The Pittsburgh Steelers were hoping to send Cleveland Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett home a little more quiet this time around. When the Steelers lost to the Browns in Week 12, Garrett was a dominant force with three sacks and a forced fumble. While his Week 14 performance in Pittsburgh’s 27-14 win wasn’t quite as explosive, Garrett still found a way to make an impact, recording a sack and recovering a fumble that briefly shifted momentum.
After the sack, Garrett shushed the home crowd even though the game was virtually out of reach, Steelers fans let Garrett hear it with a chorus of boos echoing through Acrisure Stadium.
The reaction didn’t sit well with the Browns’ defensive leader, who was quick to fire back after the game. When asked by Cleveland media if the crowd’s actions would motivate him moving forward, Garrett issued a pointed warning to Steelers fans, making it clear they haven’t seen the last of his playmaking ability.
"We'll see them again next year," Garrett said of the Steelers to reporters postgame via the Browns' YouTube channel. "So end result is they have that same energy when we come to their house next year."
Garrett is a player who thrives on finding external motivation. The ongoing debate between him and Steelers star pass rusher TJ Watt has undoubtedly become a chip on his shoulder. When Garrett won the Defensive Player of the Year award, many argued that Watt deserved it instead, given his far more productive 2023 season.
Those remarks didn’t sit well with Garrett, who felt his achievement was overshadowed. He was vocal after the Browns upset the Steelers a few weeks ago, making it clear how much he relished the moment. However, despite notching a sack in the latest matchup, Garrett’s talk rings hollow given the context. The Browns sit at just three wins compared to the Steelers’ ten, highlighting Pittsburgh’s far superior season.
Steelers Nemesis Myles Garrett Upset With Pittsburgh Fans For Booing
While Garrett continues to draw motivation from the Steelers and their fans, the contrast is glaring. Pittsburgh has dominated this season, while Garrett’s focus on fueling himself with outside criticism seems increasingly misplaced. It’s hard to justify the chatter when the scoreboard and standings tell a much different story.
There’s a long-running joke that every time the Browns face the Steelers, it feels like Cleveland’s version of the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, their fans often fuel that narrative, treating these matchups with an outsized sense of importance. When your season has gone off the rails and your star defensive player is already focused on next year, it’s not exactly a good look.
For the Browns, these games against Pittsburgh seem to serve as a measuring stick, but the results rarely favor them in the big picture. While passion and rivalry are part of what makes football great, the Browns’ obsession with beating the Steelers only highlights how far they still have to go as a franchise.
