CLEVELAND (AP) — Two days before recording another milestone, resume-building sack on Sunday at Cincinnati, Myles Garrett delivered a jarring hit — on the Browns.
In this case, any roughness could be deemed necessary.
Garrett piled on to what has been a painful and puzzling season in Cleveland by saying he doesn't have any interest in going through another rebuild and wants to know exactly what the organization's offseason plans are to fix things.
If that wasn't enough, Garrett indicated for the first time that he would consider leaving the Browns if his vision doesn't mesh with the team's ambitions.
“It’s a possibility,” he said of playing elsewhere. "But I want to be a Cleveland Brown. I want to play my career here.”
It's unclear how Garrett's comments were received by owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who have plenty to consider as the Browns (3-12) head into the final two weeks of a season that began with playoff expectations and could be followed by upheaval.
The Browns haven't been this bad since going 0-16 in 2017.
Garrett, who reached 100 career sacks by taking down Cincinnati's Joe Burrow late in the first half of Sunday's 24-6 loss, may have either added to the Haslams' long list of concerns — the Deshaun Watson contract situation is a priority — or brought them clarity.
There's no denying that Garrett's remarks carry substantial weight, which is partly why he spoke up. He's the Browns' best player, a franchise cornerstone, a future Hall of Famer and arguably the most disruptive defensive force in the game today.
He's also leading with actions. Garrett showed extraordinary effort in chasing down and tackling Burrow before tumbling out of bounds and crashing into Cleveland's bench and some portable heaters. He might be frustrated, but he's not giving up.
“A testament of who he is as a player and who he is as a person,” linebacker Jordan Hicks said.
What the reigning Defensive Player of the Year says matters.
It will be interesting to see if the Haslams listen.
At this point, there are indications the Browns intend to stick with coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry, whose major misses in recent drafts have become more magnified with each loss.
There will be changes; it's just a matter of how drastic and if they'll be enough to satisfy Garrett's wishes.
He turns 29 on Dec. 29 and has two years left on a $125 million contract extension. The All-Pro is in his prime and doesn't want to waste another season in a pointless pursuit of a Super Bowl title. His goal is to win a championship with Cleveland — or someone.
Garrett's serious. He's asking the Browns to show him they are, too.
What's working
Cleveland's defense is doing its part. For the second week in a row, the Browns contained one of the NFL's most talented offenses, holding the Bengals and their top-ranked passing game below most of their season averages.
Burrow did throw three TD passes — for the seventh game in a row — but Cincinnati scored fewer than 27 points for the first time in seven games.
What needs help
The Browns continue to beat themselves with costly turnovers, some more costly than others.
They drove to the Cincinnati 1-yard line in the opening minutes only to have D'Onta Foreman fumble as he neared the goal line. The Bengals capitalized by driving 99 yards to take a 7-0 lead that could have been Cleveland's.
Stock up
Running back Jerome Ford is making the most of a heavier workload and finishing strong.
He ripped off a 66-yard run on the game's first play and finished with 131 all-purpose yards, including 92 on 11 carries and scored Cleveland's only TD. Ford's emergence as a potential No. 1 back — Nick Chubb's injuries have clouded his future — gives the team one less thing to worry about as it retools the roster.
Stock down
Kicker Dustin Hopkins hasn't shaken a startling slump.
After being benched for a week to work through his struggles, Hopkins missed his only kick, pushing an extra point to the right. Hopkins felt confident going in, but he's back to trying to identify issues that could be equally mechanical and mental.
He's just 16 of 25 on field goals, 16 of 19 on PATs and the Browns' decision to sign him to a three-year, $15.9 million extension this summer looks worse every week.
Injuries
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson injured his calf early in Sunday's game, leaving his status in doubt for a second straight start this week. If Thompson-Robinson can't go, the Browns could go back to Jameis Winston, but he's dealing with a sore right shoulder. ... Tight end David Njoku is dealing with yet another injury after hurting his knee. The team is awaiting results on an MRI, perhaps a sign of the severity. Njoku has missed time with injuries all season. He finished with eight catches for 66 yards.
Key number
20 — Interceptions for the Browns this season. Thompson-Robinson's two picks on Sunday gave the team 10 in the last four games.
What's next
Probably a half-empty stadium for a final home game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, who are still in the hunt for a wild-card spot.
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Tom Withers, The Associated Press
