Daniel OyefusiCloseDaniel OyefusiESPNDaniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.Follow on XJeff LegwoldCloseJeff LegwoldESPN Senior WriterJeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.Follow on XDec 2, 2025, 06:50 AM ET
Where things stand for Garrett (19 sacks through 12 games)
Where things stand for the Broncos (51 sacks through 12 games)
Week 13: at Washington Commanders (27-26 overtime win)
Since entering the NFL as the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has perennially been one of the league’s best players. And since the 2025 NFL season started, the Denver Broncos have been among the league’s best teams to get after opposing quarterbacks.
Garrett has recorded a career-high 19 sacks in 12 games, including 15 in the past six. With five games remaining in the regular season, Garrett is four sacks away from breaking the single-season sack record of 22.5 that is shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and current Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt.
Garrett’s 19 sacks are more than three teams have this season (Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers) and tied with a fourth (Baltimore Ravens). The 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year (and overwhelming favorite to win the award this season), Garrett has turned in a potentially historic season, even with the Browns’ continued struggles on offense and the franchise clinching its seventh losing season since he was drafted.
In February, Garrett requested a trade in hopes of landing with a contending team. In March, he recommitted to the organization with a then-record-setting extension that averages $40 million per year. Less than 10 months later, Garrett, who turns 30 on Dec. 29, is on the verge of smashing the record that Strahan set in 2001 and Watt equaled in 2021.
Elsewhere, the Broncos have 51 sacks in 12 games, putting them on pace to tie the single-season team record of 72 sacks, set by the Chicago Bears in 1984. It has been a team effort for the Broncos, who have five players with four or more sacks. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto leads the way with 10.5, followed by edge Jonathon Cooper (7.5) and defensive tackle Zach Allen (6).
We’re tracking Garrett and the Broncos in their quests to take down quarterbacks. Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi is sizing up where things stand with Garrett heading into Cleveland’s Week 14 matchup on Sunday against the visiting Tennessee Titans, while Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold will evaluate where the Broncos stand heading into Denver’s Week 14 contest on Sunday at the Las Vegas Raiders.
Key stats and trends on Garrett’s sack-happy season: Garrett’s 15 sacks in his past six games are the most by any player in a five-game span since sacks became an official stat in 1982, per ESPN Research.
Garrett’s performance: He extended his NFL-leading sacks to total 19 by taking down 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in the fourth quarter. The takedown of Purdy marked the sixth straight game Garrett has recorded a sack.
Garrett’s performance: Garrett’s three-sack game headlined a 10-sack performance for the Browns’ swarming pass rush, giving him his career high and bettering the franchise record he previously established in 2021 and 2022.
“I won’t try to delay [breaking the record], but I want it to come in a win,” Garrett said after the game.
Garrett’s performance: Garrett’s four sacks tied an NFL record, giving him 10 sacks over a three-game span. He also became the first player in league history to record at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons — breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor — and the fourth player in league history to log four sacks in multiple games in a season.
Garrett’s performance: Garrett added another sack, giving him the second-most sacks (11) by a Browns player after 10 weeks — he recorded 13 sacks through the first 10 weeks of the 2021 season.
Garrett entered the Browns’ bye with 10 sacks, tied with the New York Giants’ Brian Burns for the most in the NFL. Despite trade rumors and speculation surrounding Garrett, who has a no-trade clause, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline that there is “no chance” the Browns consider dealing Garrett.
Garrett’s performance: In the most impressive single-game performance in his career and Browns history, Garrett registered five sacks. Garrett also surpassed Hall of Famer Reggie White (108 sacks) for the most sacks by a player under the age of 30 since 1982.
However, the performance was diminished by another lopsided defeat, as Garrett sulked on the bench in the game’s final minutes.
Garrett’s performance: He ended his three-game drought, registering one sack as the Browns also snapped a three-game losing streak.
Garrett’s performance: For the third straight game, Garrett didn’t record a sack, sparking him to call for a change to the defensive game plan.
“At the end of the day, offenses’ sole game plan for the most part is how to stop 95,” Garrett said days later. “And we have to do something to change that, to make adjustments to get me matchups just like other edge rushers around the league, so I can have that same kind of effect, because I feel like I’m that kind of player.”
Garrett’s performance: He was held without a sack for the second consecutive game, as well as a season-low 6.3% pressure rate.
Garrett’s performance: He was held without a sack for the first time this season. He still accounted for five pressures and two quarterback hits.
Garrett’s performance: He recorded only a half-sack as the Browns secured their first victory of the season, but he was still impactful. Garrett recorded multiple pressures in a game for the 94th time in his career, breaking a tie with Watt for the second most since ESPN began tracking the stat in 2006.
Garrett’s performance: The veteran followed up his season debut with a 1.5-sack performance against the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson. Garrett, though, was in no mood to reflect on his individual game after a blowout loss that he called “embarrassing.”
Garrett’s performance: Garrett began his march toward history with a two-sack performance against the Bengals and Joe Burrow, the quarterback he has taken down the most in his career (11 sacks). It marked Garrett’s 23rd career game with multiple sacks.
What would the Broncos need to do to stay on pace: After the win against the Commanders, the Broncos remained on pace to tie the Bears’ sack record of 72. And if things go like they did in Week 10 against the Raiders, the Broncos could forge ahead of the pace. Denver sacked Geno Smith six times in last month’s win.
How did the Broncos do? The Commanders made it clear early that they weren’t going to give the Broncos many chances to sack Marcus Mariota. The ball came out early and the Commanders used bigger personnel groupings to keep the Broncos’ base defense on the field more than most opponents have. The Broncos still had two sacks — one by Nik Bonitto and another by Dondrea Tillman — to push their season total to 51.
In what might be the most remarkable stat from a pass rush with plenty of them, defensive tackle Zach Allen exited the bye week the league leader in quarterback hits with 30, or three more than individual sack leader Myles Garrett. The Broncos’ 49 sacks through 11 games kept them on a record pace and is the most a team has had through 11 games since the 2000 New Orleans Saints. Those Saints also had 49 sacks and finished with 66 in 16 games.
How did the Broncos do? Denver sacked the Texans’ quarterbacks four times — C.J. Stroud left the game with a concussion and was relieved by Davis Mills — and held Houston without a touchdown. It moved the Broncos to 40 sacks after nine games, maintaining their record pace and separating them from the next-best team — the Lions — by 12 sacks.
How did the Broncos do? The Broncos sacked Dak Prescott twice and intercepted him twice as Prescott eventually gave way to Joe Milton III. With 36 sacks, the Broncos again pushed 10 ahead of the No. 2 team — the Rams. The Broncos also found themselves with the league’s top two players in quarterback hits, with Allen leading with 22 and Bonitto at 17.
How did the Broncos do? The Broncos sacked Giants rookie Jaxson Dart four times and intercepted him once. But Dart also found enough room for three touchdown passes. But most will only remember the Broncos’ 33-point fourth quarter — Denver trailed 19-0 at the start of the final period — to get their fourth consecutive win. With 34 sacks, the Broncos remained on record pace.
How did the Broncos do? The Broncos sacked Jake Browning, who was filling in for the injured Joe Burrow, three times as the Bengals managed only 159 total yards. Bonitto had 1.5 sacks, helping the Broncos surge into the league lead with 15 sacks. After the game Bonitto, who had 4.5 sacks in four games, said: “I just feel like I’m a more confident player this year. I’m seeing things a lot faster, I’m trusting myself in a lot of things I’m doing within the defense.”
How did the Broncos do? The Broncos sacked Justin Herbert five times and hit him 14 times. Bonitto had two sacks (his first multi-sack game of the season) and five of those quarterback hits. The Broncos defense exited the week tied with the Rams for the league lead in sacks with 12. But despite swarming Herbert, Denver allowed the Chargers 29 first downs, the most they’ve given up this season.
How did the Broncos do? They got to Colts quarterback Daniel Jones once — linebacker Justin Strnad sacked Jones early in the third quarter. Jones’ 316 passing yards were the most against the Broncos this season and this was the only game this season in which the Broncos did not have at least two sacks. The Broncos exited Week 2 tied for fifth in the league with seven sacks.