The Cleveland Browns face a must-win situation against the Cincinnati Bengals this week and Myles Garrett is ready to bring the heat.
Garrett has six sacks this season and anticipates getting a couple more against the Bengals, with Cincinnati giving up the second-most sacks in the NFL this season with 25. The Browns are 2.5-point home underdogs to the Bengals but Garrett has confidence in his squad, despite their four-game losing streak.
“I like our chances,” Garrett told reporters on Saturday. “I think our defense has had good games against the Bengals and Burrow and I think we know what it takes to really make him uncomfortable and get after him. And although he’s talented, love his family, but we’ve got to put him in the dirt.”
It seems like the Browns have been in must-win mode for a few weeks now but could really see the season slip away if they stumble to 2-6. The trade deadline is on November 1 and the Browns could ship off players like Kareem Hunt, Jack Conklin or Greedy Williams.
The Browns have won four straight against the Bengals, albeit one of those came in a meaningless Week 18 game last season.
Browns Defense Showed Improvement Against Ravens
The Browns defense has had some rough performances this season but showed some improvement against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens last week. Baltimore managed just 254 total yards — 94 through the air and 160 on the ground — but the Browns still fell 23-20.
“We found something against them on defense at least. Pretty well known on how to prevent them from what they want to and keeping them pretty manageable on the scoreboard,” Garrett said.
It was a move in the right direction but the problem for the Browns’ defense has been consistency. Not to mention the Bengals have hit their stride the last two weeks, scoring more than 30 points in each matchup and averaging more than 440 yards of offense in those games.
“I think every team is different. It is kind of like boxing – styles make fights. The Bengals have a good style,” Garrett said. “It will definitely be a test for us on the back end and being able to get pressure on him and make him uncomfortable, but we have to take the momentum at least defensively back home with us and make sure that we keep flustering this guy and make sure he is not comfortable in the pocket.”
Garrett Says He’s Still Not Healthy From Crash
Garrett was in a serious car crash on September 26 and missed a game due to the injuries he sustained. He’s still been dealing with shoulder and biceps injuries but has been able to play in the last three games, registering three sacks.
The Browns have a week off after facing the Bengals and Garrett is hoping he can use it to get healthier.
“I am hoping that the bye will help a good amount, but I can’t really tell you. It is hard to really put a number on it,” Garrett said when asked if he was back at full health. “I probably should have taken a good amount of more time off when I came back, but I just do not believe in that. Being myself, I am going to be out there if I can.”
The Browns have ruled out three starters for the primetime affair, notably starters Wyatt Teller (calf), cornerback Denzel Ward (concussion) and tight end David Njoku (ankle).
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Browns Star Myles Garrett Sends Warning to Bengals QB Joe Burrow