BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – For whatever reason the Browns, and defensive end Myles Garrett, seem to have the Bengals number.
Cleveland looks to sweep the season series for the third consecutive year Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati, and they’ve won eight of the last nine games in the I-71 series.
Garrett has played a prominent role in that recent domination, a point Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow conceded earlier this week.
“He's trying to butter me [up], trying to make me blush,” Garrett said Friday in response. “I mean it means a lot. It's a great compliment from a great player and I mean the same can be said about himself and his team. I mean, once he came along and Ja’Marr came along, their team has gone in a completely different direction and they're much better for it and that's what it is at the end of the day – your star player versus ours and who can take each other out of the game and the matchup’s been going in our favor but they have some stars over there for sure.”
Garrett showered Burrow with praise Friday.
“I like him as a player, like him as a person, have a lot of respect for him,” Garrett said. “I don't think I disliked anyone in the league really. But, no, there's respect there. I mean it's been given both ways so it's understandable and there's some other guys, but you can ask that question another week to see if I have the same answer.
Burrow has yet to beat the Browns and fell to 0-4 in his career against Cleveland following a 32-13 loss at FirstEnergy Stadium on Halloween. Garrett has sacked Burrow at least once in each of those games.
Garrett, picked first overall by the Browns in 2017, feels a bit of a rivalry developing between the two Ohio teams.
“I feel like we've both improved a lot since I've been here,” Garrett said. “I mean they've gone on to the Super Bowl and we've gone to the playoffs for the first time long while and we've both been picking up and doing better. So I think that kind of coming from the bottom and starting from the bottom and trying to scrap it out and see who's going to make it is a little bit different.
“I feel like those guys, and Pittsburgh and Baltimore, they kind of always feel like they're the top. I feel like, where we're at, and what we're trying to take over.”
Cincinnati is in a fight with Baltimore for the top spot in the AFC North at 8-4 while the Browns are trying to just keep their season alive at 5-7.
“It’s the same message, same, what’s it they say, same stuff, different day,” Garrett said. “We still have a long road ahead of us.
Every game's a playoff game for us. We don't have an option but to win.”
In his last seven games against the Bengals, Garrett has been a one-man wrecking crew – seven sacks, 13 QB hits and two forced fumbles.
“I think I'm just able to adjust what they're throwing at me,” Garrett said. “I mean, even some of the plays I made last game came off of when there was a chip going my way or those double-teams my way. So just being able to find a way around it. I mean, sometimes it's tougher than others and this last him I was able to do it at a higher clip. Gotta look forward to doing it the same way.”
While he might respect Burrow, Garrett will look to chase him around some more this weekend and hopefully use the brooms on the Bengals again.
“He's playing at a MVP caliber [level],” Garrett said. “So just be able to say that we got one up on not only him, but them, it's a good feeling.”