Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett didn’t hold back on the state of NFL officiating after his team’s gritty 31—27 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.
Garrett, who finished the game with one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits, had some harsh words for the Week 14 officiating crew that could see him get slapped with a fine.
In a postgame press conference, the four-time Pro Bowler went off on the officials’ “horrible” officiating and claimed that someone has to hold them “accountable” for their mistakes.
“Officiating was a travesty today,” Garrett said. “[The referees] need to be under the same microscope we are every single play.”
Myles Garrett said officiating was horrendous today, adding that the #Browns won in “all three phases, plus the refs”…
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) December 10, 2023
“Respect to those guys, it’s a hard job. But we have a hard job too… Someone has to hold them accountable” for the mistakes they make as well… pic.twitter.com/GnGiql5Rcl
#Browns Myles Garrett: "Officiating was a travesty today...horrible...they need to be under the same microscope we are every single play."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) December 10, 2023
Garrett’s biggest gripe may stem from the suspect officiating on the Jaguars’ final touchdown drive, when Browns linebacker Anthony Walker got called for a questionable defensive pass interference penalty. He may also have been frustrated with the lack of calls in his favor throughout the game, as some of Jacksonville’s offensive linemen may have gotten away with holding on several plays in their attempts to block Garrett.
Regardless of whether Garrett is right about the officiating, he will likely face a hefty fine from the league for publicly condemning the referees.
The Browns-Jags officiating crew was led by Ron Tolbert, who worked Super Bowl LVI between the Bengals and Rams and has received his fair share of criticism in the past.
Following Sunday's win, Cleveland (8—5) jumped up to second place in the AFC North and will play the Bears next week.
