DE Myles Garrett (9.22.24)
Myles, you look like you’re in a little bit of pain as you walk to the podium. What’s kind of going on with your foot?
“A whole lot of things going on. But, like I said before, it’s part of the game. I’m not gonna make excuses. Excuses don’t win this game. So I’m going to continue to do recovery, my treatment, everything that I’m required and more and be out there and be the player that we need.”
What do you think happen on those two long drives by the (New York) Giants in that first half?
“They just executed well. You know, getting us up field, running those screens, quicks swings and just keeping us off balance and not allowing us up front to really dictate the pace of the game by continuing to get the ball out in a variety of ways quickly.”
Myles, Kevin (Stefanski) said earlier you’re going to have an MRI on your injury. How concerned are you after seemingly aggravating it? How concerned are you that it might sideline you?
“I’m not concerned about something I don’t know about. So, get the results and move from there. At this point, I’m going to continue to move as I have and look forward to playing the next game until someone tells me otherwise.”
Have you had an MRI on the feet yet before tomorrow?
[Nods no]
Myles, you’ve played through a lot of pain, a lot of injuries over the course of your career. Where does that — can you explain that place you go to mentally to kind of block out the pain and just focus on what you’re doing?
“Just hate losing. And there’s just something that sits wrong within me more with losing than with dealing with any injury. So we always talk about, ‘it takes everything, you’re willing to die for it,’ that yada, yada, yada. But when push comes to shove, when you’re not feeling well, when you’re sick, you’re tired, you’re hurting, you’re injured, and you’re back against the wall, you got to look at yourself in the mirror and be like, ‘am I really about this?’ And I’m about it every single time. So if I have the opportunity, as long as they give me the green light, I’m going to go and that’s every time.”
What’s the biggest way– I guess how is this foot injury impacting you? Obviously, you’re trying to manage it with the reps today, but when you’re on the field, what is it maybe inhibiting you from doing that comes naturally?
“I mean, it’s the foot. But like I said, it’s more than just the foot. It’s multiple things going on. So, I mean, I if think the foot’s feeling good or feeling better, it’s one thing or another. So it’s kind of just feeding into each other right now and nothing’s sitting right because nothing has time to heal because I’m leaning on something else and I’m compensating here to make some hurt there. It’s just been — like I said, a cycle.”
So, the foot injury is kind of leading to more other issues with the lower leg, you would say?
“Yeah.”
Myles, you used the phrase ‘off balance,’ in those are early drives. Why are you guys off balance in those moments?
“It’s hard to say without seeing the film. Maybe just using our aggressiveness against us and I think they had some really good play calls. I’m not saying that we didn’t, but it’s about us getting out the stack as D-linemen; making those plays when they cut inside and not letting us fly downhill. And it’s a combination of both, especially when it’s quick, we have to jump on it and we got to make sure that we don’t miss tackles. We had a few too many missed tackles as well that could have set them back and helped us on those drives.”
Myles, on Friday you said even though the Giants are 0-2, you felt you guys were as desperate to win this one as they were. I mean, do you think you came out and played fast enough to show that?
I think for the most part, yeah. I don’t think it was really a lack of effort and I don’t think it was a lack of focus. I think they executed very well when they needed to and in crucial situations, especially on third down during those two stretches, we couldn’t get them off the field. And just like I said, a few too many missed tackles. We got to make those plays when they’re there.”
Myles, what changed defensively in the second half for you guys?
“They tried more to establish the run, and even though we have some really good passers on this team, we pride ourselves in stopping the run. So we tried to take that away from them and those quicks and screens can only work for so long. Once we got used to it, we started snuffing those things out. It was just trying to get that ball back to offense, whether it was a three-and-out or a takeaway.”
It looks like you had the ball after that interception that was called back because of the penalty. So how difficult is it to go back out there and get yourself ready for basically a new drive?
“You get excited, honestly, as a defender. You want to go out there and make another play. So, you don’t need anyone to motivate you or inspire you to go out there and make a play. Those kinds of things, it’s like, ‘Well, s***, if they’re going to take away from us and we go get another one,’ and we keep on ball-hawking, keep on searching for the ball and trying to knock it out.”
Once again, Deshaun Watson sacked way more times than any quarterback should be, this time it was a career-high eight sacks for him. Just again, what kind of fight, and scrappiness and heart quarterback showing you and do you think that will help carry you guys as you move forward?
“He showed that kind of grit and determination since he’s been in college, since the first time we seen him go step on the big stage. So that’s nothing new to us. It’s just a matter of putting everything together. We got to execute, whether that’s making plays or a block, from all the little things. We were talking about having laser focus on little things and that has to be the same way throughout the season, not just this week. Like you said, they’re desperate, but in the situation we’re in, we’re just as desperate. We’re both 1-2. So, we got to continue to come with that kind of firing and effort and now the execution decides to take it to the next level.”
When an offense is using you guys’ aggressiveness against you, what does that mean?
“They were just trying to get us up field. Trying to use our eyes to either slow us down or bait us to get up field so they can throw some right behind us or to the outside, get to the perimeter. Those things, when you try to take the deepest line out the game, it’s either that or trying to tire us out or a combination of the two.”
That time in the second half and you needed help to get to the sideline. What happened on that specific play and what was bothering you that you needed help to walk off?
“Like I said, multiple things. A couple lower leg, I won’t say injuries, but ailments on both sides. So just a combination of those things. Lean on one leg, another one hurts – lean on one leg, the other one hurts. So, it’s just like I said, a combination and I was going to get up from those things as best as I can, wrap me up, tape me up, let’s go.”
Myles, when you came off after going down and you heard the fans chanting your name, how good did that feel to have that support…What were you feeling in that moment?
“I felt empowered to continue to give my best for not only my team, but for the fans, for the organization and that’s the kind of things that you dream of. And it’s not the situation we wanted to be in with the score, but that kind of support behind myself and us, that’s when you step up and make plays and we made plays down the stretch, but we need to make a couple more. But that’s the stuff that you play for. So, I’m going to continue to make us as Browns proud and do my best.”
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