Lazy, Overpaid Myles Garrett Pulls Disappearing Act In 4th Quarter Yet Again; Should Apologize To Fans For Spoiled Postgame Comments
After an embarrassing loss to the lowly New York Jets and an over-the-hill Joe Flacco Sunday afternoon, the Browns were rightfully booed off the field by their own fans. The common sports gesture seemed fitting after the Browns blew a 13-point lead with under two minutes left at home, to a quarterback who hadn’t won a start since 2019.
That criticism was just too gratuitous for some players, however. Myles Garrett, defensive end and former number one overall pick taken over Patrick Mahomes, called out the fans who showed some emotion at the end of the game, unlike the players.
“I mean the more disappointing thing was the booing at the end,” Garrett said. “It was not the most optimal ending that we’d want, of course, we want to win. Of course we wanted to play out the game and it end 30-16 or 30-17 or whatever it was, we get a pick or a strip-sack and end the game. But that’s not always how it goes.”
Apparently, it’s bewildering that some fans would be upset about such a half-hearted effort from a team that’s promised they’re in “win-now” mode.
Garrett will make $125 million across his five-year contract the Browns handed him in 2020. Before shelling out nearly $4 a gallon for gasoline, Browns fans get to the stadium to pay an average of $61 per ticket in 2022 and that’s before a watered-down $10 beer, overpriced food and whatever merchandise they want to represent their lifetime football team. When the fans put up serious money every season, the least they can expect is their players, especially the highest paid ones, to play hard for 60 minutes. Not 58 minutes.
I have documented Garrett’s underachieving since being in the NFL in previous articles. For as much money as he makes, Garrett does not earn it. For a guy who talks about breaking records and Defensive Player of the Year recognition, he doesn’t even come close to players who are actually deserving of the accolades. TJ Watt and Aaron Donald’s impact on the game far outweighs what Garrett does as a “sack artist,” which he doesn’t seem to employ in the 4th quarter in crucial moments.
Watch the last two drives by the Jets on Sunday. Go back and watch number 95. What you’ll see is a guy line up on the edge, running half-assed around the outside, not use his long limbs to gain leverage or even try to deflect a pass, while Joe Flacco sits comfortably in the pocket. Leading up to the next play, Garrett saunters to the line and barely gets his hand in the grass before the ball is snapped. Ray Lewis, he is not. TJ Watt, he is not. Reggie White, he is not.
Those guys got double and triple-teamed routinely. They got chipped and held. Yet, they still found ways to disrupt the offense and make an impact defensively. Watt, in particular, turns his motor up to eleven in crunch time when his team needs him most.
Garrett seems content to take his 2nd quarter sack and be done with trying. That mentality will likely get him the franchise-lead in sacks, but it will not and has not resulted in more wins for the Browns. It’s also interesting that after Jadeveon Clowney left the game with an injury, Garrett dropped off the map for the remainder of regulation.
Clowney, meanwhile, had a strip-sack in Cleveland territory, eliminating a Jets drive with a forced and recovered fumble.
The loyal fans have been patient in watching Garrett fail to step up as a leader, fail to deliver in the 4th quarter, and fail to take responsibility for his underwhelming performance over five years as his team stays stuck in neutral and they deserve to be treated better. But they are not. That’s what’s more disappointing.
Myles Garrett has Maserati-level talent, but he treats it like a lawn mower. But look at the bright side: at least he’ll have another gravestone to put in his front yard for a meaningless 2nd quarter sack against Joe Flacco.
The spoiled, lazy and overpaid defensive end should apologize to Browns fans everywhere.
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