Even without Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson on the field, the Cleveland Browns presented a tough matchup for the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Especially since the Broncos still had to figure out how to make plays against a very talented defense led by All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett.
Garrett has been one of the favorites to win this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, but one wouldn’t believe this if they watched Sunday’s game in Denver.
Broncos offensive lineman Garett Bolles held his own against Garrett, and on Monday, the Denver blocker received some well-deserved praise from head coach Sean Payton (via Zac Stevens on Twitter).
Sean Payton said Garett Bolles “battled” against Myles Garrett: “He’s extremely athletic. He played his butt off yesterday”
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 27, 2023
Heading into the matchup on Sunday, Garrett had accumulated a total of 13 sacks this season, including 7.5 in his previous five games.
In Denver, Bolles prevented the talented pass rusher from registering a single sack.
Containing one of the best defensive players in the NFL is certainly no easy feat, so the praise from Payton on Monday shouldn’t come as a surprise.
What has been a surprise, however, has been the turnaround that the Broncos have made during the last few weeks.
With a 1-5 record to begin the season, Denver was understandably viewed as one of the worst teams in the NFL.
But since then, the Broncos have put together a five-game win streak, and they are now in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Few could have predicted what Denver has been able to do during their current winning streak, but it’s just another example of how early-season struggles don’t necessarily indicate the true talent of an NFL team.
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