In most weeks, the pattern around the Browns postgame press conferences, at least when it comes to star pass-rusher Myles Garrett, features a loop of questions about Garrett again pushing for individual greatness, as he chases the all-time NFL sack record of 22.5, set by Michael Strahan. Garrett generally makes a comment, and asserts that he’d trade in all the sacks he has on his ledger if it would mean more wins for the Browns.
On Sunday against the Steelers, things looked a bit different. That’s because the Browns racked up their fourth win of the season, 13-6 on their home field, and their first win since beating the Raiders back on November 23, the first start of Shedeur Sanders‘ career.
And they did it without a sack from Garrett, a wild set of circumstances considering how frequently Garrett sacks quarterbacks and how rarely Cleveland wins NFL games. But Garrett was held without a sack for the first time since the Browns faced Pittsburgh on the road back on October 12. Garrett entered the game with 22.0 sacks, and left it with the same.
Aaron Rodgers Would ‘Flash a Wink’ at Myles Garrett
Throughout the game, though, it was clear that Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was intentionally doing his best to avoid contact from Garrett, sometimes hurrying throws, or slipping away in the opposite direction when he saw Garrett from the corner of his eye.
Brett Favre, then of the Packers, famously took a dive on that final sack that Strahan accumulated in 2001, allowing the well-liked Strahan to ascend into the history books. Rodgers showed he does not share that same spirit with his old teammate by intentionally dodging Garrett repeatedly rather than being the guy who was taken down for the record-breaker.
Garrett said he was not trash-talking Rodgers much for dodging him, but that the two were still sending messages to each other.
“There was not a lot of conversation,” Garrett said in his postgame interview with CBS. “He would flash a wink at me, I would give him a smile. There’s a lot of respect for him and them over there. I knew they were gonna throw everything at me to keep me from getting one on the board, and credit to them. They didn’t allow me to have one. But we’ll take the win, absolutely.”
GettyAaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts while playing the Cleveland Browns
Browns Showed ‘Heart’ in Upset Win
That win came in large part thanks to a final-drive stop on downs by the Browns, who had allowed Rodgers and the Steelers to move the ball down to a first-and-goal from the 10-yard line, with a chance to either tie with a PAT or win with a 2-point conversion. But after a short first-down play, the Browns forced three straight incompletions to seal the win.
“We had been consistent the whole game, executing at a high level, and the guys were intent on bending and not breaking—they can get all the yards they want, but they can’t get in our end zone,” Garrett said. “We showed that all day.”
Garrett is down to one more shot at the record, in Cincinnati next week. He said he is proud of his teammates for knocking off Pittsburgh on a day in which the Steelers could have sealed a playoff spot.
“Heart,” he said. “I talked about it early, heart, it is how you measure a man, through trials and tribulations about who you are. I have been saying for a long time, for your brothers, for your family, for your friends—you gotta be yourself. You can’t drop the the level of your circumstances, be yourself.”
Browns’ Myles Garrett Reveals Aaron Rodgers Messages After Missing Sack Record