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Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett didn’t tie – or set -the official NFL single-season sack record Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Disappointing as that may be, it’ll offer Garrett the chance to do so at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.
Garrett sits at 22.0 sacks for the season. That’s a half-sack away from tying the mark set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt in 2021. And one away from standing alone.
Late in the first half, Garrett came close to tying the mark. But he missed taking down QB Josh Allen for a full sack. Initial credit was given to DL Mason Graham but in the second half, NFL stats issued a correction to split credit between Garrett and DE Alex Wright. A debatable decision but one that gave Garrett 22.0 sacks for the season.
With the Browns long eliminated from the playoff race, Garrett’s focus has been on racking up stats. He’s in the midst of a historic season and has gotten to the quarterback more than 20 times despite the slew of attention he receives each week. Playing from behind in most of these games also gives him fewer quality opportunities to record sacks.
Garrett’s sacks have often come in bunches. He has two-, three-, four-, and five-sack performances this season. But in a stat emblematic of his career, the Browns are just 1-3 in those games.
Sunday, a healthy Buffalo running attack prevented Garrett from impacting the game much. James Cook III ran for well over 110 yards in a 23-20 win. Garrett finished with just one tackle, one QB hit, and the half-sack.
It’s not clear if Garrett’s oft-compared counterpart T.J. Watt will play in next Sunday’s game. His status remains uncertain after his lung operation earlier this month. He will miss a second-straight game today versus Detroit.
In their Week 6 meeting, Pittsburgh held Garrett in check. He recorded just two assisted tackles with zero QB hits or sacks in a 23-9 loss to the Steelers. Some reports have indicated Steelers players are “instructed” to take a penalty instead of letting Garrett record a sack, though there’s no evidence of that actually playing out on the field. For his career, Garrett has recorded 13 sacks in 15 career games against the Steelers.
Still, even as Pittsburgh is focused on winning the AFC North, ensuring Garrett doesn’t get to match or set a record in Week 17 will be something the entire Steelers offense is aware of. Of course, minimizing Garrett’s production is a big step in preventing a Cleveland upset.
