Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns’ pass rusher, has long been one of the league’s greatest defenders.
However, it wasn’t until the 2023 season that he received the accolades and respect he earned.
Garrett was the top defensive player in the NFL by a wide margin, playing the best season of his career under Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
In fact, PFF CLE Browns just noted on Twitter that Garrett set career highs in both run stops (22) and tackles for loss or no gain (13) this season.
He was immensely dominant at the line of scrimmage, establishing himself as the game’s best pass-rusher, despite the fact that Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher T.J. Watt posted superior numbers in 2023.
Garrett caused four fumbles this season, tied for third among players in his position.
Some rival fans chastised the league for awarding him despite the fact that he did not have higher stats than Watt, but his influence was far greater than that.
Garrett had to deal with double teams on every single snap, and he practically pushed rival coaches to game plan expressly for him.
Despite this, he was able to shake off opponents and put up high numbers while also creating opportunities for other players.
The Browns’ championship-caliber defense was the primary reason they made the playoffs and won 11 games in 2023, despite their awful quarterback situation, and they should only improve if Garrett stays healthy for the future season.
Report Shows Patriots Were Rejected as First Choice for OC Position
Nick Caley, the tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams and a former New England Patriots assistant, has long been considered the odds-on favorite to take over play calling duties in New England. According to current reports, Caley was the Patriots’ first pick to become their new offensive coordinator, but he declined the chance to remain in Southern California.
After Bill O’Brien’s resignation, New England hired former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to fill the vacancy.
Caley spent eight seasons on Bill Belichick’s staff in New England, most notably coaching the tight ends from 2017 to 22. He then joined Sean McVay’s staff in Los Angeles.
The Patriots’ search for an offensive coordinator was extensive, particularly when compared to their modest searches for special teams and defensive coordinator roles. Heck, they didn’t even interview for the head coach post and had already decided on Mayo as the heir apparent while Belichick was still under contract.
The Atlanta Falcons’ choice to employ Raheem Morris may have also had a negative impact on the Patriots’ offensive coordinator search.
Zac Robinson, a former New England draft pick and then-Rams passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was another much rumored candidate for the Patriot post, but he chose to follow Morris, another Rams assistant, to Atlanta as offensive coordinator. Prior to Morris’ hire, there were speculations that the Patriots had offered Robinson the job as well, and he was considering it, but with the announcement that his friend would be the next Falcons HC, Robinson was removed from next England’s list.
Not only did the Patriots potentially lose Robinson when he chose to follow Morris to Atlanta, but with Robinson’s departure, Sean McVay promoted Caley to the position of passing game coordinator for the Rams. This promotion could potentially have encouraged Caley to stay with Los Angeles.
Finally, Jerod Mayo hired Alex Van Pelt as his first offensive coordinator during his head coaching career. Van Pelt, a former NFL quarterback, most recently served as the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023.
In 2023, he served as the quarterbacks coach. Van Pelt was fired after this season, which was surprising given that Cleveland made the playoffs despite starting five different quarterbacks under center.
