B/R Interview: Myles Garrett Talks Browns, Working with LeBron James and More

It's a new day for the Cleveland Browns, and it's one without moral victories. 

While the old Browns may have been happy with Sunday's narrow 33-29 loss to the two-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, the new ones have their eyes on finishing those games on the winning side and competing for a spot in the Super Bowl.

Just ask their defensive leader.

"No such thing as moral victories," Myles Garrett told Bleacher Report. "Especially in my eyes, and I'm going to tell that to my guys. I already have. It's a lesson early on just showing that we're a good team. We can fight and battle with the best of them, but as long as we keep on having these mental errors down the stretch, we're not going to be able to close out. Especially with a team that finishes well like they do and can play 60 minutes. We have to be able to do that, we can't play three quarters and expect to beat a team like that."

It appeared as if Cleveland was going to beat a team like that when it built a 22-10 halftime lead.

Garrett and the defense kept Kansas City's high-powered offense in relative check, Nick Chubb scored two touchdowns and Jarvis Landry delivered a touchdown as a go-to option with Odell Beckham Jr. sidelined.

It was all coming together for the Browns until Patrick Mahomes threw three touchdowns in the second half, one of which went for 75 yards to Tyreek Hill and two of which went to Travis Kelce, further underscoring the borderline unfair amount of talent on the Chiefs.

While it wasn't the result Cleveland was looking for, the hard-fought battle also did nothing to dampen the elevated expectations in place.

"We're ready to get back on the right side of things," Garrett said. "We were close, and we're just a couple plays away. There's some things we need to clean up and we're looking at it. I know us as players and our coaches are trying to find a way for us to take the next step. Because we're right there at the door. The only thing separating us and the Chiefs and some of the teams that are Super Bowl contenders are some of those plays down the stretch. Third quarter, fourth quarter, not allowing those big plays or not allowing some of those technical errors to knock us back. Against teams like that, they're going to take advantage."

Even mentioning the Super Bowl in Cleveland would have been a punchline not that long ago, but the 2021 Browns are coming off an 11-5 season that saw them break a streak of 17 straight years failing to make the playoffs.

They didn't just reach the playoffs. In fact, they defeated the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers when they got there and lost a five-point heartbreaker to Kansas City in the divisional round. It wouldn't be a surprise if a Cleveland team featuring Garrett, Baker Mayfield, Beckham, Chubb, Landry, Denzel Ward and others was the biggest AFC roadblock for the Chiefs come January.

One of the roadblocks for all opponents will be dealing with Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney in the same front seven after Cleveland signed the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL draft this offseason.

The Browns surely envisioned Clowney using his speed and quickness to take advantage of blitzing lanes when opposing offensive lines doubled Garrett, which would, in turn, allow him to bounce back from his sackless 2020 campaign when he was on the Tennessee Titans.

Garrett opened up about playing with such a talented teammate but acknowledged they still have work to do after allowing Mahomes to run for a touchdown and break free of the pocket on multiple occasions.

"He matches my athletic ability, my speed, intensity-wise he's just as passionate," Garrett said of Clowney. "He's doing his thing on the other side in the pass-rush. We just have to work together to know what each other is going to do so we don't have any miscommunication and we don't let Patrick [Mahomes] scramble, which we let happen. I know he's good at that, he's very slippery and very good at extending plays outside of the pocket. But next time we do see him, we have to make sure we contain him in the pocket and don't let him extend plays."

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Containing Mahomes in a potential future playoff matchup is going to require peak performance, which Garrett is striving toward by joining Ladder.

The sports nutrition company was founded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger and, according to its website, is "dedicated to creating high-performance, NSF Certified for Sport workout supplements for daily use ... to complement a strong nutritional foundation and unlock the next level in training and exercise."

Garrett pointed out, "they work with a lot of great athletes, trying to keep them at peak performance."

"That's where I'm trying to be, I want to be able to take the next step," he added.

Taking that next step would mean bringing a championship to Cleveland, which is something James already did on the Cavaliers. While the NBA great is now on the Los Angeles Lakers, he and Garrett teamed up for a video that played off their Ohio connection while they both work toward their goals.

"It's big," Garrett said of getting the chance to work with James. "He's one of the greatest athletes that's ever played. To get the chance to work with him as well as the great company that they are, it was a hard opportunity to pass up. I couldn't pass on something like that."

Garrett may not have the individual resume to match LeBron's just yet, but the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NFL draft is already a franchise cornerstone in Cleveland.

The two-time Pro Bowler was named to the First Team All-Pro last season with 48 tackles, 12 sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. It was his third straight campaign with double-digit sack totals, which naturally brings up the question of whether a run for the Defensive Player of the Year is in store.

Yet to hear him tell it, his individual goals for 2021 are all built toward helping the Browns succeed.

"I just want to be the best player on the field every time I'm on the field," he said. "Whatever comes with that, I'll take it. As far as personal glory, I'm just trying to watch my team win. I know that if I'm putting my best out there, there's a good chance of us winning. Especially if I'm taking away the ball. But I know we have 11 guys on defense who are also capable of doing their job at a very high level. And I'm going to support them and try to lead them the right way to success and to a place in the playoffs and maybe further."

That is surely what Browns fans who are starving to see their team win its first Lombardi Trophy want to hear.