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Myles Garrett sets NFL single-season sack record in Browns' finale
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- Myles Garrett sets NFL single-season sack record in Browns' finale
Myles Garrett 's pursuit of NFL history came down to the last quarter of the regular-season finale.
The Cleveland Browns defensive end finally broke through in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals , setting the NFL single-season sack record with his fourth-quarter takedown of Joe Burrow .
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Garrett had been stuck on 22 after being blanked last week in the penultimate game of the regular season. With his 23rd on Sunday, however, he pushed a half-sack past the mark previously held by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt .
Garrett had remained resolute entering the week about his odds of capturing the record.
"I still had the utmost confidence in myself and my preparation," Garrett said after the game. "And then my guys, man. I couldn't do it without them. They were supporting me - trying to find ways to free me up, get the chips off me, get the doubles off. Eventually, we just made it happen."
Here's a look back at all of the biggest developments from Garrett's day:
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Kevin Stefanski reacts to Myles Garrett 's record
Though his own fate remains unclear with the regular season wrapped up, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski soaked in Myles Garrett's historic accomplishment in the aftermath of Cleveland's win Sunday.
"That's history," Stefanski said. "I mean, he's the sack king. That's unbelievable. They've been playing this game for a long time, and for him to go get that in the circumstances with the degree of difficulty in which he got it this season is unbelievable.
"He's the Defensive Player of the Year. You can make him the MVP if I had a vote. And I think the reaction of his teammates is real. That's genuine. These guys care about each other."
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Myles Garrett got to Joe Burrow in a hurry
Just how much of a jump did Myles Garrett get in his history-making sack on Sunday?
According to Next Gen Stats, Garrett's get-off was the fastest of any sack this season.
Myles Garrett's record-setting day punctuated by Browns' win
Myles Garrett entered the NFL record book with his 23rd sack on the season, and the Browns found additional reason to celebrate by rallying back for a 20-18 win.
Joe Burrow engineered a seven-play, 61-yard touchdown drive to take the 18-17 lead with less than two minutes remaining, capping the march with a 4-yard touchdown strike to Ja'Marr Chase.
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Bu Cleveland regrouped to push the ball 40 yards to set up a game-winning 49-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt as time expired.
WATCH: Myles Garrett sets NFL single-season sack record
After taking it down to the wire, Myles Garrett managed to set the NFL single-season sack record.
On a first down late in the fourth quarter, Garrett dipped under Orlando Brown Jr. and quickly met Joe Burrow in the backfield for the history-making takedown.
Garrett was mobbed by teammates immediately afterward.
Myles Garett misses out on best sack opportunity yet
Myles Garrett seemingly had the NFL sack record in his sight.
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On second-and-9 near midfield, Garrett beat Orlando Brown Jr. around the edge and was in hot pursuit of Joe Burrow. But the quarterback took off to his right and scrambled for 9 yards, ending any chance that Garrett could put himself over the top for the mark.
The Browns later got their first sack of the day when Grant Delpit bagged Burrow on second down.
Browns can't find end zone on lengthy drive
After the first half yielded light work for Cleveland's offense, the unit opened the third quarter with a lengthy series.
The Browns melted seven minutes away as they went 56 yards on 12 plays, ultimately settling for a 27-yard Andre Szmyt field goal when a delay-of-game penalty and third-down sack doomed the offense's hopes of reaching the end zone.
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Tee Higgins hauls in highlight-reel touchdown just before halftime
With Cincinnati needing a boos, Joe Burrow went to a familiar and proven formula: lofting the ball up to Tee Higgins.
On second-and-10 from the Cleveland 13, Burrow threw a fade to Higgins, who beat his man and hauled in the pass with one hand for the score.
Evan McPherson missed the extra point, leaving the score at 14-12 heading into halftime.
Garrett had a pressure on the drive but remains without a tackle on the day.
Garrett getting close, but can he get home?
As is typically the case, Myles Garrett isn't having trouble winning at the line of scrimmage.
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Garrett closed in on Burrow for a quarterback hit on a third-and-2 play, but Burrow was able to find Ja'Marr Chase for the first down.
With starting cornerbacks Denzel Ward (neck) and Tyson Campbell (shoulder) both questionable to return, Cleveland could have trouble holding up on the back end and giving Garrett enough time to set the sack record.
Browns score big again on turnover return
The second quarter started the same way it ended for the Browns and Bengals .
Noah Fant had the ball punched out by Jerome Baker after a catch, and Browns cornerback Sam Webb scooped up the ball and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown to extend the Browns' lead to 14-6.
Myles Garrett makes his mark on a pick-six
Myles Garrett hasn't managed to corral Joe Burrow in the first quarter, but he still came up big for the Browns' defense on a critical play.
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Burrow's first-and-goal pass from the Cleveland 7-yard line was tipped, leaving Devin Bush to bring in the interception. The linebacker then ran back the pick 97 yards, with Garrett joining him along the way to help spring a block on running back Chase Brown , who was in hot pursuit.
Bengals go up early off Shedeur Sanders fumble
Cincinnati capitalized on a big way after a Shedeur Sanders fumble set the team up in prime position in the first quarter.
The Bengals needed only four plays to go 29 yards, with the drive capped by a 4-yard pass to running back Chase Brown for a touchdown.
Evan McPherson's extra-point attempt was blocked by Alex Wright , leaving Cincinnati with a 6-0 lead.
Myles Garrett gets an opportunity on Browns' first drive
If the Bengals' first drive is any indication, Myles Garrett shouldn't have a shortage of chances to set the NFL single-season sack record.
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Despite opening the game with two rushes, the Bengals gave Garrett a prime window to set the mark on third down. Garrett worked inside and got into the face of Burrow, who tried to avoid the pressure but ended up taking a big hit from Isaiah McGuire .
Cleveland forced a three-and-out.
Will Myles Garrett break NFL sack record against Bengals?
Garrett certainly knows how to corral Burrow given his history of reaching the Bengals gunslinger. But even more important for the defensive end's odds could be the quarterback's approach.
After the Pittsburgh Steelers repeatedly chipped Garrett and reverted to quick-hit throws to neutralize his threat, Burrow said this week that the Bengals wouldn't reconfigure their game plan to avoid ending up on the wrong side of NFL history.
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"I'm certainly not going to overcompensate either way," Burrow said. "I'm not going to go out of my way to not let him get the record, and I'm not going to go out of my way to let him get the record either. I'm going to go and play football.
"There's going to be situations that a sack is the best of the bad outcomes of that play, and maybe I take one and there's going to be other situations that I'm about to get sacked and I need to throw it away in that situation. It's such a situational game that I don't think you can go in thinking one way or the other. Every play is so different."
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said that preparing for the Browns necessitates taking a long look at how to prevent Garrett from wrecking a game.
"Our plan has never been any different. You want to limit his effectiveness," Taylor said. "He makes as much of an impact on the game as any player in the NFL. Period. You think about 95 in your head every second of every week you're playing the Cleveland Browns . You have to be ready for him."
Who holds the NFL single-season sack record?
Michael Strahan first set the mark in 2001, and T.J. Watt later equaled it in 2021. The former set the mark in 16 games, while the latter played 15 games in a 17-game season.
Myles Garrett stats
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Sacks: 22
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Tackles: 59
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Forced fumbles: 3
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Myles Garrett sacks NFL single-season record in Browns' finale
