Was Joe Burrow Protecting His Health Or Padding Myles Garrett Numbers On His Record Breaking Sack

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett set a new NFL single-season sack record on Sunday by tackling Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. However, social media users swiftly accused Burrow of purposely falling to assist Garrett in reaching this milestone. Entering the game with 22 sacks, Garrett needed just one more to eclipse the previous record of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt in 2021. In the fourth quarter of the Browns' 17-12 defeat, Garrett swiftly maneuvered past the line and ostensibly brought down Burrow with minimal contact, as captured on video.Fans and commentators on X (formerly Twitter) linked this moment to Strahan's record, wherein Brett Favre also appeared to dive deliberately. Despite the criticism, Burrow maintained he wouldn't alter his game to prevent Garrett's accomplishment. Many questioned the validity of the play, citing speculation about Garrett's offside position and the different season formats.