Cleveland Browns All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett had a message for T.J. Watt after Thursday night’s 24-19 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at snowy Huntington Bank Field.
“I have a lot of respect for him… But I’m number 1. That’s from Edge 1 to Defensive Player of the Year. I’m the guy. That runs through me,” Garrett said in his post-game interview with Amazon Prime. “There’s no other person being schemed or planned against like I am. It just shows, you can throw that out the window. I’m gonna find a way.”
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Garrettt had a standout performance in the Browns’ win over the Steelers, recording three sacks, four pressures and a forced fumble in the first half alone. He had three pressures and two sacks against left tackle Dan Moore Jr.
Garrett is now only the seventh player in NFL history with seven straight 10+ sack seasons. His three sacks in the first half, marked the second game this season where he’s had 3+ first half sacks. No player has had two such games in a season since 2012, according to Pro Football Network.
Heading into Week 12, Watt was the favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year at -185. Garrett wasn’t even in the top 9, but Garrett’s performance on Thursday night certainly boosted his chances at winning DPOY for the second consecutive year. Garrett now ranks second in sacks with 10, behind only Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has 11.5.
Watt had a pretty quiet game, registering four total tackles (one solo) and a tackle for loss. He was shutout in the sacks department.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had some words for Watt on Tuesday before the Thursday Night Football rivalry game between the teams.
Garrett apparently took issue with Watt’s response to Garrett winning the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award this past offseason. Watt was in Las Vegas last year for the NFL Honors award show, but when he found out that Garrett was going to win and not him, he skipped the ceremony entirely.
“I’ve never complained about the trophy not being in my house, and vice versa, he shouldn’t be feeling two ways about it going to me,” Garrett said to Cleveland.com on Tuesday. “We’re just gonna play the game. I don’t play against T.J. He doesn’t play against me. We’re playing to do what we’re supposed to, go out and do what we’re supposed to, win the game and dominate on defense.”