Myles Garrett vs. history: Can Browns’ star break NFL sack record?

With five games to go in the regular season, Garrett’s well surpassed his best career single-season sack mark. His previous best was 16.0 sacks in 2021 and 2022; he matched that in 11 games this season.

His career-high mark is now well behind him. The next target is the NFL’s single-season sack record.

Garrett and the Cleveland Browns’ stout defense host the 1-11 Tennessee Titans in Week 14. Tennessee’s offensive line has given up more sacks (48) than any other team in the league this season; it’d be hard to find a better matchup for Garrett to tee off in once again.

The former No. 1 overall pick powers a defense that leads the league in ESPN’s pass rush and run stop win rates. Sunday afternoon in Cleveland could be a historic one. Garrett’s had more than one sack in five of the Browns’ 12 games this season.

Could he break the single-season sack record this weekend? Here’s how many he needs and how likely he is to get it.

How many sacks does Myles Garrett need to break the record?

Garrett sits at 19.0 sacks this season entering Week 14. The current record is 22.5 sacks held by two players: T.J. Watt, who hit that mark in 2021, and Michael Strahan, who reached it in 2001.

Garrett needs 3.5 sacks to equal Watt and Strahan’s record. Considering his current pace, that feels like an eventuality. He’s had more sacks than that in two games alone this year and could break it by averaging less than a sack per game for the rest of the regular season.

Can Myles Garrett break the sack record against Tennessee?

Tennessee is allowing an average of four sacks per game this year to opposing defenses. If Garrett gets that many by himself, he’d break the sack record.

Tennessee’s divisional foe, Houston, may be a good matchup to study for this case. The Texans’ pass rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. is the scariest tandem in the league. In two games against Houston, Tennessee gave up six sacks.

Garrett will need to have another special day in a season full of them to get the sack record against Tennessee. But it is absolutely a possibility for the four-time All-Pro.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY