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The Pittsburgh Steelers fell short against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football, 24-19, and Myles Garrett’s three-sack effort was a big reason why.
Just after the game — and after a week of trash talk — Garrett spoke with sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung on the Amazon Prime Video broadcast, and he had one final message for rival edge rusher T.J. Watt and the Steelers.
“We spoke at the coin toss, but that’s about it,” Garrett said, regarding Watt. “Like I said, I got a lot of respect for him, lot of respect for all the guys over there and the other edge rushers in the league, but I’m number one.”
“That’s from defender one [and] edge one to defensive player of the year,” the Browns star continued. “I’m the guy, so that runs through me.”
Garrett went on to claim that there is no other defender in the league that is schemed for and “planned against” the way he is. “Just goes to show, you can throw that out the window, I’m going to find a way,” a very confident Garrett concluded.
The Steelers will drop to 8-3 after this loss in Cleveland, while the Browns are now 3-8. And as usual, this AFC North rivalry has been reignited ahead of the upcoming rematch in Pittsburgh on December 8.
Myles Garrett Appeared Motivated by DPOY Controversy Ahead of Steelers vs. Browns in Week 12
In case you missed it, Garrett had plenty to say leading up to the game too. While speaking with reporters on November 19, he finally addressed the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) controversy involving him and Watt.
“I’ve never complained about the trophy not being at my house,” Garrett said earlier this week. “Vice versa. He shouldn’t be feeling two ways about it going to me.”
“So, I’m just going to play the game,” he added at the time. “I don’t play against T.J., he doesn’t play against me, but we’ll have a plan to go out and do what we’re supposed to, win the game and dominate on defense.”
In the end, Garrett definitely did his job, racking up 3.0 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits and 5 total tackles. Although most of his statistics came in the first half, he was harassing Russell Wilson all night — and Garrett and the Browns defense even put a couple of shots on the Steelers quarterback after he got the football away.
As for the DPOY award, it’s clear that proving he deserved it last year and winning it again in 2024 are both motivating factors with the Browns record where it is.
“[Defensive Player of the Year is] up for grabs this year and we’ll see the best man win,” Garrett said on November 19.
He also jokingly suggested that Watt should apologize for publicly questioning last year’s DPOY decision when the two finally saw each other on Thursday night. It’s unclear if any apology occurred.
Steelers’ T.J. Watt Keeps Focus on Winning Football Games, Not Myles Garrett Rivalry
When asked about Garrett’s comments prior to the Week 12 face-off, Watt kept his response centered around winning the football game, rather than DPOY awards and edge rusher rivalries.
That was also his focus after the Steelers lost to the Browns.
“We just try to play when the ball’s snapped and make plays, and we didn’t make enough tonight,” Watt told reporters after the loss in Cleveland.
As for the Browns sustaining drives behind quarterback Jameis Winston, Watt complimented the opposing offense for “being able to convert when they needed to” and “making big plays in big-time moments.”
The Steelers only sack of the night was a strip-sack forced fumble by edge rusher Nick Herbig. Watt was unable to bring down Winston, but did contribute 4 total tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.
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