BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns playoff chances might be slim to none entering this weekend’s game with the Ravens, but it’s still crunch time for defensive end Myles Garrett.
Garrett and the Browns are 5-8 and sit in the 12th position in the conference standings.
They must win their final four games plus receive a ton of help in the form of losses from teams in front of them to back in.
“I know our chances aren't completely zero to make the playoffs,” Garrett said Friday. “I heard a stat that our chances to make the playoffs right now are greater than the chances the Jets had to win with two minutes left in the game. So we have a chance and as long as that's there, I'm going to do all I can, my teammates are going to do all we can to secure a win one at a time and see where we're at the end the season.”
In Week 2, the Jets rallied from a 30-17 deficit with 1:50 remaining to stun the Browns 31-30 and a loss to the Ravens Saturday essentially eliminates Cleveland.
Garrett was asked if the Browns are eliminated could this season be considered successful?
“Personally, sure,” Garrett said. “Each person can say they had an individually great season depending on how you did, but as a team, no. You fall short of the playoffs and you don't achieve what you set out to do, it's a failure. I mean, you can learn from it. I'm sure you can take something away, but if it's success or failure and that's the only two options we would've failed ourselves.”
Garrett has done his part to keep hope alive.
The 2017 No. 1 overall pick is tied for third in the NFL with 12 sacks in 12 games this season. His 14 tackles for loss are tied for sixth. He’s also forced a pair of fumbles and has batted four passes down at the line.
Garrett has vaulted into contention for the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award while playing through a left shoulder injury that continues to bother him as the result of a one-car accident suffered in late September.
“I'd like to think that I'm in the thick of it and there's four games left and there's no reason why I can't be at the top of the sack leader board,” Garrett said. “So I'm going keep on continuing to play at a high level, high effort and give the most to these guys, and at the end of the day whatever's said and done, I gave my all for my guys.”
With his team on the brink of elimination, Garrett hasn’t seen anyone let up or start making offseason vacation plans just yet.
“I mean, guys still wanna win. Guys aren't worried about the chances that we have to be in there,” Garrett said. “It's more about pride and nothing's guaranteed. No one's job or a place here is guaranteed. You still have a lot of time to put things on film, good or bad. And so you don't have time to be messing around or giving less effort when next year there's always a new wave of people coming to take your job from the top down. Me to anyone else.”
Garrett’s 70.5 career sacks are the most recorded by the Browns in franchise history and ranks him fourth all-time in NFL history for a player in his first 80 career games trailing only Hall of Famer Reggie White (88.0), J.J. Watt (74.5) and T.J. Watt (73.5).
