Myles Garrett secret to Browns success against Bengals’ Joe Burrow

On Dec 9, 2022

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) pats Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) after sacking him during the second half of an NFL football game at FirstEnergy Stadium, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio.

BEREA − Joe Burrow’s record against the Browns is different than anyone else he’s faced multiple times. That’s because they’re the only team the Bengals quarterback has faced more than twice that he’s never beaten.

Burrow was asked this week what made the Browns, against whom he’s 0-4, different than any other team he’s played. The third-year pro was matter-of-fact in his response.

“Well, they have Myles Garrett,” Burrow told Cincinnati reporters. “That’s different from everybody else.”

Forgive the Browns star edge rusher if he’s not about to take the bait from the Bengals star quarterback. Much in the same way Garrett wasn’t going to let personal feelings allow him to ease up on former college teammate Kyle Allen a week ago in Houston, he’s not going to allow Burrow’s words to do the same as the Browns head to Cincinnati for Sunday’s game.

That’s even if Garrett may share similar feelings about Burrow.

“He’s trying to butter me up, trying to make me blush,” Garrett said Friday. “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 (receiver) Ja’Marr (Chase) 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.”

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) dances after sacking Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second half of an NFL football game at FirstEnergy Stadium, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio.

The thing is, there may be a lot of truth behind Burrow’s words. The Browns head to the Queen City on Sunday having won five in a row against the Bengals, although one of those five was last year’s regular-season finale in which Burrow and many of Cincinnati’s starters didn’t play.

When Burrow has played, though, there’s been two constants. One has been the Browns have won the game, while the other is that Garrett typically lives in the Cincinnati backfield around the quarterback.

Garrett has recorded six career sacks and 11 quarterback hits on Burrow in four games. The last time they met, in Week 8 on Oct. 31 in Cleveland, he had 1.5 sacks and four hits on the Bengals star in a 32-13 Browns win.

“He just presents so many problems to you because he can in at the line of scrimmage,” Burrow said of Garrett. “He can win late. He’s fast off the ball. He’s just so disruptive in everything he does. He’s just a great player.”

Garrett holds Burrow in a similar regard. Even with the success he has had getting to the quarterback, Burrow has averaged more than 300 yards passing and thrown eight touchdowns in his four games against Cleveland.

That level of greatness, though, is exactly what Garrett believes pushes him to want to have the kind of performances he’s had against Burrow. The six sacks he’s recorded of the Bengals quarterback are the most of any quarterback he’s faced in his career, one more than the five sacks he had over former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

“I don’t think it’s anything he’s done specifically,” Garrett said ” I think it’s just a great player in himself and, I mean, you wanna be able to match that same intensity and exceed it. You wanna be able to put your stamp on the game, and someone who’s playing at that level, a team who’s playing that well. I mean, he’s playing at a MVP caliber. So just be able to say that we got one up on not only him, but them, it’s a good feeling.”

There may be something schematically to what the Bengals do that assists Garrett in being able to have the kind of performances he’s had against them. No edge rusher in the league seems to face as many double teams as Garrett does.

That is, unless the team is the Bengals. Defensive line coach Chris Kiffin indicated Friday that Cincinnati doesn’t chip or double-team Garrett nearly as much as other teams.

Garrett agreed with that sentiment, to a point, especially when he lines up against Bengals right tackle La’el Collins. However, he doesn’t believe that’s the only reason for his success in getting to Burrow.

“I mean 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.”