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Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has a plan in mind for the final six games of the season.
He is looking for quality over quantity.
Garrett, along with the other starters along the defensive line, were being worked hard in the early part of the season - in Garrett’s case rarely getting a play off - and it became clear that they were wearing down in the fourth quarter.
But interim head coach Gregg Williams has worked the backups into the rotation more in recent weeks, which has Garrett looking to finish the season strong, according to ohio.com:
“If I can get some time off and still be productive and go 85-90 percent of the plays, that’s fine with me. I don’t think I should be out there 100 percent. It’s hard to give your best every single play. ... I’m just working on something to make sure I’m productive all the way through.
“I like to take quality snaps, but if I have to play every snap for us to have a chance to win, I’m going to do that. It’s just what it takes for us to win, and if it means I have to take 85, 90 percent to feel my best when I’m out there, then I’ll do that. But if I need to play 100 percent and in place of the guy behind me, then I’ll do that as well.”
Even if he has been running on fumes at times, Garrett has still been finding a way to harass opposing quarterbacks:
#Browns leaders in total pressures through 10 games:
— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) November 23, 2018
1. Garrett (38)
2. Ogunjobi (29)
3. Avery (23)
4. Ogbah (19)
T5. Coley (7)
T5. Schobert (7)
T5. Smith (7)
Garrett leads the Browns with nine sacks and with a strong finish has an outside shot of moving into the team’s top 10 list for career sacks.
That might be difficult given that four of the five teams remaining on the schedule are in or near the top 10 in fewest sacks allowed. Sunday’s opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, are at No. 9, the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens are tied for No. 6, and the Denver Broncos are at No. 11. The Houston Texans, currently ranked at No. 25, are the only team that appears to provide an easy path to the quarterback.
But with a little more rest on game days, Garrett may just have enough quality plays in him to continue to be a disruptive force.