The Cleveland Browns’ 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 14 raised serious questions about the Browns’ defense. Cleveland entered the matchup allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (165.2) in the league. Yet the unit shockingly surrendered 184 net rushing yards against Tennessee. So after a tough defeat on their own turf, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett did not mince words when addressing the performance, all while delivering another record-breaking game.

“I don’t even know what to tell you,” Myles Garrett told reporters. “It’s not who we are. It’s hard to tell you right now, you know, what it was that feels, you know, one thing in particular, but it just wasn’t us.” 

Garrett sounded frustrated and visibly disappointed as he made this troubling admission about the struggles of Cleveland’s defense against the run. And honestly, who could blame him? Tennessee came into the matchup ranked 31st in rushing yards per game and 28th in rushing yards per play. They had no business dominating Cleveland on the ground. But they did. 

On Sunday night, the Browns tied their worst rushing performance of the season. It matched their record of 184 net rushing yards against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. That’s a trend no team in the league wants to see. Still, Garrett was disappointed because in Week 14, Cleveland expected to control the trenches. Instead, the Titans dictated the game.

Titans running back Tony Pollard torched the Browns for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. On the Titans’ third offensive drive, he even burst through the defense and sprinted 65 yards to the end zone. Pollard broke the Browns’ defense again in the third quarter as he found another lane for a 32-yard touchdown that gave Tennessee the lead. 

Even Titans’ RB Tyjae Spears broke through the Browns’ defense multiple times as he finished the game with 8 carries for 19 rushing yards. As a result, Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski also echoed Myles Garrett’s frustration after the loss. 

“Very disappointed,” said Kevin Stefanski. “You’ve got to give credit to the Titans. They won the game, so they made more plays than we did in the end, but just disappointed. Some of the things that happened in that game, we expect more from our run defense. The giveaways there, that’s not about who we are. We’ve got to protect the ball.”

When both the star defender and head coach sound this upset, it says a lot about Cleveland’s defensive unit. But what makes the performance worse is the context. Tennessee had rushed for more than 100 yards only twice all season. It makes you wonder – was this just an off day, or is Cleveland suddenly showing cracks in the defense, too? Myles Garrett’s honesty only underscored how big a setback this was. Yet amid all the frustration, Garrett still delivered a major personal milestone.

Myles Garrett reacts to his NFL sack record 

Myles Garrett entered Week 14 chasing history. He already had 19 sacks and needed just four more to break the single-season sack record held by T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan. But in the Week 14 game, Garrett picked up one more sack. That still made him the eighth player in NFL history to reach 20 sacks in a season. Yet, post-game, he visibly downplayed what this record meant to him. 

“It means I’m blessed to be on the field and be with the teammates and coaches who help,” Myles Garrett told reporters in the post-game presser. “I couldn’t do it without all of their help. It takes four to rush. We always talk about how four of them make one. And those guys, whether it’s containing, pushing to me or vice versa, we’ve been rushing really well as a unit.” 

The Browns’ DE made it clear the record wasn’t what he cared about in that moment. But isn’t that interesting? Earlier this season, Myles Garrett openly talked about wanting the sack record. He even said he wanted a 25-sack season. So did the loss to the Titans take the shine off the accomplishment? Probably. And honestly, that says a lot about who he is.

Garrett has come a long way in the NFL since being drafted first overall in 2017. His 121.5 career sacks before turning 30 now surpass Reggie White’s total at that age. He also has monster games on his résumé this season. In just 13 games this season, he already has a five-sack day against the New England Patriots and a four-sack performance against Baltimore. 

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Recently, Myles Garrett was even named the best football player by a veteran NFL player. But what stands out most about the Browns’ DE is his reaction after the Week 14 game. His frustration wasn’t about stats. It was about the Browns struggling when it mattered. Garrett ultimately showed that he wants his team’s success more than personal accolades.