A little under 18 weeks after stating he was looking forward to adding him to his quarterback graveyard this season, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will get his first shot at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
Entering the matchup between the two AFC North foes, the Steelers are riding high coming off of a much-needed bye in Week 5 in which they were able to extend their division lead without being on the field. As for the Browns, they’re slogging along and are adjusting to being back stateside after a tough trip to London and a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.Â
Cleveland enters with arguably the best defense in football though, which will make things very difficult for a Steelers offense that is still finding its rhythm. Though he hasn’t had a sack in two weeks, Garrett remains a force and will be a handful for the Steelers and starting left tackle Broderick Jones, who is set to make his first start against the Browns star at left tackle.
Rodgers says the Steelers will have a plan like always against Garrett. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Rodgers praised the future Hall of Famer.
“Myles is a Hall of Famer. He might not be in yet, but that’s where he is going,” Rodgers said, according to video via 93.7 The Fan on X. “He’s one of the few players in the league that, over my 21 years, you game plan for and you watch the film. Every team has a plan. There’s been a few guys over the years, not many, but there’s been a few guys over the years like that.
“Now we have one as well. When we played the Steelers last year, our plan was to get four hands on T.J. Watt every single play.”
Garrett turns 30 in late December and is, without a doubt, on a Hall of Fame trajectory. He’s one of the best defensive players in football, and one teams worry about every snap. But he’s not unique in that way.
There are plenty of guys around the NFL on the defensive side of the football whom teams create plans around. There’s one in Pittsburgh, too, in T.J. Watt, which Rodgers made sure to point out.
On Sunday though, there will be an extra point of emphasis on game planning against Garrett. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated Tuesday that the Steelers would have a plan, and Rodgers reiterated that. That’s not a knock on Jones, either. All tackles need a plan and some help against Garrett. That’s a testament to how good he is.
The last time Rodgers faced off against Garrett was when he was a member of the Green Bay Packers during the 2021 season. That day, Garrett didn’t register a sack on Rodgers. He’s yet to take him down in his career. Plus, Rodgers has been sacked just one time in three matchups against the Browns, so history is on his side.
The Steelers’ plan must include avoiding obvious passing situations by staying ahead of the sticks. Plus, it could include a heavy snap count for TE Darnell Washington, a premier blocker, as well as inside help from left guard Isaac Seumalo.
Garrett has 13 sacks in 14 games against the Steelers, so the Steelers’ plan over the years hasn’t exactly worked. But maybe this time having a good QB pre- and post-snap in Rodgers could help negate the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
