamar Jackson for most against any quarterback. In their previous meeting this season, Garrett recorded two sacks against Burrow.
Garrett also commented on his competition for the record, noting Jackson’s impressive four-sack performance against the Browns in a recent game. “Well, Lamar recently had to pick up some slack. He’s made me miss a little bit more than everybody else,” Garrett said.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor reacted to Garrett’s insinuation that the Steelers prioritized containing him over winning last week’s game. “I don’t agree with that,” Taylor stated. He emphasized that every opposing team has a strategy in place to limit Garrett’s impact, which he calls the most significant focus during game preparation. “You think about 95 in your head every second of every week you’re playing the Cleveland Browns. You have to be ready for him,” he added.
Meanwhile, Burrow, who has faced mounting pressure this season with 15 sacks already, stressed that he won’t make special efforts to prevent Garrett from setting the record. “I’m not gonna go out of my way to not let him get the record… I’m gonna go play football,” he said.
Garrett remains steadfast in his pursuit of the record, emphasizing that the method in which he achieves it is secondary to the win itself. “No. They all count. So I don’t care if I run his (expletive) out of bounds. However he gets got, he gets got,” he concluded.
As fans anticipate this thrilling matchup, there’s a sense of excitement surrounding the possibility of witnessing a new record being set, underscoring the remarkable talent and determination of one of the NFL’s elite defenders.