Getty Images Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns.
Myles Garrett thought he had seen the last of Tom Brady but the Cleveland Browns star pass-rusher will get another shot at taking down the legendary quarterback on Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town.
Garrett last faced Brady in 2019, when the Patriots rolled over the Browns 27-13. He did manage to sack Brady in that matchup and is looking forward to getting another.
“I was hoping I would get some more,” Garrett said while recalling the 2019 matchup. “I didn’t think I was going to get another opportunity seeing as he retired for a little bit, but I guess he knew we were on his schedule, and he wanted to give me another chance.”
Garrett has 8.5 sacks this season, providing the most significant chunk of the Browns’ 22 this season. Taven Bryan is second on the team with 2.5. Garrett knows that taking down 45-year-old Brady on Sunday will be no easy task, calling him the “blueprint” for pocket presence.
“He has been doing that for ages now it seems. That presence, you know that his will does not go away, and it does not diminish,” Garrett said. “He is always going to have that presence, that leadership and that drive to win no matter what the score is or the situation is so you can’t really take your foot off the gas because you know he won’t.”
Jacoby Brissett Eager to See Brady As Well
Another Browns player who has expressed their feelings on Brady is Jacoby Brissett. The two were teammates in New England and Brissett had nothing but good things to say about the three-time MVP.
“Everybody looks at him as Tom Brady, and he doesn’t think he is Tom Brady, I would say,” Brissett said. “I know from the first day I met him he has been the same guy. Honestly, held me to a higher standard than I probably held myself in the beginning of my career. Just so many things I can say about him.”
After briefly announcing his retirement this offseason, Brady has returned to be the QB of the Bucs, who are relying on him heavily. He’s passed for 2,805 yards, 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions, leading the league in completions and attempts.
“It is no surprise. Obviously, being in the room with him, getting an understanding of football from him and learning from him, like I said, his competitive nature is what drives him,” Brissett said. “He clearly wants to do whatever it takes for him to get a win.”
Browns Will Be Missing CB Greg Newsome
The Browns will be shorthanded in the secondary once again, with starting cornerback Greg Newsome missing his second straight game due to a concussion he suffered in practice.
“It is unfortunate. As you know, all injuries are different. Concussions, you have to make sure that you are following every protocol so we will continue to do that,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Disappointed for Greg missing this one. He has to just continue to take care of himself, and he will be ready when he is ready.”
The Bucs are a 3-point road favorite for the matchup against the 3-7 Browns.