Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. Says His Goal In Week 11 Is To Dominate Browns Star Myles Garrett

The Pittsburgh Steelers face a significant challenge on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns with their star edge rusher Myles Garrett. The first-overall pick from 2017 is tied for the league lead in sacks with Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings at 11. He's also tied with Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs and Bradley Chubb of the Miami Dolphins for tops in the NFL with four forced fumbles. It won't be his job alone to minimize Garrett's impact on the game, but Dan Moore Jr. thinks he's up to the task when he faces the imposing pass rusher for the sixth time. 

The two Texas A&M alumni missed each other at the collegiate level by one season, with Moore joining the Aggies in 2018. The two have had plenty of time to get acclimated to one another as AFC North rivals after Pittsburgh added Moore in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Moore was asked by the media on Thursday about going up against Garrett again on Sunday and what he expects against him. 

"Dominate is a strong word, but that's the goal," he said in a video posted on X by the Tribune-Review's Chris Adamski. "I think he's one of the best so, I've got to respect him."

Moore has done well against Garrett in the past, with the Steelers winning four of the matchups when the two go head-to-head. Through their five meetings in the NFL, Garrett has four sacks, four tackles for a loss, and eight quarterback hits. In their first matchup of 2023, Moore and company held the two-time All-Pro to just one tackle and were one of two teams to not allow him to have a sack against them in 2023. Moore knows it will be another tough day at the office, but his familiarity with the matchup should do him some favors as he tries to keep Garrett's impact to a minimum on Sunday. 

Steelers' Moore Not Learning Anything New About Browns Star 

Moore knows that he won't be able to stop the force that Garrett is all the time. He said they have both won their share of battles when they've gone head-to-head. As he prepares for another showdown, he's certainly going to take some of the experience of having played him a bunch of times, but said it's not necessarily anything different. 

Moore was asked on Thursday if he had discovered anything unknown to him about Garrett playing against him in Week 2 when the Steelers beat the Browns 26-22. He jested with reporters at his stall before giving them an answer to their question.  

"He's a really good player," he joked about what he learned from their first meeting of the 2023 season. "I kind of know what I'm going to get. I'm not really learning anything new. Just getting more familiar with him, that's all."   

Moore has faced a lot of adversity in 2023. First, the team moved up to select left tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Moore had to battle with the rookie in training camp to earn the starting spot he's held since 2021. Then, there were rumors of him being traded before the NFL's Halloween trade deadline. He also dealt with an injury that sidelined him for a game. 

While Jones has worked himself into the starting rotation in recent weeks, he's been taking the place of right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who was benched after comments he made during the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8. Moore is holding onto his starting spot for the time being, and another big performance against Garrett could go a long way toward proving that he deserves to keep it longer. 

What have you thought of Moore's play so far this season? Does he have Garrett's number? Comment below!

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