The Browns defender is one sack away from placing his name at the top of an NFL record
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett didn’t break the NFL’s single-season record for quarterback sacks on Sunday against the Steelers, but he said Pittsburgh had its pursuit of the all-time record in mind as Cleveland cruised to a surprising 13-6 victory.
“I mean, to a certain extent. I feel like they were more concerned about keeping me away from Aaron (Rodgers) than getting the win, and I think that’s what took its toll on them,” Garrett said. “So they’ll have to fight Baltimore next week. But I’m proud of my teammates for fighting and getting this win. That’s the main thing. And I’ll always keep it that way.”
Myles Garrett, whose 22 sacks are just one away from breaking the record shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Steelers defensive end TJ Watt, finished the game with a tackle and a quarterback hit. Garrett also recorded three quarterback pressures and was close to Rodgers on several plays before the Steelers quarterback was able to get rid of the ball.
Aaron Rodgers, playing without wide receivers DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III, averaged just 3.5 passing yards per pass completion and completed 4 of 15 passes thrown more than 5 air yards away. Rodgers had an average throw time of 2.39 seconds, the fourth-shortest of the season.
Pittsburgh, which missed a chance to clinch the AFC North title with a victory, will host the Ravens in a decisive game in Week 18 for the division title.
“We didn’t do anything against Myles that we wouldn’t normally do against Myles,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stressed. “Sack records are irrelevant. We have to minimize their impact if we want to win. We did the same thing the last time we played him. I don’t think he had any sacks in that game either. So we didn’t take a different approach because of the importance of the record. It’s normal when you play against these guys and him.”
Left tackle Dylan Cook, who faced Garrett for much of the game and received help with blocks and double teams, said the record was “in the back of our minds, for sure. In the end, we just wanted to win the game.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Garrett had an impact on the Steelers despite not recording a sack.
“Obviously, their stats are reflected in a lot of ways,” Stefanski said, “but even in the unseen things, how they have to play. They have to play with an empty formation the entire game and make blocks on both sides. That means two eligible players don’t hit the road right away. So, it affects the way teams play against us.”
Garrett’s last chance to break the record will be in the Browns’ final game of the season, on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When asked if he was still confident about setting a new mark, Garrett responded: “Absolutely. Why shouldn’t I be? … Four more quarters, 60 more minutes. However you want to look at it, I’ll do it.”
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.
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