Despite a solid game by Myles Garrett, he has to do more for the Browns

Myles Garrett made one big play against the Cincinnati Bengals but he has to do more to warrant his massive contract from the Cleveland Browns.

This was Myles Garrett’s best game dating back to the end of September of 2019. That being said, it still wasn’t a great game for Garrett. The former No. 1 overall pick was on a bad string of games heading into the Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Garrett had three tackles, and one strip-sack which on the surface looks good.

Except, Garrett got his one sack lined up on the inside of the defensive line, matched up with Shaq Calhoun. If there was one player worse than Calhoun, it was fellow guard Michael Jordan. The interior of the Bengals offensive line was so bad that Sheldon Richardson of all people had a great game. The last time Richardson had a game this good was against the Bengals, actually, in Week 14.

So if Richardson was tearing up the Bengals offense, you know their offensive line is terrible. So Garrett lining up over guard and getting a sack is good, in essence, but the rest of the game not so much.

Garrett has not registered a sack against a team’s starting tackle in over five games at this point. Not just that, but on more than one occasion against the Bengals, Garrett got stuffed by their tight ends in one-on-one blocking assignments.

This isn’t to say that Garrett wasn’t trying last night, as he was. He just wasn’t accomplishing what he needed to. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, a sack and a forced fumble on one play? Most guys would consider that a good game. The thing is, Garrett no longer gets to have those kinds of days and call it a good game. He’s the $100 million man, and he needs to play like it.

Joe Burrow should not be able to throw 61 times in a game and only be sacked three times. Worse than that, Garrett at his price should never have a similar game as Porter Gustin, who actually was far more effective all-around for most of the game than Garrett.

Garrett needs to do more than just have three tackles, and a sack a game to earn that contract. J.J. Watt routinely had 60-80 tackles, on top of 15 sacks a season at his peak. He wasn’t paid as much as Garrett is now. That’s the type of production Garrett needs to do in order for him to really earn that deal.

Getting blocked out of plays and being ridden by offensive tackles around the pocket for 90% of passing plays are not things Garrett should be settling for.