Five more seconds would have ended an epic Browns win before this happened. (USA Today)
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Editor’s note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
The clock had struck past midnight.
More than 20 minutes after the Browns had man-handled the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-7, on the night of Nov. 14, Freddie Kitchens emerged from the home locker room in the bowels of FirstEnergy Stadium. He looked into cameras with a beet-red face and a nervous twitch.
“We have five seconds to go in a game,” Kitchen snarled. “That cannot happen. We have five seconds to go in a game – the biggest game that this team has won. Never beat Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the same year since 1999, and then we have to talk about this. There are 52 other guys on the team that that hurt, and it is going to hurt moving forward.”
Five seconds from the game being over, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph engaged a personal tussle that escalated into Garrett ripping the helmet off Rudolph and clubbing him in the head with it. Players from both teams quickly spilled into a brawl.
Within days, both organizations were fined $250,000, 33 players were fined a total of $232,422, and three were suspended for a total of nine games. The total money collected was $2.581 million.
Almost half of that came out of Garrett’s pocket -- $1.211 million in fines and game checks forfeited in a six-game suspension.
Three months later, Garrett was reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The next day, in an interview with ESPN on Friday, Garrett reiterated the allegation he made to hearing officer James Thrash the day after the incident -- that a racial slur by Rudolph is what caused him to lose control.
“He called me the N-word,” Garrett told ESPN’s Mina Kimes. “He called me a 'stupid N-word.'”
On Saturday, Rudolph responded on Twitter and vehemently denied Garrett’s accusation.
“1000% False,” Rudolph tweeted. “Bold-Faced Lie. I did not, have not, and would not utter a racial-slur. This is a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.”
Minutes later, Timothy Younger, Rudolph’s agent and lawyer, issued a statement on Twitter.
In part, Younger wrote, “Mr. Garrett maliciously uses this false allegation to coax sympathy, hoping to be excused for what clearly is inexcusable behavior. Despite other players and the referee being in the immediate vicinity, there are zero corroborating witnesses — as confirmed by the NFL. Although Mr. Rudolph had hoped to move forward, it is Mr. Garrett who has decided to utter this defamatory statement — in California. He is now exposed to legal liability.”
Through a spokesman, the NFL reiterated that there was no evidence from witnesses and no audio to support Garrett’s allegation.
“We checked with the officiating crew, including the ref who was on top of the play and the ensuing aftermath,” wrote NFL VP of communications Brian McCarthy in an email response to ProFootballTalk.com. “No player on either team came forward to say they heard him say it on the field. There was also no indication of any players saying they heard him say it in their postgame comments.”
Besides the possibility of a civil defamation suit filed by Rudolph, Garrett’s action indirectly led to the Browns losing four of their last six games, and numerous Browns officials and coaches losing their jobs, notably Kitchens and GM John Dorsey.
All because of an emotional reaction by Garrett five seconds from the end of a game.
What would have happened if Garrett had just triumphantly walked off without retaliating Rudolph’s instigations?
This could have been the alternate ending of the 2019 Browns season.
What might have been
Game 11: Garrett’s two sacks in garbage time of a 41-10 domination of the Miami Dolphins raised his season total to 12 as the Browns improved to 5-6 to set up the rematch with the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Game 12: With a benched Rudolph sulking on the sideline, Garrett continued his assault on the Browns’ sack record. He matched franchise record-holder Reggie Camp with 14 after two takedowns of Devlin “Duck” Hodges, as the Browns silenced the Steelers, 13-7. The win completed the Browns’ first season sweep of the Steelers since 1988 and allowed them to slip past Pittsburgh and into second place in the AFC North. Both teams were 6-6.
Game 13: Garrett was held without a sack in a ho-hum 27-16 win over the Bengals. The Browns’ fifth win in a row improved them to 7-6 – the latest they were above .500 since the 2014 season.
Game 14: In what amounted to a track meet between Garrett and Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, the Browns outlasted the Cardinals and running back Kenyon Drake’s three touchdowns. Garrett’s strip-sack of Murray foiled the rookie’s attempt to pull out a fourth quarter win. The Browns’ 27-24 win was their sixth in a row and moved them into the thick of the AFC wild card chase at 8-6.
Game 15: Garrett’s sack of Lamar Jackson extended his franchise record to 16, but the Ravens’ juggernaut rolled on to a 21-15 victory – avoiding a season sweep by the Browns. The hard-fought loss dropped the Browns to 8-7 and left their playoff chances down to a win in Cincinnati plus a loss by Tennessee to Houston.
Game 16: The Browns got their win, 23-20, over the Bengals, but a Tennessee victory slammed the playoff door on the Browns. Garrett added a 17th sack to keep his name in the conversation of defensive player of the year honors. The 9-7 record was only the third winning record for the Browns in 21 seasons of the expansion era.
In the season-ending press conference, Kitchens said he learned a lot in his first year as head coach and conceded he would hand over play-calling duties in his second season to someone else, though he would not commit to offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Dorsey said his top offseason priority was bolstering the offensive tackle position and finding Baker Mayfield another tight end.
In one of the closest races ever for AP defensive player of the year, Garrett finished third to New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore and Rams tackle Aaron Donald.
“Next year it’s mine,” Garrett said in his exit interview.
Just five more seconds. That’s all it would have taken.