BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Make no mistake about it, the Cleveland Browns believe in Jacoby Brissett.
From the front office to the coaching staff to the locker room, they believe Brissett will be able to help them win games until Deshaun Watson returns from an 11-game suspension in early December.
But the fact of the matter is that Brissett is not Watson and considering some of the games on the schedule early in the season combined with questions at receiver, the pressure will be on the defense to keep them afloat by containing the opposition, a challenge All Pro defensive end Myles Garrett eagerly accepts.
“I think it’s an opportunity, I think it's a challenge,” Garrett said Tuesday. “So, I feel like us as a defense, we have to look forward to taking on that task.”
Garrett and his defensive teammates get a motivated Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 followed by the Jets, Steelers and Falcons.
Then things get difficult.
Over the seven weeks that will follow, the Browns will be tasked with containing Justin Herbert and the Chargers, Mac Jones and the Patriots, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Joe Burrow and the defending AFC champion Bengals, Josh Allen and the Bills along with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
They have a game against the Dolphins sprinkled in there too but expecting Brissett to win shootouts with those quarterbacks doesn’t appear to be a recipe for success.
“Obviously [Watson’s] a very dynamic player and we might miss his presence on offense,” Garrett said, “but that's an opportunity for us to step up to the plate and be a very dominant defense regardless of what the offense does.”
As his suspension, which begins a week from Tuesday at 4 p.m., nears, Watson will continue helping the Browns prepare for the upcoming season over his final few practices.
“He will still take reps,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “It may be more in show-team type looks, going against our defense in carded-type periods. Everything that Deshaun does out here on the practice field when it comes to individual, show-team reps, post-practice work and off to the side work, I think it all adds up.”
The AFC North is expected to be among the league’s most competitive divisions and the Browns can ill afford to fall too far behind early.
“I think everyone's pretty good this year,” Garrett said. “You couldn't say that ever year that I've been here, but everyone has a chance to win it. Now it's just about execution and technique. Everyone has good players. There's a lot of stars on each team and at each position. Now it's just about those guys stepping up to the plate and making those plays when they need to and carrying those guys alongside them.”
With three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro nods on his resume, Garrett will be tasked with doing that for the Browns. It’s hard to believe coming off a career-high 16.0 sack season there’s more for Garrett in the tank, but his defensive line coach Chris Kiffin believes he does.
“I’d hope my position guy would have that vote of confidence for me, but it means a lot coming from Kiff,” Garrett said. “He's a tough guy to please, but I'm glad I've been making strides as a leader and as a teammate out here. Just trying to put my best foot forward and be the guy these guys can look up to and help inspire them.”
