ESPN REPORT: The Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has been issued a fine of…
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett was fined $25,000 by the NFL for “public criticism of officiating” after he made pointed remarks following last week’s game against Jacksonville, a person familiar with the punishment told The Associated Press.
Garrett was informed of the fine Saturday, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the league has not made this week’s player fines public.
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Angered by the Jags not being penalized for holding him, Garrett called the officiating a travesty following Cleveland’s 31-27 win and said it’s time for the officials to be held to a higher standard.
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“Someone has to hold them accountable for the plays or the calls they don’t make,” he said. “And they need to be under the same kind of microscope as we are every single play.”
Garrett’s frustration had been building at what he feels is a lack of penalties being called against offensive linemen who are blocking him. He has been stuck on 13 sacks for three weeks and believes the officials haven’t been treating him fairly.
“It had been something that had been stoked for the last couple weeks, and then other rushers have been also dealing with the same thing,” Garrett said following practice Friday. “I can only speak for myself, but once you’ve got a whole position kind of fed up of how they’re being treated, then you know something’s kind of off.”
Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, another of the league’s elite pass-rushers, recently made similar comments to Garrett’s.
On Friday, Garrett said he didn’t regret his outburst.
“Absolutely not,” he said, adding he doesn’t fear any backlash.
“Right now I’m not getting any calls, so it can’t get much worse than that,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. “But I hope it has a positive effect. I’m not trying to offend anybody. I just want them to do their job to the best of their ability.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski had no issues with the dominant Garrett speaking his mind.
“We’re not the thought police,” he said. “Our guys can voice their opinions. I remind the officials of it every game. Just so they’re aware that teams are going to be doing everything in their power to slow down [No.] 95. That’s what they’re talking about in their building.
“So when he’s being clearly restricted, we expect it to be called.”
The Browns (8-5), who are trying make the playoffs for just the second time since 2002, host the Chicago Bears (5-8) on Sunday. The last time the teams played, in 2021, Garrett recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks and the Browns sacked quarterback Justin Fields nine times in a 26-6 win.
NFL Nation, ESPN
Dec 24, 2023, 08:11 PM ET
Week 16 of the NFL season started Thursday night with the Los Angeles Rams strengthening their playoff hopes while putting a big dent in the New Orleans Saints’ playoff aspirations.
To start off a two-game Saturday slate, the Pittsburgh Steelers routed the Cincinnati Bengals, whose playoff hopes also took a big hit. Later, the Buffalo Bills took control of their playoff destiny with a narrow victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, who were playing their first game since firing coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco last week.
Games continued Sunday with a Detroit Lions win over the Vikings that locked up the NFC North title, a big game by Cleveland Browns QB Joe Flacco and WR Amari Cooper and a go-ahead TD by the Seattle Seahawks in the last minute to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Miami Dolphins beat the Dallas Cowboys with a walkoff field goal, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed the Jacksonville Jaguars their fourth straight loss.
And the New England Patriots rode a 56-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Denver Broncos in the night game.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and picking out who — or what — is rising and falling for every team. Let’s get to it.
How does this affect the Patriots’ draft position? The Patriots, who entered the night in the No. 2 spot, now drop to No. 4. It’s Chicago (from Carolina), Arizona, Washington in the top three spots, then New England and the Chargers. This was a night in which the Patriots finally found their offense — 20 points in the third quarter were the most they’ve had in a quarter since Week 17 of the 2021 season, when they had 21 against the Jaguars. As part of that output, they scored touchdowns six seconds apart, which ties the shortest span between two TDs in Patriots history (2013 vs. Ravens, 2014 vs. Bengals), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Broncos
Did the Broncos’ offense just crater the team’s playoff chances? Almost certainly yes, given the Broncos’ AFC record is now 4-6 and they are 7-8 overall. The Broncos had won five in a row to get into the postseason conversation, but they’ve lost three of their past four and now have a 2% chance to make it. The Broncos erased a 23-7 deficit in the fourth quarter as Russell Wilson led two long scoring drives, and they made both 2-point conversions to tie it with 2:53 left. But the Patriots’ Chad Ryland kicked a 56-yard field goal for the winning score.
Stock up after the loss: TE Lucas Krull. Krull, who has spent much of the season on the practice squad, had his first multicatch game and the first touchdown reception of his career. The Broncos entered the game with the second-fewest catches in the league among tight ends with 31.
Stock down after the loss: WR Jerry Jeudy. On a night when the most consistent player on the offense — Courtland Sutton — was injured, Jeudy had an opportunity to fill the void, but he did not have a target or a catch until a 13-yard reception with 9:09 left in the
Dolphins
Does this mean the Dolphins can beat good teams? Miami had lost all three of its games against teams with winning records entering Week 16. The Dolphins helped their cause Sunday with a gritty win, holding off a late comeback by the visiting Cowboys. The victory secured a playoff berth for the second straight season and is likely to give this team confidence heading into a potential division-clinching game against the Ravens in Week 17.
Stock up after the win: K Jason Sanders. The Dolphins’ longtime placekicker entered the game just 6-of-16 from 50 or more yards since 2021, but he nailed kicks of 57, 54 and 52 yards — as well as a 29-yarder to win the game with time expiring.
Stock down after the win: Receiver depth/health. Wideout Jaylen Waddle had at least eight targets and four catches in each of his previous five games. But after he caught a 50-yard pass on the Dolphins’ opening drive, eye and shin injuries forced him out of the game on two separate occasions. That was his lone reception on four targets. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
Is there anything the Cowboys can do in their final two games to change the perception that they can’t win on the road? Probably not. The loss all but guarantees the Cowboys will be the NFC’s fifth seed, which means they will likely have to win three road games to get to the Super Bowl. History is not on their side. The Cowboys have never gone to a Super Bowl when they had a losing record on the road in the regular season. With this loss, the best they can do away from home this season is 4-5.
Stock up after the loss: DE DeMarcus Lawrence. He did not record an official stat through three quarters but showed why stats don’t determine a player’s worth. Lawrence was the most impactful defender for the Cowboys, repeatedly slicing into the backfield to disrupt Miami’s offense in both the run and pass games.
