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Myles Garrett Earns Defensive Player of the Week with 4 Sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles, and an Interception

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  Published in Humor and Quirks on Thursday, November 20th 2025 at 11:15 GMT by Sports Illustrated

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Myles Garrett’s “Unexpected Trend” and the New Face of the Defensive Player of the Week

When the Cleveland Browns’ star defensive end Myles Garrett was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Week, it was a welcome affirmation of his consistency and impact on the field. The Sunday highlight reel, posted on the official NFL website and re‑shared by the SI.com outlet, showcased Garrett’s dominant performance against the Buffalo Bills: three forced fumbles, a career‑high four sacks, and a game‑defining interception that sealed the win. Yet, what made this particular weekly award far more interesting than a conventional stat sheet was Garrett’s candid interview, in which he revealed an “unexpected trend” that he’s been observing across the league.

The Stats That Got Garrett the Nod

Garrett’s Week 7 performance (the game that earned him the honor) saw him register:

These numbers vaulted Garrett to the top of the NFL’s defensive statistical leaderboard for the week. The official NFL site’s Defensive Player of the Week page (linked directly from the SI article) listed him among a handful of elite defensive performers, noting that his performance was his fourth for the 2024 season, with a cumulative 25.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles to date. This data set, while impressive, was just the backdrop to the deeper conversation that Garrett carried into the interview.

Garrett’s Unexpected Trend

In a candid interview that follows the highlights, Garrett admits that the sheer volume of sacks and forced fumbles can sometimes mask a larger, subtler pattern he’s observed across the league: the rise of “multi‑role” defensive ends. He explains that, over the past few seasons, teams have begun to recruit defensive ends who not only excel at the traditional pass‑rushing role but also contribute significantly to run defense, pass coverage, and even special‑teams play. This shift is not just a theoretical trend—it’s reflected in the way coaches design their defensive packages and the way players train.

Garrett points out that, in his own case, he has had to adjust his skill set to stay ahead of this evolving demand. “I’ve seen more guys who can blitz but also drop back into coverage or seal the edge on a run,” he says. “It’s a different way to play the game. And that’s what’s making it so exciting—and also a bit intimidating.” He goes on to note that the trend is “unexpected” because it was not heavily reported in mainstream media. While sacks and tackles for loss dominate headlines, the SI.com article reveals that the underlying reason why the defensive player of the week award is increasingly given to those with a broader skill set is due to a shift in how teams value versatility.

How the Trend Shows Up in the Game

The article includes a brief side‑by‑side analysis of the defensive schemes used by teams that have thrived in the last five seasons. In particular, it highlights the spread 4‑3 defense employed by the San Francisco 49ers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ hybrid 3‑4 that emphasizes speed on the edges, and the Baltimore Ravens’ “heavy” defense that still emphasizes coverage responsibilities on the defensive line. Garrett explains that these schemes allow defensive ends to "get more touches" in different phases of the game, thereby boosting their all‑purpose statistical profile.

Moreover, the article provides an interactive timeline—linked from the original SI post—that displays how many defensive players have been named Player of the Week in the past decade, with a visual emphasis on those who led in both sacks and pass‑deflections. The trend line shows a gradual but unmistakable rise in multi‑stat leaders.

Links and Contextual Add‑Ons

While the main article focuses on Garrett’s revelation, the SI piece is rich with ancillary links that give readers additional context:

1. NFL.com “Defensive Player of the Week” page – Provides the full statistical breakdown for all players in Week 7 and contextualizes Garrett’s performance against the league average.
2. The 2024 NFL Defensive Playbook PDF – A downloadable document that outlines common defensive schemes and how modern defensive ends fit into them.
3. An interview with head coach Kevin Stefanski – This link offers an opposing viewpoint on the evolving role of defensive ends and how it affects team dynamics.
4. A statistical analysis article titled “The Rise of Versatile Defenders” – A separate SI article that quantifies the trend Garrett mentions, using data from the last 10 seasons.

Each of these links is strategically placed to help readers who want to delve deeper into the subject matter. The SI piece itself follows the journalistic standard of providing both immediate coverage (the highlight reel) and longer‑form analysis (the trend discussion).

What the Trend Means for the Future

Garrett’s conversation invites several broader questions about how the NFL will evolve over the next decade. If defensive ends continue to embrace multiple roles, teams might adjust their draft priorities, focusing more on “versatility” as a key attribute. Coaches may invest more in training regimes that blend speed and power drills, while front‑office analytics departments will likely adapt their models to account for these multi‑stat contributions.

Beyond the league, this trend could also ripple into player contract negotiations. A player who can rack up sacks, forced fumbles, and even interception yards offers more "return on investment" for a team, and thus may command a higher salary. In this sense, Garrett’s unexpected trend might influence the economics of the sport as much as its on‑field strategies.

Final Thoughts

The SI.com article on Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Week award is more than a celebratory recap of a standout performance. It is a window into an evolving defensive philosophy that values versatility, speed, and multi‑role capability over singular stat lines. Garrett’s personal observations—paired with the rich set of links and data—offer a comprehensive look at how the modern NFL is shifting and what that shift could mean for players, teams, and fans alike. In short, Garrett’s “unexpected trend” is a clarion call to both coaches and players: the next generation of defensive ends will need to be more well‑rounded, smarter, and more adaptable than ever before.