Is Myles Garrett playing tonight against Packers?
Myles Garrett has been having an all-star season in the NFL in 2021. His impact on the Cleveland Browns is instantly felt when he's on the field and instantly lost when he's not. Browns fans know this and felt their hearts drop when they heard about the possibility of not having him on the field for Christmas. Will Garrett be able to play? Here's a look at his status for the game.
Will Myles Garrett be playing on Christmas against the Green Bay Packers?
According to CBS Sports, Myles Garrett has not yet been ruled out for the game against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas. However, that is not to say he is looking good. The All-Star pass rusher didn't practice on Thursday, putting his availability in serious doubt for Saturday's game. He is officially listed as questionable but is trending a level below that.
Myles Garrett listed as “did not practice” for the 2nd straight day on the estimated #Browns #Packers Wednesday injury report: https://t.co/PGmcmpRP5m
His groin injury occurred during the loss against the Las Vegas Raiders and could persist into the biggest game of the season thus far. To beat the Packers, the Browns need as many of their weapons as possible. The Packers are the top seed in the NFC, and many see them as the best team in football.
#Browns Myles Garrett on Aaron Rodger's nickname being John Wick: "If he's John Wick then I guess I have to be The Reaper."
rodgers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Aaron Rodgers is doing "Aaron Rodgers-like" things, and the rest of his roster is playing in a way that is helping the team week-to-week. In other words, the Packers are playing complementary football. They can win with their defense, and they can win with one of the best quarterbacks in football.
For the Browns to win, they'll need Garrett to knock Rodgers off his spot repeatedly, so the secondary can lock down a deeper pass attempt on second and third down. If Garrett doesn't play, that makes it much tougher on the defense to contain him.
That said, he isn't the only player plaguing the team with availability concerns. A long list of other players who are either questionable or out for the game, include safety John Johnson, cornerbacks Troy Hill and Greg Newsome II, running back Kareem Hunt, defensive tackle Malik Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Jadeveon Clowney, and others.
Most of these players are still suffering from Covid-19, which could be the ultimate catalyst for what ends the Browns' season. At 7-7, the Browns essentially need to win out to have a realistic chance to make the playoffs. If they lose to the Packers, they'll likely be two games or more behind everyone in front of the Wild Card race, effectively ending their season's playoff hopes.