I Hate To Say It, Browns Fans, But Myles Garrett Isn't Going To Win Defensive Player Of The Year
Myles Garrett's exceptional skills become apparent when you watch any Browns games. He is not just another player but a standout defensive force in the NFL, causing rival offensive coordinators to fret for days before facing him. His commanding presence on the field is so potent that he's likely being restrained in almost every play.
The average football fan and voter may not fully grasp Myles Garrett's monumental role for the Cleveland Browns week in and week out. When it comes time to vote for the Defensive Player of the Year, they tend to focus on stats, which unfortunately undermines Garrett's case.
Since 2018, every defensive lineman to win DOPY has either finished first or second in sacks, Garrett has 14 sacks which is T-7th among all players.
Relying on the sack stat as the ultimate measure for assessing defensive linemen is perplexing. Sacks are one of the most erratic stats in the game, yet we persist in basing player awards on them.
According to PFF, Garrett boasts a 27.5% pass rush win rate, the highest among players. This means that Garrett triumphs in his match up and pressures the QB 27.5 % of the time, which is remarkable. He is exerting immense pressure on the quarterback, forcing him to make a hasty decision that could result in a poor pass or even a turnover.
This sort of stuff doesn't show up in the stat column, and the voter who knows nothing about the sport will look at who has the most sacks and see T.J. Watt has the most and will vote for him because that is what happens almost every year.
Let's also talk about how Garrett was the best player on a team that lost their starting quarterback, running back, and three offensive linemen and still managed to lock up a playoff spot going into Week 18.
It will be a shame when Garrett loses the award because someone else fell on the quarterback just a little more than him; NFL awards are a joke anyway because it's just who has the better stats, and they take away every other element to the game.
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