The Cleveland Browns bounced back in a big way with a much-needed statement win over the Tennessee Titans.
Their offense looked much better and in more sync than it did vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Deshaun Watson completing 27 of 33 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions, adding four rushes for 16 yards.
However, their defense was even more dominant, and that goes especially for Myles Garrett.
The superstar pass rusher had 3.5 sacks and four total tackles, but his impact went beyond the stat sheet.
As shown by NFL analyst Emmanuel Acho, Garrett’s presence forced the Titans to get a delay of game penalty because they were sending two offensive linemen wherever he lined up.
I’m not sure I’ve EVER seen this before!
Myles Garrett forces the Titans into a delay of game penalty, because they’re sending 2 offensive players wherever he aligns… WOW!
Garett has 3.5 sacks on the day. #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/2WrjTGqTod
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 24, 2023
Garrett is obviously one of the most disruptive defensive forces in the game, so it’s not a surprise to see that he’s being doubled team.
Even so, it’s definitely not usual to see a team so blatantly trying to do that, up to the point where they have no choice but to take the five-yard penalty.
Garrett didn’t have his best game vs. the Steelers, logging just one tackle with no sacks.
But he’s now up to 4.5 sacks for the season and those numbers should only drive up with Za’Darius Smith by his side.
The Browns held Ryan Tannehill and the Titans to just three points, and they’ll have a much more difficult task ahead next Sunday when they host the Baltimore Ravens for their third divisional clash in the first month of the regular season.
NEXT: Reporter Notes Browns Could 'Get Out' Of Deshaun Watson’s Contract