Steelers Face Familiar Foe in Myles Garrett as Sack Record Looms
The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into a critical Week 17 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, and while the stakes are high for both teams, all eyes will be on Browns defensive end Myles Garrett - and not just because of his game-wrecking presence off the edge.
Garrett enters Sunday’s contest with 22.0 sacks on the season, just half a sack shy of breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record held jointly by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt at 22.5. And with the Steelers potentially starting Mason Rudolph at quarterback - depending on what happens in Saturday night’s Ravens-Packers game - the storyline practically writes itself.
But Garrett? He’s not leaning into the drama.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of history between the two of us,” Garrett said when asked about the possibility of breaking the record against Rudolph.
That’s a curious comment, considering the infamous 2019 Thursday Night Football brawl between the two - when Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and struck him with it - was one of the most shocking moments in recent NFL memory. Garrett was suspended for the rest of that season and fined.
He later accused Rudolph of using a racial slur, a claim the league investigated but found no evidence to support. Rudolph denied the allegation, and both players have since moved on, even shaking hands after a 2021 game in Cleveland.
Still, the idea that there’s “no history” between them? That’s a stretch. But Garrett’s focus is clearly on the record - not the rivalry.
“Whether I get it against him, I get it against Aaron [Rodgers], it makes no difference to me as long as I get it,” Garrett said.
And make no mistake, this is a record Garrett wants. He’s not hiding that.
“It’d be special,” he said about surpassing Watt. “He’s legendary himself and it’s a legendary record I’m out here chasing. That’d be a great one to put a picture on the wall with.”
Garrett’s been on a tear all season, and if you ask Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, he’s not just chasing history - he’s already cemented his place as the top defensive player in the game right now.
“They got what appears to be a slam dunk Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett,” Tomlin said during his Tuesday press conference. “And they got what appears to be a slam dunk Defensive Rookie of the Year in their front seven.”
That rookie is Carson Schwesinger, who’s rapidly becoming a difference-maker for Cleveland. Between Garrett’s dominance and Schwesinger’s emergence, Tomlin knows his offense is in for a battle.
The Steelers have struggled in Cleveland lately, going just 1-5-1 in their last seven trips. And Garrett has been a nightmare in those games. According to Tomlin, he’s recorded five sacks in Pittsburgh’s last two visits - both of which the Steelers lost.
“Myles Garrett has certainly been an issue for us in that venue,” Tomlin said. “I think he’s had five sacks in our last two trips, neither that we won.”
The Steelers could still clinch the AFC North this weekend, but it’ll take a little help. If the Ravens fall to the Packers on Saturday night, Pittsburgh would control its own destiny. That scenario might also mean Aaron Rodgers sits out, opening the door for Mason Rudolph to start again.
Rudolph looked solid in his Week 16 start, but facing Garrett - especially with history and a sack record on the line - is a different kind of challenge. The Browns defense, which Tomlin called “the best unit in the entire AFC North,” is playing with confidence, speed, and a whole lot of bite.
For Garrett, Sunday is about more than just a game. It’s about legacy.
One more sack, and he’s in the record books. Whether it comes against a quarterback with whom he shares a controversial past or not, Garrett’s eyes are locked on the prize.
And for the Steelers? They’ll need to protect their quarterback like their season depends on it - because it just might.