Name: This version of Myles Garrett, the gamewrecker, is the one the Browns expected when they drafted him No. 1 overall
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This version of Myles Garrett, the gamewrecker, is the one the Browns expected when they drafted him No. 1 overall

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NEW!ARLINGTON, Texas — This gamewrecking version of Myles Garrett is the one the Browns hoped they were getting when they drafted him No. 1 overall.It took four seasons for Garrett to become the generational pass-rusher they anticipated when they passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in 2017 to draft him, but he’s living up to his draft status so far this season.With two sacks and another sack-fumble in his big homecoming to Arlington, and , Garrett now leads the NFL with five sacks and three sack-fumbles, having notched one in each of his past three games.He also leads the NFL with 23 pressures, and according to Next Gen Stats, and his six turnovers forced by pressure are a league-high.To put it in perspective, his three strips are one more than he had in 10 games last year, and half as many as his career total of six. They’ve also been game changing plays in the Browns' three-game winning streak."He’s doing a great job,'' coach Kevin Stefanski said. “No. 95 is all over the field. He’s giving us an honest day’s work every time he is out there, playing the run and playing the pass. Really happy for him to be able to do this in his hometown in front of some people who I am sure know him from growing up, friends and family. Very happy for him. We’re going to need him. He is our best player there. We expect a lot from him.”His two sacks on Sunday brought his career total to 35.5. Only four NFL players have more in their first 41 career games: Reggie White (52), Aldon Smith (42), Shawne Merriman (38.5) &amp; Derrick Thomas (38.5).Garrett’s sacks also set the tone for the game. His first, an 11-yarder to tie his career-long, came on the second play of the game, and served notice to Dak Prescott that he’d have to work hard for his third straight 450-plus-yard game.It also exposed undrafted rookie right tackle Terence Steele as hopelessly overmatched. Garrett put a spin move on him for the first sack and he’s probably still dizzy. Rushing mostly from the left side to capitalize on the mismatch, Garrett produced the sack-fumble at the most opportune time, just after Odell Beckham Jr. caught his second TD of the day, a 4-yarder from Baker Mayfield, to tie it at 14-14 in the second quarter.Garrett blew past an overwhelmed Steele once again and knocked the ball out of Prescott’s hand. Mayfield and the Browns cashed in four plays later with a 1-yard TD pass to tight end Austin Hooper for a 21-14 edge."Once again, Myles makes a big time play in a big moment,'' Mayfield said. “I told him if he keeps getting one strip-sack a game, I’m not going to be mad at him. Myles once again changed the game for us.”Garrett inspired Andrew Sendejo to pry the ball away from Zeke Elliott on the Cowboys' next play, and before they knew it, Dallas was trailing 28-14 midway through the second quarter on a 2-yard Kareem Hunt TD run."I’m no stranger to this field so playing on this field and making big plays is not new to me,'' Garrett said. “I’m just glad that I was able to do it again. I love the fans that were here. I love that so many people were able to make it and travel here. I do not know how many Browns fans we had here. They are the best fans in the NFL. It felt great to get the win.”Inexplicably, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy thought he could leave Steele on an island against the Garrett at time."I’m always trying to start fast,'' Garrett said. “I’m trying to read the guy and understand him. I’ll read him after I test him with whatever I have planned before the game. I move and see how he bit on it, and whether I have to adjust or counter, that is for the next play. I was able to have success with the second play of the game. It was a good start, and I am hoping to have many more of those.”Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods has done something this season that Garrett’s previous coordinators didn’t do much: Move him around on the field and spring him on overmatched linemen."It really helps because offensively, teams are going to plan for him,'' Woods said Thursday. "When you move him around, if they plan on sliding protection to him or chipping him, when you move him around, it creates problems for them because they do not know exactly where he is going to be. It also gives our other guys an opportunity to get some one on ones.''that he contemplated quitting football during his suspension last season for hitting Mason Rudolph over the head with the QB’s helmet. Instead, he rededicated himself to the game, became more of a team leader, and vowed to dominate on the field. The change hasn’t been lost on Larry Ogunjobi, his best friend on the team."I feel like as we have all gotten older, there’s this level of understanding that you have of the game and understanding your ability of what you can do to make game-changing plays,'' Ogunjobi said last week. "I feel like he’s really sunk into that role, and now he understands how big of a factor his is. I feel like that time off really gave him time to reflect and understand he is a difference maker, and whenever he wants to, he will be."He’s doing that. He is making plays. I am not surprised at all. I expect that from him.''The Browns expect it too, and now that’s he’s coming through, he’s picked up where he left off last season as a leading candidate again for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.More Browns coverageNote to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

NEW!ARLINGTON, Texas — This gamewrecking version of Myles Garrett is the one the Browns hoped they were getting when they drafted him No. 1 overall.It took four seasons for Garrett to become the generational pass-rusher they anticipated when they passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in 2017 to draft him, but he’s living up to his draft status so far this season.With two sacks and another sack-fumble in his big homecoming to Arlington, and , Garrett now leads the NFL with five sacks and three sack-fumbles, having notched one in each of his past three games.He also leads the NFL with...

This version of Myles Garrett, the gamewrecker, is the one the Browns expected when they drafted him No. 1 overall

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