Myles Garrett Demands More, Spurs Teammates to Dig Deeper Ahead of Win or Go Home Matchup

Ahead of their rematch against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett spurred on teammates to work harder, dig deeper ahead of pivotal matchup.

Coming out of the bye week, defensive end Myles Garrett wasn't satisfied with the level of focus by the Cleveland Browns in practices and he said as much, while pointing out there is still time to get it right before taking on the Baltimore Ravens in their rematch on Sunday.

It started when Garrett was asked about his individual success, no longer leading the league in sacks this year and he downplayed it in favor of team goals.

"Nothing matters if we don't make the playoffs. DPOY is nice, but I want to be remembered for bringing Super Bowls here. I know Bake does and everybody else does. Individual glory, that will come and go. The city will remember a Super Bowl. I win DPOY and we don't win anything, our names won't go down and be remembered for anything."

He was later asked if he saw the sense of urgency, the attention to detail from the team in practice this week that he was hoping.

"Not as much as I wanted to," Garrett started. He also noted, "It's win or go home right now."

When he was pressed further, asking if that was disappointing, Garrett wouldn't come out and say that, but pointed out a simple reality for this team.

"I think we all have to look in the mirror and say, 'obviously if we don't win this one, there won't be any postseason for us.' So we've gotta come together tomorrow, today, in meetings and get right."

The initial impressions as these quotes came out were largely negative, which on some level makes sense.

Still alive in the playoff hunt, the Browns seemingly should be more focused after having had their bye week, a little healthier with a renewed focus. The players on this team may believe they have done just that. They may believe they are doing what it takes to be ready.

Garrett is telling everyone on this team it's not enough and it's largely directed toward his guys on defense, spurring them on to work harder, noting just how little room for error they have. And with his own time to reflect on the season thus far with a few days to recharge, he may have come to the conclusion it's time for him to continue stepping up as a leader and really push this team.

The same reason the Browns have worlds of potential is why they are running into some of these issues. This defense is incredibly young and this isn't the first time there has been a suggestion that this group has players that think they are doing enough, but haven't realized just what it takes to be great in the NFL.

This is something Malik Jackson touched on ahead of the Browns game against the Denver Broncos.

Don't think this is a shot at anyone, Malik Jackson is answering my question about if practices on a short week that are less physical can allow the #Browns to focus more on fixing the communication: pic.twitter.com/c8qeM5xVeV

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 19, 2021

Garrett and Denzel Ward are the two most entrenched pieces on the Browns defense. Garrett is 25 while Ward is 24. The Browns signed John Johnson III to help improve leadership as well as their talent. He's 25.

The Browns are getting significant contributions from Greg Newsome (21), Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (22), Grant Delpit (23), Mack Wilson (23), Ronnie Harrison (24), Jordan Elliott (24) and Malik McDowell (25). The depth tells a similar story.

That's great in terms of building a unit that can endure not just in this division but the league overall. With a coaching staff that has been here almost two seasons and all of their veteran mentors having been added in that time, these players don't know what they don't know. And as much as we would like to believe this can be established quickly, it takes time.

The Browns don't have the same work ethic and expectations that are engrained into players that play for teams like the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Not only do the coaches instill it, but the players that have spent years with those teams reinforce it. They are instilled with a championship mentality pretty quickly, which is part of why those teams have demonstrated such remarkable staying power.

The Browns have significant talent, but Garrett and Jackson are pointing out that they aren't there in terms of that tradition as they simultaneously encourage them, knowing how much more this group is capable of achieving. Coaches will constantly harp on these ideas, but it hits differently when their teammates do it, especially with the sweat equity and level of achievement that Garrett does.

If Garrett, a player well on his way to having a Hall of Fame career tells a player in this locker room they aren't doing enough to prepare themselves for the game Sunday, are they really going to tell him he's wrong?

This team is 6-6 and it's exactly the type of situation to drive these points home. Regardless of how this season plays out, this team has a meaningful opportunity to grow in the last five games of the season, continuing to take the steps necessary to become a winning team. Hopefully they internalize Garrett's cri

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