From the first snap of the game to the team's final play on offense, it was clear the Pittsburgh Steelers had an agenda in Week 17: avoid allowing Myles Garrett to record a sack at all costs. While the fanbase has argued nonstop about this since the disastrous 13-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, this objective seemed crystal clear upon watching the game.
It's not hard to figure out what this might have been the goal. T.J. Watt—along with Hall of Famer Michael Strahan—holds the all-time NFL single-season record for sacks with 22.5. In an effort to preserve this historic honor for their long-time star pass rusher, Mike Tomlin, Arthur Smith, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers likely made this a priority against the Browns.
One sack was all Garrett needed... but Rodgers knew where he was at all times.
It's not uncommon to chip-block and double-team Garrett. He's the best pass rusher in the league. The Steelers were playing a fourth-string left tackle in Dylan Cook, so fans and analysts have argued that this would have been the game plan no matter what.
However, the film tells a different story.
Rodgers, who has gotten rid of the ball quickly all season, nearly cut his time to throw in half. The 42-year-old quarterback got the football out in 1.2 seconds or less on every pass except for one leading up to the Steelers' final drive of the game. This was clearly to avoid Garrett getting to the quarterback.
Even Garrett knew this was the game plan. The Browns' superstar said after the game that the Steelers were 'more worried about keeping me away from Aaron [Rodgers] than getting the win. That’s what came back to bite them.
The Steelers succeeded in keeping Garrett sack-free in Week 17 (though they lost the game in the process). Unfortunately, their efforts in preserving Watt's single-season sack record might still be in vain.
Myles Garrett could easily snap T.J. Watt's sack record in Week 18
In Garrett's season finale, his Browns defense will face the Cincinnati Bengals and their porous offensive line. Against the Cardinals in Week 17, Burrow was sacked three times and hit eight times... and this was against an opponent that lacks elite pass rushers.
Burrow isn't afraid to take a hit or get sacked. The Pro Bowl quarterback holds the ball for an average of 2.69 seconds per throw this season, per SumerSports—longer than players like Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, and Matthew Stafford in 2025.
To Burrow, it makes no difference if Watt or Garrett holds the sack record. His team is eliminated from the playoffs. Burrow is going out there to make plays, put up numbers, and give his fans something to cheer for in an otherwise meaningless Week 18 season finale.
Meanwhile, Garrett isn't going to be held down for long. The superstar edge rusher has collected a whopping 17.0 sacks since Week 8, and he's hungry to chase history—especially after the Pittsburgh Steelers made such a big effort to prevent him from breaking Watt's record last week.
Being hyper-focused on Garrett and uber-conservative with the football may have led to the six-point performance in the loss to the Browns in Week 17 (and could cost Pittsburgh a playoff berth). The Steelers' efforts to preserve T.J. Watt's sack record might all be for nothing if Garrett gets just one sack in the season finale against the Bengals and earns 23.0 on the season. This would set a new NFL record and strip Watt of this prestigious title.