He shut down Maxx Crosby in his NFL debut. He matched up with T.J. Watt. Joe Alt’s trial by fire in the NFL continues with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett.
The Chargers rookie right tackle will match up with another premier NFL edge rusher Sunday in Cleveland’s Huntington Bank Field (10 a.m. PST, CBS) as the offense tries to maintain its recent progress.
Alt, a 6-foot-8, 21-year-old who Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh called a “baby-faced giant, and left tackle Rashawn Slater didn’t give up a single quarterback pressure against the New Orleans Saints, according to Pro Football Focus, allowing the Chargers (4-3) to settle into a rhythm in the passing game.
Quarterback Justin Herbert, starting to move past the concerns of a high-ankle sprain, has averaged 271.3 yards passing in the three games since the Chargers’ off week.
Garrett is the only player in the NFL to record at least 14 sacks in each of the last three seasons, but hasn’t recorded a sack since Sept. 29. He was held to one tackle last week in the Browns’ thrilling 29-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
With quarterback Jameis Winston taking over for the injured Deshaun Watson, the Browns (2-6) broke through for a season-best 401 yards. Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, his first three-touchdown performance since 2021.