The Cleveland Browns have hit a rough patch in 2025, and defensive end Myles Garrett laid it all out in no uncertain terms after their 41-17 drubbing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.
The loss, marking their second straight defeat to open the season, exposed cracks across the roster. Garrett, never one to sugarcoat things, voiced a raw assessment of what went wrong-especially on defense.
Despite early resistance, Cleveland’s defense couldn’t hold back the Ravens, who punished them through all three phases of the game: offense, pass rush, and special teams.
Garrett was visibly upset after the game talked with media, notably saying: “This s**t’s embarrassing. We’ve got to be better on defense. We’ve got to be better as a team.
“They slowly chipped away, and we did a solid job holding them to three when we could. And then, eventually, the dam broke and they could do whatever they wanted. And we have to continue playing a 60-minute game.”
It was a frustration born out of witnessing a collapse-one that Garrett and the team saw coming but couldn’t stop.
A slow start turns into a total breakdown
Cleveland actually began the game with some effectiveness on defense. For the first few drives, the Browns forced Baltimore into punts or limited them to field goals.
But what seemed like solid resistance was overtaken by blunders and missed opportunities-blocked punts, turnovers, and failed third-downs helped Baltimore create momentum.
Lamar Jackson connected on four touchdown passes, accounting for 225 yards through the air. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco, 40, struggled under pressure-45 pass attempts, only 199 yards, an interception, and a lost fumble.
Rookie Dillon Gabriel got a chance late in the game, throwing an eight-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Sampson, but it felt more like consolation than a turning point.
Garrett, individually, had a usable stat line: 1.5 sacks, a couple of tackles for loss, some pressures. But even with those contributions, he was clearly disappointed because they were insufficient.
Under his contract extension this year-reportedly among the richest ever for a defensive player-Garrett carries expectations not just of big plays, but of impact wins and leadership.
What this says about the Browns’ outlook
Cleveland is under pressure. Both fans and analysts are noting that while Garrett’s extension showed how much the organization values him, surrounding pieces-quarterback performance, defensive secondary, turnovers-are making that investment harder to justify when results like this happen.
Coach Kevin Stefanski, despite the loss, insists there won’t be a quarterback change, expressing confidence in Joe Flacco leading the team forward.
But for Garrett and others, the issue transcends a single position or game, it’s about the consistency and the unity to finish strong when tested by good opposition like the Ravens.
Garrett’s blunt moment after the loss captures more than just frustration, it reflects a wider problem for Cleveland. It’s fair to say many in the locker room probably feel the same as he does.
What remains to be seen is whether this will spurn the Browns into adjustments, or whether more losses will lead to further cracks.
Read the full article here
