Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett is presently tied for the NFL lead with 10 sacks after 5 final Sunday towards Drake Maye and the New England Patriots. Regardless of Garrett’s large efficiency, the Browns misplaced 32-13 and fell to 2-6 on the season.
Garrett has performed for dangerous or mediocre groups for many of his profession, going again to when Cleveland chosen him with the No. 1 choose within the 2017 draft. In his rookie season, the Browns went 0-16. After a couple of seasons of floating at round .500, issues have gotten dangerous once more over the previous two years, because the Browns are 5-20 for the reason that begin of the 2024 season. However the poor environment do not cease Garrett from constantly being a Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate. Final season, he was first-team All-Professional and third within the DPOY voting.
However Garrett is way from the one nice participant to be on a nasty staff. Who else has suffered regardless of enjoying at a excessive stage? I consider these gamers because the Cortez Kennedy All-Stars. Kennedy was a Corridor of Fame defensive sort out who performed his total profession for the Seattle Seahawks (1990-2000). In 1992, he gained the DPOY award and even acquired Most Useful Participant votes regardless of enjoying on a staff that completed 2-14 with the worst move offense ever measured by my DVOA (defense-adjusted worth over common) rankings.
There have been quite a few examples of this occurring all through NFL historical past, so I narrowed it down by place and restricted it to the 25 seasons since 2000. Beneath, I’ve picked the perfect seasons by gamers who have been on groups that gained 4 video games or fewer.
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Garrett’s present teammate hasn’t performed nicely since he got here to Cleveland in 2022, however his play was spectacular earlier than he left Houston. In 2020, Watson led the league with 8.9 yards per try and 4,823 complete passing yards for a 4-12 Texans staff. Watson was fifth within the league in complete passing worth that season based mostly on my superior DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above alternative) metric.
It is exhausting to have a QB season this good for a staff this dangerous as a result of the signal-caller has a lot management over how nicely the offense performs. However Watson isn’t the one quarterback this has occurred to since 2000. Matthew Stafford of the 2012 Lions, Matt Ryan of the 2013 Falcons and Philip Rivers of the 2015 Chargers additionally ranked within the high eight of my DYAR stats for 4-12 groups.
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Operating backs are likely to rack up stats once they’re working out the clock within the fourth quarter for successful groups. However Tomlinson carried the ball 313 occasions for 1,645 yards with 13 touchdowns, regardless that the 2003 Chargers solely gained 4 video games.
He led the league with 2,370 scrimmage yards and added 100 catches for 725 receiving yards with one other 4 touchdowns. Tomlinson completed second within the Offensive Participant of the Yr voting behind Ravens working again Jamal Lewis, who had a 2,000-yard season that 12 months.
The Lions’ protection collapsed coming off a 2011 playoff look, and Detroit dropped to 4-12 in 2012. However Johnson nonetheless gave followers one thing to cheer for amid the distress, setting the NFL report of 1,964 receiving yards.
Johnson had solely 5 touchdowns with all these yards, partly as a result of defensive issues meant the offense usually began in dangerous discipline place far-off from the top zone. In all, Johnson led the league in receiving yards, targets (204) and receptions (122); he averaged 122.8 yards per recreation.
In his last season in Kansas Metropolis, the 32-year-old Gonzalez caught 96 passes for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was chosen as a first-team All-Professional for the primary time in six seasons and led all tight ends in DYAR. In reality, Gonzalez is considered one of three gamers since 2000 who led the league in tight finish DYAR on a staff that went 4-12 or worse. The others have been George Kittle of the 2018 49ers and Billy Miller of the 2002 Texans.
Which Thomas season places him on this listing? Be happy to select from a variety of prospects, as he performed in Cleveland from 2007 to 2017. Thomas was chosen as a first-team All-Professional six occasions, and Cleveland’s report in these six seasons was a mixed 28-68. He’s the one offensive lineman since 2000 to make the All-Professional first staff regardless of enjoying for a staff that had 4 wins or fewer.
However he wasn’t even the one good participant on these Browns offensive strains! Middle Alex Mack was a frequent Professional Bowler enjoying alongside Thomas within the second half of his profession.
Garrett starred final season for a Browns protection that struggled in every single place else. He had 14 sacks and 47 tackles, and he led the league with 22 tackles for loss for final season’s 3-14 Browns staff. He completed 2024 ranked third within the DPOY voting one season after successful the award.
What about Garrett’s 2025 season? Though we’re solely 9 weeks in, issues do not appear fairly as dangerous for Cleveland in comparison with final 12 months. The Browns’ protection completed 2024 ranked twenty fifth in DVOA, and now it’s ranked sixth. Cleveland’s upcoming schedule consists of sack-prone offenses such because the Jets (31 sacks) and the Titans (34 sacks), so it is doable that Garrett may high his profession excessive of 16 sacks this season. That may make him a really robust DPOY candidate as soon as once more. He presently has the second-best odds per ESPN Guess.
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Eisen wonders what Garrett is considering after Hutchinson’s extension
Wealthy Eisen wonders what Myles Garrett’s thought course of is after seeing Aidan Hutchinson’s huge extension with the Browns nicely out of playoff rivalry.
Very like Garrett in 2024, Allen starred for a protection that struggled in every single place else. The Vikings have been solely twenty third in defensive DVOA in 2011, at the same time as Allen compiled 22 sacks to come back inside a half-sack of the all-time NFL report.
Though the Vikings have been solely 3-13, Allen was second within the DPOY voting behind Terrell Suggs of the Ravens. This was the second time Allen was named first-team All-Professional for a staff with 4 wins or fewer, as he additionally made it with the 4-12 Chiefs in 2007.
The Rams completed 4-12 of their first season after transferring again to Los Angeles, however do not blame Donald, who was as nice as all the time. Though he had solely eight sacks, he led the NFL with 31 quarterback hits and led all inside linemen with 44 pressures. He obtained three votes to complete fourth within the balloting for DPOY that season.
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David has performed for a lot better Buccaneers groups, together with the 2020 squad that gained the Tremendous Bowl. Nonetheless, 2013 — when the staff completed 4-12 — was the one time he was a first-team All-Professional.
David had 5 interceptions, seven sacks and 13 quarterback hits. I hold observe of a stat known as defeats, which mixes turnovers, tackles for loss and performs to stop a conversion on third or fourth down. David had 52 of them in 2013, the second-highest complete since at the very least 1989, behind solely J.J. Watt’s 2012 season in Houston.
Since 2000, no defensive again has been chosen as a first-team All-Professional for a staff that went 4-12 or worse. Nonetheless, Legislation had an excellent season for a nasty Jets staff after leaving the Tremendous Bowl champion Patriots in free company.
Legislation had a career-high 10 interceptions, together with a pick-six. He additionally had 62 tackles and 18 passes defensed, and he made the Professional Bowl. The Jets usually used him on the opponent’s No. 2 receiver, and New York ranked second in DVOA towards WR2s that season.
