Myles Garrett stole the show during the Cleveland Browns' 24-19 upset win over the Pittsburg Steelers on Thursday Night Football. The star edge rusher tallied three sacks in the first half, one of which forced a fumble, as Cleveland held Russell Wilson and the Steelers to three points through two quarters.
Browns Hall of Fame offensive lineman Joe Thomas delivered a spirited message about Garrett's legacy following the win.
“Myles Garrett at his best is the best individual pass rusher in NFL history,” Thomas said on X. “The Steelers game plan coming in was ‘limit Myles Garrett’s impact'… beat him up in the run game and when they’re passing the ball double team him every way possible. Every time one double team didn’t work, they tried something else; chips, bumps, TE double teams, slides… nothing worked. He was unblockable by every lineman. Don’t take my word for it, [Steelers head coach] Mike Tomlin just said it at halftime!”
Garrett has been central to the Browns' defensive success since the team selected him No. 1 in the 2017 draft.
Myles Garrett dominates Steelers during upset win
The Texas A&M product is putting together another dominant season, tallying 10.0 sacks through 11 games, the second-most in the NFL behind Trey Hendrickson. Garrett has recorded at least 10 sacks in his last seven seasons. He has 98.5 for his career, placing him 45th amongst the NFL's all-time leaders with no signs of slowing down.
Garrett's matchup with Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt was a main storyline entering Thursday's matchup. He beat out Watt for the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award despite the Pittsburg star having five more sacks than him. Garrett said before Thursday's game that he wanted an apology from Watt for his no-show at the NFL honors.
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Following his team's win, the Browns star delivered a clear message about how he stacks up with Watt in the NFL's defensive pecking order.
“I said I've got a lot of respect for him, a lot of respect for all of the guys over there,” he said. “But I'm number one. That's from defender one, edge one, Defensive Player of The Year. I'm the guy. So that runs through me, there's no other person being defended against like I am. Nobody being schemed against like I am. So it just goes to show. You can throw that out the window, I'm going to find a way.”
Garrett's stellar 2024 campaign adds to his legacy as one of the most dominant defensive players the game has ever seen. The 28-year-old is a five-time All-Pro selection (3x first-ream, 2x second-team) and a five-time pro-bowler.
