Once again, Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett is calling himself best in the world. Speaking with reporters ahead of the team’s season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, Garrett answered in the affirmative when asked if he was the best defensive player in the league.
His reason is simple.
“Why? Go check the tape. That’s why,” he told reporters Thursday afternoon.
Garrett heads into Week 18 tied for the league lead with 14 sacks. Making another Pro Bowl today, he is two sacks shy from tying a career-best. Along with the sacks, he has 28 QB hits, 21 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles.
After the Browns upset the Steelers in Week 12, Garrett declared himself No. 1, taking shots at T.J. Watt after feeling disrespected by Watt’s prickly response to losing out on last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
This year, the two are again battling for the trophy. Watt is the favorite but he has competition from Garrett and a pair of Denver Broncos in CB Patrick Surtain II and EDGE Nik Bonitto. This year’s DPOY race could be the most wide open in years. After Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson went down with a season-ending injury, the race became anyone’s game.
While Garrett has the numbers, his defense doesn’t. Ranked 24th in points per game allowed, the Browns are one of the NFL’s worst teams and historically, those players don’t win DPOY awards.
The debate between Garrett and Watt is never-ending. This is hardly the first discussion nor will it be the last. The reality is both are fantastic players and future first-ballot Hall of Famers. Browns fans side with Garrett, Steelers fans with Watt.
For Watt, his focus is on achieving something neither have done much of in their careers. Win in the playoffs. Garrett has just one postseason victory, Cleveland’s 2020 Wild Card upset of Pittsburgh, while Watt is searching for his first. Only Watt will get the chance to win this postseason. Garrett and the Browns will try to figure out the roster ahead of a long offseason.
