Former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson famously once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."
And we're thinking that statement holds a lot of weight as the San Francisco 49ers prepare for their Sunday afternoon matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
After improving to 8-4 this past Monday night with a 20-9 victory over the Carolina Panthers, a win that kept them in the final Wild Card slot in the NFC playoff picture, the Niners are presumed by most to take an easy victory in this Week 13 bout with the three-win Browns, take their much-needed bye in Week 14, then take another easy victory against the one-win Tennessee Titans, and then prep for a far more challenging stretch, as they close out the season with matchups against the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks.
That sounds like a great plan, of course, but don't think for a second that all-world edge rusher Myles Garrett isn't ready to throw a wrinkle in that plan by punching San Francisco in its proverbial mouth on Sunday.
Myles Garrett could cause all kinds of problems for 49ers in Week 13
Despite the Browns' overall struggles this season, Garrett is in the midst of a historic campaign that will almost certainly end with him earning his seventh Pro Bowl selection, his seventh overall All-Pro selection, and his second Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Since sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982, the most tallied in a single season is 22.5, a mark first set by Michael Strahan for the New York Giants in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. Unofficially, the record belongs to Al Baker, who recorded 23.0 for the Detroit Lions in 1978.
But one would assume that Garrett is set to blow both records out of the water, as the 29-year-old already racked up a ridiculous 18.0 with six weeks left in the season.
Now, it's worth noting the 49ers offensive line has only allowed 19 sacks this season, good for the eighth-fewest in the NFL. But even if Garrett doesn't record a sack on Brock Purdy, he's undoubtedly still going to put pressure on him. And that's not what you want with a quarterback coming off a game in which he tossed three interceptions. And that's definitely not what you want with a quarterback with a shaky history in inclement weather, which is expected in Cleveland on Sunday.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan certainly knows what he's up against and had nothing but glowing things to say about Garrett earlier this week when talking with the media.
"Just preparing to go against one of the best pass rushers ever," Shanahan said on Wednesday. "It's a huge challenge.
"Even coming out of college, he's one of the most talented guys that I think anyone's ever looked at, just from height, weight, and speed," Shanahan said. "Also, how long his arms are when you measure, just get-off, his helmet crosses the line of scrimmage faster from an analytics standpoint than anyone in the NFL. So that means that get-off's amazing. When you put that with amazing ability, that to me comes around generationally."
Future Hall of Famer Trent Williams also knows the tough task in front of him.
When asked if he'd lost any sleep thinking about facing Garrett, Williams initially replied, "Not yet, but I'm sure I will." But he was quick to own up to the truth, saying, "Nah, I lied. Yeah, I have."
He was then asked what makes Garrett so good, and Williams went with the only response befitting of such a question, answering, "Everything. He can do everything. He's one of the best that ever played, and he has no weaknesses."
Again, that's the only accurate response, as Garrett can indeed do everything. And that includes helping hand the 49ers a loss that they really can't afford to take right now.