Things don’t get any easier in Week Two for Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr.
Coming off a rather rough season-opening performance against the San Francisco 49ers — he was Pro Football Focus’ worst-graded offensive tackle in football allowing nine pressures and a sack — Moore now has to gear up for an even tougher test in Week Two as star defensive end Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns ride into town for a Monday Night Football matchup.
After struggling with the likes of Drake Jackson and Nick Bosa in Week One, Moore has to try and bounce back against Garrett, a player he’s quite familiar with. Moore has squared off with Garrett four times to this point. The fifth time will be a big one with a ton of focus on Moore after Week One.
Speaking with reporters Thursday following practice inside the Steelers locker room at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Moore stated that he’s looking to minimize Garrett’s impact overall while still giving him the props that the four-time Pro Bowler has earned.
“I think Myles is one of the best edge rushers in this league. It’s giving him the respect that he’s due,” Moore said, according to a tweet from 93.7 The Fan. “Just minimizing him, not adding to his resume, that’s the biggest thing.”
Garrett has proven to be on the of the best pass rushers in football since the Browns took him with the first pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. In 85 career games, Garrett has recorded 75.0 sacks, 78 tackles for loss, 146 quarterback hits and has generated 366 total pressures in his career. In addition to his four trips to the Pro Bowl, Garrett has garnered All-Pro accolades four times.
There’s no denying his greatness. Moore knows that and respects how good he is.
The good news though is that he’s familiar with him and knows how to play against him. In four games against the Browns, Moore has allowed just two sacks. Moore has also given up just 12 total pressures against the Browns.
On the flip side, Garrett has generated 14 pressures and three sacks in the last four matchups with the Steelers, going largely against Moore. The challenge this time around in the matchup is knowing where Garrett is at all times. New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz moved Garrett all over the defensive front in Week One, searching for opportunistic matchups for Garrett. That included standing him up as a rusher over the center, allowing Garrett’s athleticism to take over.
He’s going to be a difficult matchup for the Steelers, especially with the additions of veteran pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo opposite him, creating more opportunities for one-on-one matchups throughout the game.
