Can the Bengals Come Up With a Plan For Myles Garrett, Whose Dominance Against Them is Approaching Historic Levels?

Jay Morrison | Oct 17, 2024

Oct 31, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) sacks Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) in the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Every rookie has a “Welcome to the NFL” moment, and there’s a good chance Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Amarius Mims gets his Sunday in Cleveland when he faces Browns edge rusher and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.

Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has faced Garrett nine times and still ends up looking like a rookie from time to time, as does every other tackle in the league.

But especially all of the ones that have worn a Cincinnati uniform since Garrett entered the league as the No. 1 pick in 2017.

Garrett has 12.5 sacks in 10 career games against the Bengals and is a big reason why Cincinnati has lost six in a row in Cleveland and eight of 10 overall if you take out two of the last three seasons finales when teams were resting their starters (Bengals in 2021 and Browns in 2023).

"One of the best in the NFL, if not the best,” Mims said of Garrett. “You just have to approach it like you do every other week. No matter who is on the other side of the ball, you have to have the same approach.

“He's a great player, but it starts with us first,” Mims continued. “If we do what we're supposed to do, we'll do our best to neutralize him.”

The plan for what Mims and the rest of the offense is supposed to do starts with offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher.

While Pitcher is in his first season in this role, planning for Garrett is nothing new. Before his promotion, Pitcher was heavily involved in scheming the known passing down situations while he was quarterbacks coach from 2020-23.

“It was always at the forefront of my thought process,” Pitcher said of plotting to deal with Garrett. “Solve that problem first. And then within whatever you are able to build that tries to solve that problem – he’s a dynamic player – _ then you can decide what you want to do downfield.”

No quarterback in the league has been sacked by Garrett more times than Joe Burrow – eight times in six games.

“He takes a lot of time and attention, and he deserves it,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He's a tremendous player. He's certainly a big focus this week. He grabs your attention. From the first snap you watch to the final one over the years, he's always been a problem.”

In addition to his eight sacks of Burrow, Garrett has sacked Cincinnati passers Andy Dalton, Brandon Allen, Jeff Driskel and … Ja’Marr Chase.

Garrett has recorded at least one sack in seven consecutive games against the Bengals, the longest streak by any opposing player in franchise history.

Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt had five in a from 2018-20, and another Steelers menace, Greg Lloyd, had five straight from 1991-93.

The NFL record for most consecutive games with a sack against the same opponent is 11 by Leslie O’Neal against Seattle.

Garrett will try to take another step toward that mark Sunday at Huntington Bank Field.

“He's a problem for everybody,” Pitcher said. “He's a Defensive Player of the Year candidate year after year after year. We’re not the only ones he gives issues to. But we’re the ones who have to play him this week, so it’s our problem now.”

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