Both the Cleveland Browns’ and the Tennessee Titans‘ seasons are essentially over, which suggests their Week 14 matchup could be surprisingly entertaining since neither team has anything to lose, besides their standing in the upcoming draft order. The game will be highly anticipated for the clash between rookie quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, two long-time friends who were once considered the best passers in this draft class.
While Ward, the first overall pick, has struggled significantly in his first season, facing a coaching change, playing with one of the league’s worst rosters, and currently the most-sacked quarterback in the NFL with 48 (though still 20 behind last year’s first overall pick, Caleb Williams), he will be looking for a morale-boosting victory.
Myles Garrett Just Four Away from NFL History
For Shedeur Sanders, this will be just his third start, following a win against the Raiders and a decisive loss to the 49ers. In his two games, Sanders has thrown for 358 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, modest numbers that he is surely expected to improve against the Titans’ defense, which ranks among the league’s worst.
The true highlight for the Browns, however, is their defense, led by Defensive End Myles Garrett. Garrett currently leads the NFL with 19 sacks but has his sights set on reaching 25 this season, which would shatter the all-time record of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and tied by T.J. Watt in 2021.
This week game sets the stage perfectly for Garrett to get closer to the record as the Titans’ offensive line allows the most sacks in the league, while Garrett records the most. Although getting four sacks in a single game is a huge ask, he has already done it twice this year. We might watch history unfold, but even if he falls short, Garrett still has four games remaining to achieve the never-before-seen feat of 23 sacks in a single season.
Garrett’s Dominance Sets Him on Path to Hall of Fame
Garrett’s performance this year is amazing, even exceeding expectations for the number one pick in the 2017 draft and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Among his many accolades, he is the first player in NFL history to record at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons.
He currently ranks third among active players in career sacks (121.5), trailing Cam Jordan (128) and Von Miller (134.5), both of whom entered the league six seasons before Garrett. He is still far from the all-time record of 200 sacks held by Bruce Smith, but if he continues his average of 16 sacks per season for just three more years (he is currently 29 years old), he would reach the top five in history. We will wait to see if he can make history in this game, but there is little doubt that he will surpass the single-season record before the year is out.
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