BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – You’d think with their season hanging in the balance coming off the bye week the Browns would be laser focused for their rematch with the first-place Ravens Sunday during practice this week.
According to Myles Garrett, that evidently wasn’t the case.
The Browns All Pro defensive end and Defensive Player of the Year candidate gave an alarming answer when asked if they practiced with a sense of urgency and attention to detail this week.
“Not as much as I wanted to, but we still got another two days,” Garrett said. “Guys will sharpen up and we've got leaders that are on this team who will make them get prepared and get ready for Sunday, because it's not end all be all today.
“But when the time comes, we need everybody on their Ps and Qs and ready because it's win or go home right now.”
It’s a shocking admission considering that the Browns are 6-6 and still holding down last place in the AFC North and the No. 11 position in the AFC.
A win would catapult them amid both Wild Card and divisional races.
A loss and start making those vacation plans for January 10th.
“I'm not going to sulk or sink my head,” Garrett, who stressed they still have the next 48 hours before kickoff to get right, said. “I mean, guys go about things differently. It's not only on us as players, it's coaches, it's everyone having a focus on the task at hand.
“I think we all have to look in the mirror and say obviously if we don't win this one, there won't be any postseason for us.”
In less than 48 hours we’re going to find out if the final four weeks of the season matter or if we have another raging December dumpster fire on our hands.
Buckle up.
Garrett, who now trails Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt for the NFL sack lead by 2, has become one of the vocal leaders of the team this season, and with that, he’s been open and candid while answering questions, including about his own aspirations.
Garrett put Defensive Player of the Year on his career goals list when he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2017 but with the team fighting for their playoff lives, it is on the back burner.
“I know nothing matters if we don’t make the playoffs,” Garrett said. “I mean DPOY is nice, but I want to be remembered for bringing some Super Bowls here. I know Bake [Baker Mayfield] does and everybody else does.
“Individual glory, that will come and go, but the city will remember a Super Bowl. If I win DPOY and then we don’t win anything, then our names won’t go down [in history] and be remembered for anything.”
Unless Garrett's teammates find their focus by Sunday and for the remaining games on the schedule, this team will go down as one of the biggest flops in franchise history.
