Myles Garrett talked the talk ahead of Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, then outplayed T.J. Watt in the Browns 24-19 win.
"I got a lot of respect for him, a lot of respect for all the guys over there," Garrett said of Watt, via Cleveland.com. "But I'm number one. And that's what I am, Edge 1, to defensive player of the year. I'm the guy. It's still me. There's no other person being defended like I am, or schemed or played against like I am."
Garrett earned three sacks, all in the first half, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Entering Sunday's games, he's the only player in the NFL this season with three-plus sacks in multiple games.
Watt, meanwhile, was slowed by the conditions and the extra attention paid by the Cleveland offense. Watt had four tackles, one for loss, and no sacks or QB hits.
Garrett gave the pregame speech before the Browns pulled the division upset.
"I just wanted to let everybody know the mission. It doesn't change. Darn the records -- no, this is division football. This is as classic a matchup as it gets. Browns-Steelers, Thursday night," Garrett said after the game, via the team's official website. "You can't ask for a better platform, a better time to showcase what you can do as an individual and as a team. So, just go up and recognize the opportunity and take hold of it."
Garrett became the seventh player with 10-plus sacks in at least seven straight seasons, since sacks became an official stat in 1982. He's the fourth player with 10-plus sacks in at least seven of his first eight seasons (Reggie White, 8; DeMarcus Ware, 7; Von Miller, 7).
The victory pushed the Browns to 3-8, and while they aren't battling for a playoff spot, they have plenty of chances to play spoiler down the stretch. Of Cleveland's final six games, five are against teams currently in playoff position, and the sixth is versus a Miami club trying to get back into the postseason race.
There will be no tanking from Garrett and his teammates.
"We want to win. We're not playing for any consolation, no picks. We want to go out there and put our foot on everybody's throat. So, we're trying to carry this momentum throughout the season," Garrett said. "But guys have to take this one in, take that 24-hour rule, watch the film, dump it and then go on to the next one."
The Browns take on the Steelers again in 16 days in Pittsburgh.
