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Dec 8, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; A Cleveland Browns helmet sits on the sidelines during the fourth quarter of New England's 27-26 win at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
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Browns need everything to change for Myles Garrett to be right

Matt Verderame NFL

The Cleveland Browns have been terrible all year. Edge rusher Myles Garrett still doesn’t believe the season is over.

Garrett has the gravitas to make such a statement despite only being in his third year. The Pro Bowler is on pace to make his first All-Pro team, notching 10 sacks in eight games. However, the Browns have floundered despite his heroics, staggering out of the gate to a 2-6 start.

The reasons are myriad. Baker Mayfield was supposed to torch the NFL in his second season. It hasn’t happened. Mayfield has been terrible thus far, throwing seven touchdowns and a league-high 12 interceptions, all while completing below 60 percent of his passes.

Head coach Freddie Kitchens is another issue. Even with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry on the perimeter, the play-calling has been stale and confounding more often than not. The result has been meager outputs and frustrated players and fans alike.

Still, Garrett believes. Earlier this week, the youngster spoke to the local media about where things can still go. Per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

“I don’t see why we can’t be 10-6. “There’s eight more games and that’s eight more opportunities. I don’t care what the previous record has shown, I don’t care what they’ve said has happened before. You go out there with the right mindset and good amount of want to, you know what the hell you’re doing, you have your fundamentals down, you can go out there and play with anybody. Those three or four plays can go either way and you get those to swing your direction, we can make a run for it.”

At 2-6, the Browns likely need to at least go 7-1 the rest of the way to have hope of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2002. Cleveland’s remaining schedule is as follows:

  • vs. Buffalo Bills
  • vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Thurs.)
  • vs. Miami Dolphins
  • at Pittsburgh Steelers
  • vs. Cincinnati Bengals
  • at Arizona Cardinals
  • vs. Baltimore Ravens
  • at Cincinnati Bengals

How likely are the Browns to run that table? Unlikely, because it’s hard for any NFL Team to win eight consecutive gams, regardless of the difficulty of opponent. Furthermore, the Browns have been underwhelming all year. Still, they play exactly two teams with winning records, and one is this weekend. The other? Baltimore, who Cleveland trounced in October.

The challenge is legitimate and the task tall, but the schedule gives Garrett a reason to at least dream.

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