Getty Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
One of the biggest plays during the Cleveland Browns 34-20 win against the Washington Football Team on Sunday was a strip-sack by star defensive end Myles Garrett.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Garrett got in the backfield and sacked Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins, quickly grabbing the ball after forcing a fumble. To relive the play, Garrett clipped it together with the viral audio of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in the bubble saying, “That’s our ball!”
Garrett broke down the play in his postgame press conference with reporters.
“I had been trying to set him up with speed to power and some jam moves early on to get his hands and get him to open up a little bit sooner,” Garrett said. “That last one, they did not have any help for him so I knew I was going to take it all the way up the field and try to get to it the best that I could.
“He could anticipate me either jabbing or going inside because that is where I was beating him. I was able to get on the backside of the strip. I saw that he had not thrown it yet, and no sack is complete without getting the ball.”
LeBron James Shows Support for Browns
Garrett finished the game against Washington with four tackles — one for a loss — and two sacks. It was a performance that likely made James proud as he watched from the NBA bubble in Orlando. James tweeted in support of his hometown squad before the game, which he has on a few occasions this season.
Garrett’s effort is one that certainly made his head coach Kevin Stefanski light up.
“That’s really what we expect from Myles,” Stefanski told reporters after the game. “I know he expects it of himself. We need him to play great, and when it turns into pass rush game, he’s built for that. I thought he did a great job. You get an honest day’s work out of Myles Garrett, and I’m really proud of him.”
Garrett has three sacks this season, just one off the league-lead of four from Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith, who the Browns will see on Sunday.
Browns Preparing for Tough Matchup With Cowboys
With the win against Washington, the Browns moved to 2-1 and above .500 for the first time since 2014. And a loss by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football to the Chiefs helped Cleveland stay within striking distance in the AFC North.
The Browns have beat Washington and the Bengals in back-to-back weeks — teams that have combined for one win this season. A trip to AT&T Stadium to take on the Cowboys is up next, and Dallas is hungry for a win after falling to 1-2 last weekend.
What could help the Browns cause is some players getting healthy. After being active against Washington, cornerback Kevin Johnson and lineback Mack Wilson will slide in to larger roles as they get healthier, as will cornerback Denzel Ward, Stefanski noted.
Defensive end Olivier Vernon (abdomen), linebacker Jacob Phillips (knee) and cornerback Greedy Williams (shoulder) could also return after missing last week.
“I think there is a ramping up to this thing,” Stefanski said Monday. “I think it happens out here on the practice field. It happens on the game field and getting them those game reps. I would anticipate that both those guys and a lot of these guys coming back from injury will slowly but surely add to their rep totals.”