Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett is planning on a strong start to the season and won’t let the Dallas Cowboys stand in his way.
Garrett was asked about the high-profile Week 1 matchup against “America’s Team” and made his intentions very clear.
“It’s Dallas, it’s home. I don’t plan on losing,” Garrett said. “That’s it.”
The game will feature the Cowboys’ explosive offense against a Browns defense that led the league in total yards given up per game last season (270.2). It will also feature two of the best pass-rushers in the game in Myles Garrett and Cowboys star Micah Parsons.
Adding to the intrigue, the matchup between the Browns and Cowboys will mark Tom Brady’s debut as a FOX commentator, likely drawing many additional eyes.
The Browns can set the tone for the year with a win over the Cowboys. Dallas has reeled off three consecutive 12-win seasons and is a stiff challenge out of the gate. Quarterback Dak Prescott finished second in MVP voting a year ago, passing for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns. It will be one of many matchups for the Browns against some of the top-tier passers in the league.
“I mean, it’s always exciting. At any given day, you can get lit up by a quarterback in this league,” Garrett said. “All these guys are here for a reason. So, most of those guys are, by most standards of measurement, some of the best in the league. So, it is an exciting time. It will be competitive, but we look forward to that challenge. We want them to give them their best because we know we’re going to work hard to get them out.”
Browns DE Myles Garrett Ramping Up Workload
Garrett is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He recorded 14 sacks last season while battling a shoulder injury and was a player opposing teams needed to account for every play.
Garrett has tallied double-digit sacks every year since his rookie season. The former No. 1 overall pick has 88.5 sacks in 100 career games and is already the franchise’s career sack leader.
Garrett hasn’t been heavily involved in training camp so far but is okay with taking things slow. He had a minor hamstring injury during minicamp in June.
“It’s a ramp up here that we’re doing. Making sure, you know, everything’s feeling right and just checking all the lights in the car and making sure the engine’s running well and when we’re finally there, ready to go,” Garrett said.
Myles Garrett Motivated by Playoff Loss to Texans
Garrett has said the lopsided 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans last season has served as motivation this offseason.
“It’s definitely at the forefront of my mind always,” Garrett said in June. “That’s the last taste of football that we all had. I plan to make that apparent to everyone and continue to keep it as motivation for myself that we stepped out, we didn’t get the job done, we didn’t execute and we fell short of our goals.”
Garrett does receive some extra attention as the reigning DPOY. However, he still has a hunger to improve.
“I watched a lot of tape, not only of myself, but of others. Watching how they deal with circumstances or situations I get put in,” Garrett said. “Just trying to learn from my own mistakes, watching it, you know, day in and day out, making sure I minimize the mistakes that I made.”
The first test for Garrett and the Browns will be on September 8 against the Cowboys.
