CLEVELAND, Ohio — When Myles Garrett said he was “frustrated as hell” by losing the same way every week after the Browns’ 23–9 loss in Pittsburgh last Sunday — their third straight defeat — it struck a chord throughout the locker room. The message wasn’t laced with blame or anger, but with a familiar ache: losing week after week because of an offense that can’t score enough to support a championship-caliber defense.
As the Browns prepared to host the 1–5 Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Garrett’s words echoed through the building. Yet while the frustration was universal, his teammates and coaches insisted the locker room remains united — bruised but not broken.
While other 1-5 teams such as the Titans have fired their head coach, and the 1-5 Dolphins had quarterback Tua Tagovailoa calling out his teammates for missing players only meetings and then had to apologize for it, the Browns have done their best to remain united.
A victory over the Dolphins today at Huntington Bank Field would help keep the wheels from falling off.
Safety Grant Delpit: “Just chasing that feeling”
Safety Grant Delpit didn’t hide how deeply the losing streak has affected the players emotionally.
“I mean, obviously it’s frustrating,” he said. “You do all you can to stay together as a team, try to get that winning feeling back. You know, I don’t even know what it feels like. Like I forgot that feeling, really just chasing that feeling, man, and trying to do everything you can to get that back and not turning on each other. Because that could avalanche the season.”
Delpit, who has been one of the defensive leaders alongside Garrett, said he understood exactly where Garrett’s comments came from.
“It’s not fun,” he said. “Nobody likes losing like that. Losing in general, period. So I feel the frustration — we all do — and it’s time for a fix.”
The Browns haven’t scored more than 17 points in any game this season, despite a defense that ranks No. 3 in yards allowed. Delpit said a single victory could shift everything: “Just doing everything we can to get one. You know, get that feeling again. It spreads.”
Left guard Joel Bitonio: “Everybody’s frustrated — but there’s no infighting”
Bitonio, now in his 12th NFL season, has lived through plenty of dark stretches in Cleveland. But he said this team, despite its 1–5 record, hasn’t fractured.
“Frustrated is a big point,” Bitonio said. “Obviously everybody’s frustrated because no one wants to be 1–5, but I think our team actually is very close. The guys get along and we push for each other. We haven’t had any of that internal arguing and stuff like that. Everybody’s all on the same page of what do we need to do to be better to try and find a win.”
Bitonio said he fully understands Garrett’s irritation. “We want to be better for our defense,” he said. “We want to get them a two-score lead to try and let ’em rush the passer and unleash it. A lot of teams have realized — get the ball out quick, neutralize our defense’s pass rush. For us on offense, we have to put pressure on them so that they have to start taking shots.”
He didn’t shy away from the reality that the grind of losing takes a toll — something Garrett admitted last week, referencing how it once wore on Hall of Famer Joe Thomas.
“If you’re sitting here and you’re 1–5 and you’re not frustrated, that’s a bad sign,” Bitonio said. “Losing sucks. Your most memorable years are when you’re winning. Winning solves a lot of problems. But for me, I get to come play football for the Cleveland Browns, and that’s my dream job. I try to be the same guy every day and be a piece guys can lean on.”
Cornerback Denzel Ward: “Still more wins out there”
Ward, who returned this year with lofty expectations after missing time in 2024, said he’s chosen to look ahead instead of dwelling on the past.
“I process it as there’s still wins out there to be had,” Ward said. “We’ve still got more games to be played. It is what it is — our record’s not what we wanted, but there’s still opportunities to get more wins and stack them up. That’s my focus.”
Asked directly about Garrett’s comments, Ward stayed even-keeled: “Yeah, it’s frustrating. But my goal is to find a way to get this next win. That’s the main focus — doing everything I can to make that happen and bring a win to the city.”
Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone: “We’re connected — and we can turn it around”
Ventrone has experienced this type of adversity before. As an assistant in Indianapolis, he said, he once saw a 1–5 team rally to finish strong.
“I would say amongst our group, I do feel that we have a very well-connected football team,” Ventrone said. “Players and coaches, offense and defense — we interact well. I think that we have the ability to right the ship. A couple things happen differently, and you’re looking at a different record.”
He added: “If a team can get it right, it’s a team that’s connected and sticks together. I think we all understand the situation. We just have to play complementary football, play clean, protect the football.”
As Ventrone put it: “You can’t change what’s already happened. But you can change what happens next.”
Football Insider newsletter free trial: Take a minute and sign up for a free trial of our Football Insider newsletter, featuring exclusive content from cleveland.com's Browns reporters.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.