Myles Garrett held players-only meeting to help Browns defense get back on track

BEREA, Ohio — Kevin Stefanski has seen Browns defenders respond well when All-Pro end Myles Garrett has spoken out and issued challenges.

The coach hopes a positive reaction is evident again when the Browns (3-3) host the Denver Broncos (3-3) on “Thursday Night Football” at FirstEnergy Stadium.

“I have certainly seen [Garrett's] leadership role grow,” Stefanski said Tuesday. “He takes that part of his job very seriously. I think it's natural for him. Every once in a while, you have to hear from the big guy.”

The timing is appropriate for Garrett to take charge.

Some Browns players have described their imminent prime-time game as a crucial juncture for the franchise in a season of Super Bowl expectations.

After dominant performances in a 26-6 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 3 and a 14-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, the Browns defense has struggled mightily the past two weeks, albeit against two of the NFL's best quarterbacks — Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles and Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals.

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The Browns fell 47-42 to the host Chargers in Week 5 and 37-14 to the visiting Cardinals on Sunday.

Communication issues, busted coverages and penalties — some legitimate and some not — reared their ugly heads in both setbacks.

Garrett, who leads the NFL with eight sacks this season, had seen enough and called a players-only meeting on Monday.

“Myles brought us up, and we had a conversation with the defense,” defensive tackle Malik Jackson said Tuesday. “He just told us we need to to get it together. Giving up [more than] 80 points in two weeks is unacceptable. So no matter what position we’re put in, we want to be great. We need to make stands and push people back and leave no points on the board, just really go out there and be exactly who we need to be and being consistent and just playing together — no MEs [mental errors], really.

“[We had] a little players-only [meeting. Garrett] just called it up and said what he had to say as a leader. I think we needed to hear it, and we'll see Thursday if everybody received it.”

Players-only meeting has helped Cleveland Browns defense before

This isn't the first time this season Garrett has used the tactic.

Days after a disappointing defensive performance in a 31-21 win over the Houston Texans in Week 2, Garrett and veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith gathered the rest of the defense for a players-only meeting to review film and discuss corrections.

They believe the get-together sparked their historic performance against the Bears, who started rookie quarterback Justin Fields in Cleveland. The defense registered nine sacks and established single-game franchise records for fewest net yards allowed (47) and fewest net passing yards allowed (1). Garrett established a Browns record with 4½ sacks and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

The Browns could use a defensive turnaround pronto because their offense is battered.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been ruled out for Thursday and will be replaced in the starting lineup by backup Case Keenum.

On Sunday, Mayfield landed on his left, non-throwing shoulder, which had already been bothered by a completely torn labrum suffered in Week 2.

The dynamic running back duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt has been shut down with calf injuries.

The availability of starting wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (right shoulder) and Jarvis Landry (knee, on injured reserve) and starting offensive tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle) are uncertain.

The Browns labeled Beckham, Conklin and Wills questionable to face the Broncos. The Browns have until 4 p.m. Thursday to activate Landry for the game.

Regardless of who's healthy or not on offense, Jackson said the defense needs to “start picking it up and get it going” this week. Rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah going on IR Tuesday with a high ankle sprain is a blow, but for the most part the defense is healthy.

“I think it's up to us just to do what we need to do,” Jackson said. “Letting people score 30 to 50 points, you're not going to win many games doing that.”

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is familiar with Teddy Bridgewater, Pat Shurmur

The Broncos are on a three-game losing streak and have an offense the Browns should be able to exploit. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is dealing with foot and quadriceps injuries after taking five sacks and 17 quarterback hits Sunday in a 34-24 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He is listed as questionable for Thursday.

Stefanski's days with the Minnesota Vikings overlapped with those of Bridgewater and Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who went 9-23 as head coach of the Browns from 2011-12.

“Pat, a great friend, extremely instrumental in my development as a coach,” Stefanski said of Shurmur, the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 2016-17. “Teddy, one of my all-time favorites. Just a great, great person and a great football player. Excited to see both of those guys.”

The Vikings drafted Bridgewater in the first round (32nd overall) in 2014, and he led them to a record of 11-5 the next year. But in a practice on Aug. 20, 2016, he suffered a devastating knee injury that threatened his career. He spent his last two seasons with the Vikings working on a comeback and has bounced around the league since then, compiling a starting record of 29-27, including 0-1 in the playoffs.

“Just to see what he went through and the positive attitude that he kept throughout the whole trials of all of that was inspiring to really the team and all of us,” Stefanski said. “He is an all-timer.”

Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett, Denver Broncos' Von Miller will be competing to wreck the game

Garrett undoubtedly hopes to pursue Bridgewater with the gusto Broncos eight-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Von Miller vowed to bring to the game.

Miller told Denver reporters Tuesday he'll have a “great” performance against the Browns, laughing while he promised to “kill” whichever offensive tackles he encounters.

Garrett, of course, enjoys talking about terrorizing opponents, too. The front yard of his Medina County home is decorated for Halloween with tombstones featuring the names of NFL quarterbacks.

The Browns drafted Garrett first overall in 2017 out of Texas A&M University. The No. 2 overall choice in 2011, Miller hails from the same school. Garrett attended Miller's Pass Rush Summit last year.

“That’s my guy,” said Miller, who has 4½ sacks this season. “I’ve definitely got to play better than Myles this week. Myles, he’s going to make a couple of plays as well. He’s a beast. I keep in touch with him.

“We’ve got a lifelong brotherhood outside of the NFL. ... I’m a huge fan of Myles on and off the football field. I want to see him have all the success in the world for sure.”

Miller is another player the Browns know well.

A 2012 fifth-round draft pick of the Broncos, Jackson spent four seasons with Miller in Denver. They won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos to end the 2015 season, and Miller was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

“The way they both rush the passer, I think they both got coached where they came from and you can definitely see the similarities,” Jackson said. “Hell, they've both got a lot of sacks, so they're doing something right.”

Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods coached defensive backs for the Broncos from 2015-16. He was their defensive coordinator from 2017-18. He has said he considers himself fortunate to be able to coordinate defenses headlined by Miller and Garrett.

Miller said Shurmur and Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak will have a difficult job trying to get their players to neutralize Garrett.

“It’s definitely a tough one,” Miller said. “I can’t even speculate on how to go out there and stop that guy. He’s definitely a beast, and he’s definitely a game-wrecker. I have all the faith in our guys they’ll come up with something to at least slow him down.”

The Browns defense has lost a step — or several — the past two weeks, and Garrett is tired of falling behind.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Myles Garrett leads another players-only meeting for Browns defense