The Cleveland Browns could be seeing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the final time this week and Myles Garrett knows how he wants to send the future Hall of Famer off.
“I like the challenge of it going against a guy of his caliber and a guy of his prestige,” Garrett told reporters on Friday, December 31. “I will just try to keep it cordial and send him off with a bang.”
While there’s a massive amount of mutual respect between Garrett and Roethlisberger, he won’t necessarily miss going up against him twice per season.
“I will miss his presence in the game, but as far as going against him and the rivalry against him versus us, no, I will not miss that,” Garrett said. “I will be looking forward to new things, new challenges, new quarterbacks and new people to put in the front yard
After racing out to the league lead, Garrett has not had a sack in his last two games, which would make a take-down of Big Ben even sweeter. He has 15 sacks this season and Pittsburgh is giving up 2.3 sacks per game, which is near the bottom third of the NFL.
“I have to. It is kind of on us and it is kind of on me to step up and make some plays that will put us in the win column because we have to win,” Garrett said, referencing the Browns having to win their final two games to make the playoffs. “We have been saying that for a while and for the last five games. We have to win. We have not been doing that. I feel like I need to call upon myself to be the person I need to be and need me to be.”
Garrett Still Dealing With Groin Injury
Like many players are at this time of year, Garrett is playing through injury. The powerful pass-rusher hurt his groin two weeks ago and gutted it out against the Packers. After the game he admitted it felt like “s–t” and it hasn’t got much better.
“A lot better? No, but I wanted to get some work in with my teammates and get that feel again,” Garrett said. “Coming off the ball, playing the run and all of those small things. I am making sure I am getting off the ball at the proper time and looking at some of the keys and some stuff that going up to the game is kind of small, but those things build up.”
Garrett said the main problem with the injury is that it limits his explosion off the ball, a key ingredient in his pass-rush.
“I feel it every time I torque or try to come out of my stance,” Garrett said, describing the injury. “When I am picking my legs up out of my stance, that explosive movement hurts, but like any kind of explosive movement where it is going left, right or forward, I do feel it.”
Browns Hoping to Spoil Roethlisberger’s Last Dance at Home
Roethlisberger revealed earlier this week that this would likely be his last home game at Heinz Field, bringing a close to his nearly two-decade run in front of the Pittsburgh crowd.
“Looking at the bigger picture, I would say all signs are pointing to this could be it — regular season, that is,” Roethlisberger said Thursday. “I know we still have a chance to potentially get a playoff game there if things fall our way and we take care of business and things have to happen. In the grand scheme of things, in terms of regular seasons, signs are pointing that way that this could be it.”
The Browns need to spoil Roethlisberger final outing and then beat the Bengals next week to have a shot at the playoffs. They’ll also need some help this week, needing Cincinnati and Baltimore to both lose.
Browns DE Myles Garrett Sends Strong Message to Ben Roethlisberger