Key to Browns' Myles Garrett Breaking Sack Record Against Bill Revealed

Getting Myles Garrett the single-season sack record is essentially the one tangible thing left for the 3-11 Cleveland Browns to accomplish to make the 2025 campaign feel somewhat meaningful.

Garrett enters Week 16 needing just one sack to tie the 22.5 sack mark shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. A half sack more would establish a new overall record, which he hopes to balloon to 25 by season's end. 

Throughout his incredible run to the doorstep of accomplishing this feat, Garrett has continually talked about it as a team accomplishment, emphasizing the fact that without his defensive teammates, he wouldn't even be close to this record. 

It has taken a village, and that will continue to be the case on Sunday when the Browns host the Buffalo Bills. With the record within his grasp, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz underscored one key thing that has to happen against Buffalo, if Garrett has any hope of breaking the record. 

"If we don’t consistently stop the run game, if we don’t throw teams into second and long situations and third and long situations, it makes it hard to rush the passer," Schwartz said. "So, we have to do our part in there ... it’s up to us defensively, both individually and scheme and all 11, to force teams to be able to have the drop back and pass, which would help Myles, right?

It's no secret that the Bills run game is their greatest strength, especially considering QB Josh Allen's dual threat ability. Having James Cook in the backfield with him helps as well. Those two are the reason Buffalo boasts the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense, which could make stopping the run a tall task Sunday. 

"If Buffalo comes out and runs it 60 times, you’re not going to get any sacks," Schwartz added. "If he gets a lot of opportunities, his success rate is pretty high and, you know, we’re a pretty good pass rush team, so I like those odds, but all ties back. And that’s the message we have, is we got to force teams to drop back and throw and don’t let them control the game with the run game."

Obviously, it will Garrett's name linked to the sack record, should he get there. But it's something the entire defense will take some pride in helping him accomplish this season.

"I mean that's one for the history books," safety Grant Delpit said of Garrett's sack chase. "I think he's going to be the greatest of all time when it's all said and done. So looking back 10 years or whatever, when we're looking back at this, it's going to be special. So I'm looking forward to it, man."

There's one thing that would make Garrett breaking the record even sweeter, though.

"It would certainly be nice to be able to get a win and get the record," Schwartz added. "I mean, like, you combine both of those, I think that’s good. And certainly, everybody would celebrate that, and everybody would recognize the role that each person played in it, not just on defense, but the offensive scout team and all the different layers that go into it. But, we’ll celebrate that when it happens." 

That celebration could come as soon as Sunday.