A Myles-stone within reach: Garrett needs half-sack of Patrick Mahomes to reach 100

BEREA — A sack of Patrick Mahomes would add meaning to the milestone.Myles Garrett sits at 99.5 career sacks with the Browns set to host the Chiefs on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field. If he can take down Mahomes, he'll become only the fifth player to reach 100 sacks in his first eight seasons. He'd be the only one to do so before his 29th birthday."It would've been fun to get it last week because I had a chance to," Garrett said Friday. "I think it's special regardless of who it's against. He's definitely one of the very best that we've ever seen, especially at that position. So, I mean, it'd be nice to get that one and hopefully I can take the ball from him on the play and don't have to get it from him after."#Browns Myles Garrett, who has 99.5, on prospect of gettin 100th sack against #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. pic.twitter.com/zpHS8CFaGV— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) December 13, 2024https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMahomes is a three-time Super Bowl champ and two-time NFL MVP. After 109 starts, he ranks first all time in passing yards (31,613) and completions (2,702) and second to Aaron Rodgers in passer rating (102.2) and fewest interceptions (74). Mahomes needs two touchdowns vs. the Browns to pass Rodgers (240) for most passing touchdowns through 110 starts.He won't be easy for Garrett to corral."He's always more elusive than you give him credit for, and he has very good balance," said Garrett, who had a sack of Mahomes in each of their two regular-season meetings. "He doesn't go down easily, and even when he does, his eyes are always looking down field.Jerry Jeudy excited as approaches first 1,000-yard season, believes proved himself true No. 1 WR"He's unflappable, really, when the rush is coming and he's not deterred too much about pressure from the middle, from the edges. So just have to continue to rush him and bat balls down. I think that's the only thing that really gets to him is when the balls get batted down early and often. So I think that's where we can really start to shake him."Garrett sacked Pittsburgh's Russell Wilson once last week to move to the threshold of 100. He doubled down on a comment from a couple of weeks ago that it's taken him too long to join the century club."Absolutely. I mean, COVID, getting suspended in 2019, getting hurt in 2017. I think all those things led to me being a little bit slow on getting there," he said of 13 missed games. "Then there was some games I wish I could have back and some plays I wish I had back along the way."But I feel like I have a lot of time to speed up the numbers that I have now, the rate that I'm at now. Just look at it as a challenge. There's some guys ahead of me and I want to pass up everybody at the end of the day."Jim Schwartz, Bubba Ventrone, Pierre Strong Jr. say Bill Belichick will be huge success at UNCBruce Smith is the all-time leader with 200 sacks.A Myles milestone or not, a matchup with Mahomes raises the anticipation and excitement levels.Coordinator Jim Schwartz's discussion of Kansas City's league-best third-down offense included Mahomes' ability to beat man coverage and zone coverage. When that was referenced in a follow-up, Schwartz interrupted."Yeah, there's not much left for you to do after that," he said, drawing laughter.While the most pressing question for some heading into Sunday is if pop music icon Taylor Swift will attend the game, the focus of the Browns defense must be Mahomes.David Njoku listed as questionable despite not practicing; Cedric Tillman ruled out for 3rd straight gameHis numbers are not at an MVP level this year, but the Chiefs are 12-1, clinched the AFC West title for the ninth straight year and are closing in on homefield advantage in the AFC playoffs as they chase an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl victory. He's completed 68.1 percent for 3,189 yards with 20 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 35 sacks and a 92.0 rating."Pat is Pat," said safety Juan Thornhill, who was teammates with Mahomes for four years in Kansas City. "He's one of those guys that a lot of people say he's not playing as well as he had been playing in the past. He's still making a lot of good throws and he's making a lot of plays with his legs, as well."The Chiefs have converted a startling 52 percent of third downs. The Browns are last in the league at 28.3 percent.The Chiefs have won 10 one-score games, one behind the 2022 Vikings for the most in a season in NFL history. When a play needs to be made, Mahomes makes it."It starts with his arm talent and his ability to throw from so many different arm angles," Schwartz said. "Mahomes really made it his own, the ability to threaten all parts of the field. He's got some spider sense when it comes to escapability. Can make plays with his legs. He's not a Lamar Jackson with his legs, but he's very efficient when he uses his legs and just has a really good awareness of when plays break down."There's a lot of guys in the history of the NFL that if you took away the way it was drawn up, they struggled to make plays off-schedule. There were another batch of guys that couldn't really complete it the way it was drawn up but they could make plays off-schedule. He sort of combines both of those with a big-time arm."As good as Mahomes is eluding the trouble, a strong pass rush is the optimal way to beat him. When the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs in the Super Bowl following the 2020 season, Mahomes was sacked three times and hit 10 times.The Chiefs again have issues at left tackle — D.J. Humphries was listed as doubtful after not practicing this week with a hamstring injury — which could open the door for Garrett, who had three-sack games against the Chargers and Steelers last month, to have another huge day."I think that every week," he said. "It doesn't change. Whether it's right side, left side, inside, I'm happy with the matchup anywhere I go."Mahomes was the No. 10 pick in 2017. He became the starter the following season.In seven years as the starter, he has already established himself as an all-time great. His 86 regular-season wins are tied with Tom Brady and Wilson for most in a quarterback's first eight seasons, and his 101 total wins, including the postseason, passed Brady's 100 for the most in the first eight seasons."He definitely has one of the best resumes out there, so you've got to give him his respect and we're looking forward to going against him," cornerback Denzel Ward said. "They've won Super Bowls, so it's great to see how we match up against those guys and I'm looking forward to it."The post A Myles-stone within reach: Garrett needs half-sack of Patrick Mahomes to reach 100 first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.