Getty Images Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett expressed his frustration after Saturday's blowout loss to the Houston Texans.
Myles Garrett expressed his frustration in a big way after the Cleveland Browns were embarrassingly bounced from the postseason.
Garrett and the Browns’ top-ranked defense were shredded by Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud in the 45-14 loss. Stroud finished with 274 yards and three touchdowns — most of that coming in the first half. The Browns’ defense did not record a sack or a turnover.
A lot of things went wrong for the Browns, who battled through adversity all season. Garrett mentioned that the team was “undermanned” and “outgunned” but also put a spotlight on coaching when talking about the loss.
“We got beat,” Garrett said. “We were outcoached, undermanned and outgunned.”
It’s one thing when a coach admits that he may have been outdueled by an opponent. It’s harsh coming from a star player. Garrett did admit that the execution on the field could have been better.
“The game wasn’t that far away from us. It was all about the execution,” Garrett said. “Speaking as a defensive player, I know we could have executed a lot better.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is the favorite to win NFL Coach of the Year.
Myles Garrett Doesn’t Make Impact Against Texans
Getty ImagesBrowns star Myles Garrett did not make his typical impact against the Texans in the Wild Card game.
The Browns pounded the Texans in their first matchup in Week 16. Cleveland won 36-22 and held the Stroud-less Texans to 250 yards — most of that coming late with the game out of hand. Garrett said the Browns and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz didn’t change up much this time around.
“[Schwartz] said from the beginning he’ll ride with what got us here. There wouldn’t be a magic call to get us out of anything,” Garrett said. “They were doing things a little bit differently and it kept us off balance. We have to be able to make plays all across the field. Not just up front or on the back end. It’s all together.”
Garrett is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. But against the Texans, he didn’t make the kind of impact that comes with that title. He finished with three tackles.
“[Stroud] got the ball out on time,” Garrett said of the lack of a pass-rush. “He was not too flustered. … I don’t think he was exceptional. He played a really good game, got the ball to his playmakers and made the plays he needed to make. He didn’t need to be Superman. We were a step slow.”
The Texans credited their big left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who was matched up with Garrett for most of the afternoon.
“He’s done it time and time again,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game. “He’s had that matchup. He looks forward to that matchup and he stands up time and time again. He pushed through struggling, fighting after an injury and still battled. When you have a left tackle that can do that, it allows C.J. to shine.”
Turnovers Prove Costly for Browns in Loss to Texans
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco tossed a pair of pick-sixes against the Texans.
The defensive performance is one thing, but the turnovers finally came back to doom the Browns against the Texans. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns in the third quarter on back-to-back drives. It gave the Texans all the momentum and an insurmountable lead.
“I was trying to throw it away,” Flacco said of his first pick-six. “Taking it back, I could see the guy was getting pressure pretty quickly. I wish I would’ve known where Elijah (Moore) was going to be, so I knew I had a throwaway there. Looking back on it, I wish I threw it at like the lower guy’s feet. Kind of thought of that earlier or just took the sack to be honest with you. But obviously when you look at things in hindsight.”
It’s an unfortunate end to Flacco’s tenure as the starter in Cleveland. The 38-year-old was the feel-good story of the season, coming off his couch to help the Browns lock up a playoff spot.
Deshaun Watson is expected to be ready to roll for the start of next season. Flacco will have to sort out his next career move as a free agent.