The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns have a deep history within their AFC North rivalry, and the TJ Watt - Myles Garrett debate between the two fan bases will forever be remembered. Both members of the 2017 NFL Draft, Watt and Garrett quickly became the faces of each AFC franchise. Garrett took personal shots to Watt both prior and after last week's matchup, but Watt is still seemingly unfazed by Garrett's antics.
After Pittsburgh's loss to Cleveland in what was a wild snowstorm alongside Lake Erie, Garrett confidently said in an interview that he's still the best defensive player in the NFL ahead of Watt and many other big-time defenders. Garrett collected three sacks in Cleveland's win against the Steelers, while Watt was unable to sack Jameis Winston once.
After Watt and the Steelers had time to regroup and plan for the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh's star edge rusher was asked about Garrett's recent comments. Watt explained that he has no personal issues with Garrett or his comments, but simply doesn't agree with the voting system for the NFL's yearly awards.
"Like I said two or three years ago, it's not about the person. I have a lot of respect for every single NFL player," Watt said on Friday. "I think there's a lot of great pass rushers, a lot of great players in the NFL. It's more so the voting and how all that happened is where we were upset with it. It's nothing to do with Myles Garrett as a person, as a player. I think he's a hell of a player. It's more so the voting system and what you need to do to get those things. But like I said, that's the one I'm not focused on this year at all. It's all about Pittsburgh Steelers and winning as many games as we can in the right moments."
Regardless of Garrett's personal thoughts, Watt and the Steelers have had the better defense in 2024, by far. Even with the injuries Pittsburgh has suffered on the opposite side of Watt, the defense has continued to play good football. Their performance dropped during the showdown in Cleveland, but they'll be ready to bounce back against a Cincinnati offense that's been on fire this season.
Watt's response to anything regarding the drama involving Garrett has consistently been the same. Watt has never been one to bad-mouth another player, although, he hasn't gotten the same treatment in return.
While Garrett is flaunting his award from 2023, he and the Browns sit in last place in the AFC North, while Watt has led his team to an 8-3 start. Watt will get his chance at revenge when Cleveland comes to Pittsburgh next week. The Steelers' loss to the Browns was embarrassing to say the least, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin will have his team ready to respond.
Pittsburgh's next two games will weigh heavily on their chances of winning the division. To stay ahead of the Baltimore Ravens, who are 8-4, the Steelers need to replicate what they did in 2023 by winning the majority of their AFC North duels. With the Bengals and Browns up next in back-to-back weeks, Pittsburgh has a chance to give themselves a nice cushion for first place.
Steelers' TJ Watt Needs Help From Teammates And Coaching Staff To Start Wrecking Games
As teams have learned to double-team and chip Watt on nearly every play, it's becoming a big problem for he and the defensive line. Watt hasn't been able to make game-changing plays recently, and a big part of that is the absence of Alex Highsmith, who is doubtful to return this week. It's going to take more effort strategically from the coaching staff to get Watt involved, as well as some other guys on the line stepping up and forcing pressure.
