Myles Garrett had a blunt message for Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher TJ Watt after leading the Cleveland Browns to a 24-19 victory on Thursday.
Garrett racked up three first-half sacks against Pittsburgh and constantly pressured quarterback Russell Wilson during the snowy upset win. It’s the second time in three games that Garrett has recorded a trio of sacks. He now has 10 sacks this season, which is second in the NFL, behind only Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (11.5).
There was some chatter leading up to the game about Watt questioning Garrett winning Defensive Player of the Year last season. Watt finished second and tweeted, “nothing I’m not used to” after Garrett was announced as the winner. Garrett addressed that comment prior to the matchup.
“I’ve never complained about the trophy not being at my house and vice versa,” Garrett said Tuesday. “He shouldn’t be feeling two ways about knowing it’s going to me. So just going to play the game. I don’t play against T.J., he doesn’t play against me. We’ll have a plan to go out and do what we’re supposed to, win the game and dominate on defense. It’s up for grabs this year, and we’ll see the best man win.”
After beating the Steelers, Garrett’s postgame statement was pointed clearly at Watt and the rest of the doubters around the NFL.
“I’m No. 1 — that edge No. 1 to Defensive Player of the Year,” Garrett said. “I’m the guy. That runs through me, and there’s no other person being defended as I am or schemed or planned against like I am. Just goes to show, you can throw that out the window — I’m going to find a way.”
Jameis Winston Credits Myles Garrett After Win
It was truly a team effort by the Browns, who battled the elements in the AFC North rivalry win. Garrett and the defense did their part, while quarterback Jameis Winston helped lead the offense to victory.
Winston wrapped up the matchup with 219 passing yards, an interception, and a rushing touchdown. Despite the challenging conditions, he delivered clutch plays down the stretch to keep his team in contention. But after the game, Winston credited Garrett for setting the tone.
“He led the charge,” Winston said. “Myles spoke to us in the locker room before the game and called on everyone to step up and fight with him. He really set the tone.”
Cleveland also got two touchdowns out of running back Nick Chubb. It meant something extra for Chubb, who went down with a devastating knee injury his last time out against the Steelers. Chubb missed more than a year recovering but is starting to look like his old self.
Myles Garrett Says He’s Not Focused on TJ Watt
Garrett and Watt don’t play on the field at the same time, so their “rivalry” is purely based on the impact they make on the game. With three sacks, Garrett certainly has a leg up but maintained he wasn’t too focused on Watt during the matchup.
“I wasn’t really looking at what he did. I was really just focused on going out there and playing the very best ball I could,” Garrett said after the game. “But, yeah, I wanted to make it known that I’m the guy, I’m the number one edge defender. That was a statement I was intending to make, and I think I made.”
The Steelers and Browns are set to face off again on December 8 in Pittsburgh. Cleveland doesn’t have much to play for at 3-8, but could help play spoiler as the Steelers try to wrangle their first AFC North crown since 2020.
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Myles Garrett Puts TJ Watt on Notice After Beating Steelers