Heading into the Steelers' Thursday Night Football game in Week 12, the 'T.J. Watt vs. Myles Garrett' debate was a trending topic. Sitting at 2-8, Browns fans already had their 2024 season hopes crushed. The only things they had to root for was shattering the confidence of an AFC North rival and their superstar edge rusher outperforming ours.
This is exactly what happened. Not only did the Browns come away with the upset win, but Garrett's utterly dominant performance silenced every critic out there.
Against the Steelers in Week 12, Garrett wreaked havoc -- earning three sacks and a forced fumble in the first half alone. These proved to be game-wrecking plays that left the Steelers with three points to show for on the scoreboard entering the third quarter.
Watt, on the other hand, was essentially silent. Though the Steelers star had a nice run stop at the line of scrimmage on an unblocked play, he was rarely in the vicinity of the quarterback -- earning just two pressures on the night and failing to get so much as a quarterback hit on Jameis Winston.
After the game, Garrett spoke to the media with a message for Watt.
"I'm number one... I'm the guy." @Flash_Garrett has no doubt in his mind he's the best defender in the world. 😤#TNFonPrime | @Browns pic.twitter.com/N2HFSG0cI9
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) November 22, 2024
“I have a lot of respect for ... But I’m number one," Garrett told sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung. "That’s from edge defender one, edge one, to Defensive Player of the Year. I’m the guy. That runs through me. There's no other person being defended as I am or schemed or planned against like I am. ”
T.J. Watt has added motivation for Steelers vs. Browns game in Week 14
It's impossible to say a negative thing about Myles Garrett's performance. The Browns superstar was a game-changing force who greatly impacted the outcome of the game on Thursday Night Football.
As a true pass rusher, when it comes to play-by-play pressure and impact, this debate might be over. But as an overall player, Watt still has a chance to redeem himself... and he's got more fuel than ever.
You can bet that Watt is going to hear the comments made after the game. The next time these teams play will be in Pittsburgh on December 8 for their Week 14 matchup. The first time around, it was Watt and the Steelers who had to travel on a short week. Next time it will be Garrett and the Browns.
Cleveland plays on the road for Monday Night Football this week against the Denver Broncos before they will be forced to turn around six days later to play in Pittsburgh during the early afternoon slate on Sunday in Week 14. We'll see if the tables flip in their next matchup.
Watt isn't as physically dominant as Garrett, and he can't do some of the things that the Browns star does. However, Watt's run defense and splash play ability are unrivaled. There's no question he's going to take Garrett's comments to heart as added fuel to the fire the next time these teams play.
Myles Garrett is winning this debate after Thursday Night Football, but I can guarantee you that T.J. Watt will have something to say about it in their next head-to-head matchup in Week 14.