Getty Images Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is bottled up against the Texans.
Myles Garrett is not too pleased about the criticism he’s facing after a slow start to the season and the Cleveland Browns star clapped back at those critics on social media.
Garrett posted some photos from the start of the season on Tuesday with the caption: “They saying I fell off… keep that same energy.”
Garrett was touted as a Defensive Player of the Year contender but has not had that kind of impact so far this season. The former top pick has just one sack and eight tackles this season.
The defensive line is entirely new, as is most of the defense behind Garrett. He thinks that more chemistry could lead to more production.
“The [defensive] line is pretty much new except for me and Porter (Gustin). It’s tough to get that chemistry right away,” Garrett told reporters on Sunday, September 19. “It’s inspiring to go into that film room and see something we have been working on and it work cleanly. It just didn’t get there in time”
Texans Pitched ‘No-Hitter’ Blocking Garrett
NFL analyst Brian Baldinger was someone who was critical of Garrett, saying that Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil pitched a “no-hitter” against the Browns defensive end.
“It’s not like the Texans are bereft of talent,” Baldinger said in his breakdown. “They still have maybe the league’s best left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. And he went up against Myles Garrett a bunch in this game and really had no problem whatsoever. Every once in a while he came over and they helped him or whatever, but he locked him up. I mean, Myles Garrett could not get to the quarterback in this game. You watch play after play after play.”
Not every team has a Tunsil, so Garrett will be able to turn things around once he hits his stride. He is an athletic freak, capable of things men his size should not be able to do. That has allowed Garrett to become one of the premier pass-rushers in the NFL. Last year he collected 12 sacks, two pass deflections and four forced fumbles in 14 games.
Browns Looking to be Better on Third Downs
Despite overwhelming the Texans for most of their Week 2 matchup, the Browns were very poor on third down, allowing Houston to convert 7-of-13. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski thinks some improved coverage could help the guys up front.
“It is never one thing. It is a combination of rush and coverage when you are talking about those passing situations,” Stefanski said. “There are definitely things we can do better up front. There are definitely things that we can do better in the back end. They go together. That is one of the things that we are going to work very hard on this week to have an improvement in that area because we need to be better on third down.”
The Browns have also expressed they want more consistency out of Garrett’s pass-rush partner, Jadeveon Clowney. He has just six tackles and no sacks through two weeks of theseason, although his pressure numbers have been solid.
READ NEXT: Browns Bring Back Wide Receiver Davion Davis