DE Myles Garrett (9.6.24)
We’re certain that you will be going up against a rookie at left tackle on Sunday. Just wondering what you’ve seen on film and what are your thoughts on Tyler Guyton?
“It’s a new challenge. Just as the league is new to him, he’s new to us. We got to prepare for what he brings to the game and the uniqueness that he provides. But his skillset as well as his attributes, being a taller guy, being a little bit more mobile, athletic, and moving pretty well. And he’s been able to go against a really good pass rush over there in Dallas. So, you know, he’s going to be prepared, but I offer a different flavor.”
From a personal standpoint, did you get what you needed to out of the offseason and training camp?
“Yeah, definitely got what I needed to out of it. Got myself prepared, did my best to get this team prepared and continue to prepare. We keep on preparing until the minute the ball snaps. So we’re going to continue to improve and sharpen things up and even throughout the game, we’re continuing to look at things and find how we can execute even better.”
How much extra motivation do you have knowing that you’re going against Dallas?
“Just a little bit. You know, it’s always special going against your home team. Definitely going to have some family up there; some wearing blue, some wearing orange or brown. But that kind of stuff, man, it’s amazing.”
I know you’re not going against Micah (Parsons) directly, but will you kind of be watching what he’s doing? Is there a feeling of one-upmanship or anything like that if you can recall?
“I’m really focused on us and what we’re doing. No doubt I’ll be watching. He’s a hell of a player and if he busts out a move, I might take it during the game and use it myself. But it’s not a matter of one-upmanship. I’m worried about how we can control the game and dominate the line of scrimmage when we’re on the field. But while they’re out there, going to be rooting for the offense, but paying attention to what they’re doing, see if I can help the tackles or the guards based off what I’m seeing from them, what they’re getting from him individually and studying him and his game in first person.”
I know in years past, you talked about tinkering with certain things in the offseason and training camp. Is there anything like that you did this year that you’re willing to kind of share individually?
“Did I do anything different? Not anything I’m willing to share (laughing).”
What does Dak (Prescott) do to kind of keep the play alive, the ability to use his legs and, kind of not just as a runner, but again, as keeping the play alive? What do you see out of him in that regard?
“Complete confidence in his ability and his team having a lot of confidence in what he can do and him escaping and be able to get the ball out to them. I mean, he’s one of the few guys who can hold the ball one hand as he’s getting tackled and still dish it out wide or down the field because he’s not worried about the ball falling out of his hands while he’s being taken down. He’s always looking at downfield. He’s not very worried about the rush, and he’s always looking for the next big play. Doesn’t get rattled easily, so we’ll have to find a way to get pressure in his face and get him off the spot. He wants to scramble to throw, but we have to make sure that we get him away from those lanes or those pockets where he’s throwing better from or wants to throw from.”
I know this was a number one ranked defense last year, but how confident are you that you guys can be even better this year?
“Very confident. I mean, we got a lot of guys who are second year in this scheme who are looking forward to putting on a better performance, myself included, and some new guys who offer some things we didn’t have last year; able to provide a little bit more depth and make some big plays for us, and we’ve seen that throughout the preseason and definitely happy about the kind of progress that we’ve made.”
You guys have some options at left tackle. But you and the defense have been kind of prepping them for this moment for a real opponent. How do you feel the options are and what has that process been like for you knowing that you want to get these guys ready to go against somebody in week one?
“Well, I feel like I’m going to give them the best look they’re going to get against anyone. So I feel like I’m able to really metamorphosize my style, whether it’s like, you know, I need to give a look that seems like Micah, or Demarcus (Lawrence) or any other rusher, and I can do that for them if they need it. But that’s during practice or after practice, and I’m making sure those guys get the best look possible and then also not just doing what comes naturally to me, which is more my rushing style. So just trying to give them the best option that they’re going to see on Sunday. And I believe any of those guys that we put out there are going to be ready just because we continue to drill and work after practice, put in the hours and the film work so that they know what they’re going to see. But we’re definitely going to give them a little help, too, because as good as anyone is in one-on-one, it only takes one or two for the offensive line to have a bad game. So we’re going to make sure that they’re as prepared as can be.”
Micah has stated that he intends to, or plans to hopes to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year this year. Seems to think that maybe he’s been a little overlooked in terms of pass rush rankings. What are your thoughts on him kind of putting that out there and might you have something to say about who’s going to win it?
“I’d hope he wants to win. He’s a hell of a competitor. He’s a great athlete and a great advocate for this game. So I want that kind of confidence from him striving for greatness. I wouldn’t want him to say anything else. That makes me know that he’s going to give 100% and, you know, duke it out, let’s see what happens. But it’s not me playing against Micah, it’s our teams playing each other and at the end of the day, hope he does well, just not Sunday.”
Myles, looking at the number of guys on defense that either missed all of training camp or a significant portion, I know when we talked to Jim Schwartz yesterday, he mentioned, like it is at least mildly a concern. Like, do you guys feel that as players that you haven’t had a ton of practice reps out there together?
“I’m not too worried. I don’t think so. We have a lot of guys who haven’t had a lot of practice reps, but they’ve had a lot of game experience and that’s, you know, something to fall back on. They already have a strong foundation of, you know, tenure in the league. They’ve seen a lot, they’ve been through a lot. So it’s about just getting your legs underneath you. And then they’ve been working hard to get that kind of conditioning, that cardio and be out there. And it’ll come naturally, as soon as you get a good series underneath you, I feel like they’ll fall right back into place.”
We’ve heard of a lot about you, your teammates, your coaches, just about you following up your Defensive Player of the Year and being even better. So when you picture that in your mind, what does that follow up season look like for you?
“Just more dominant, more disruptive. I think we didn’t have the best plan for the amount of help they were going to throw my way. As far as you know chipping and whether it’s backs, tight ends, doubles, slides, like all that. You know, it was a multitude of things being sent my way. As a d-line, we didn’t always have the best plan going forward to that, at least to get me free. And I think this year it’s been more of an all around input on how we can get everyone free. But it’s like, alright, if they’re going to do this towards me, there’s a way to get me free. And there’s also options where if they choose to continue to just, double, triple, two chips, whatever it is, we’ll find a way to use that kind of attention towards me to let the other guys eat. So now being able to do both of these things, I feel like that makes us more dynamic and allows me to free up to make more plays and be more dominant.”
Myles, coming off a playoff season, pretty much everyone’s back. You guys added Jerry Jeudy offensively, but nationally you guys don’t seem to be in the conversation or to be picked to get back to the playoffs this year. Is that something that motivates you personally and you guys collectively as a team?
“I mean, absolutely. But been here for a while now, it’s not like I’m not used to being the underdog in these situations or we’re not used to being the underdog. You know, we’ve been here…Me, Joel (Bitonio) and some of these other guys have been here long enough to know that they don’t really put a lot of respect on our name yet and we got to go out and earn it. We’ve looked good on paper, and we’ve succeeded and we’ve fallen short a couple years. But then today we came off in the playoffs and we’ve come back healthy and retooled and we’re still being a bit overlooked. So we have a lot to prove, not only to everyone, but to ourselves with everything and everyone that we have here.”
I mean, I know you’re from there, but when you think about playing the Cowboys, what are the things that are most special about that?
“I mean, I grew up a fan, grew up in the blue and white. I wasn’t the biggest football fan growing up, but I would make sure to sit there with my family, whether it’s on Thanksgiving or throughout the week with my dad. I’ve got fond memories of watching this team and so being able to play against this team and create those memories not only for myself on the field, but seeing the smiling faces of my family afterwards—seeing my dad, seeing my parents. That’s what makes it special, being able to share that with them, knowing that we’ve had these different memories and now they’ve kind of evolved into this. That’s the kind of stuff that I cherish. I would cherish some great plays on Sunday as well.”
When we talk to Jim Schwartz in here, sometimes it becomes like a football history lesson. He’s been around so long.
“Every time he talks.”
So in your experience, who and what do you guys talk about? Do you know who he compares you to from his past?
“I’ve been compared to two people in his past, the freak (Ray Lewis) and Megatron (Calvin Johnson). So those are two to him that he really compares me to. And I hope to carve out my own lane and it is a huge catalog of football history. But no, those are definitely two big names to be compared to. Very dominant players and the guys who did it well, for a long time.”
I was just wondering, usually you have a theme for yourself heading into a season. Do you have a theme this year? And if so, what is it?
“Theme is consistency and flow. Never too high, too low. Reading the pulse of the room and being a thermostat, not a thermometer.”