The Pittsburgh Steelers entered into their Week 12 matchup against the Cleveland Browns as three-and-a-half-point favorites. With the Steelers riding high at 8-2, the game was expected to be a relatively easy win against a struggling Browns team with only two victories. Right? Wrong. Many expected the Steelers to struggle on a short week on the road against a tough division foe.
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Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. battles against Browns star Myles Garrett.
Cleveland had other plans, upsetting Pittsburgh 24-19 and handing Russell Wilson his first loss of the year, dropping the Steelers to 8-3 on the season. A key factor in the Steelers' defeat was the dominant performance of Browns star Myles Garrett. Garrett was a relentless force throughout the game, recording a forced fumble and three sacks, stifling the Pittsburgh offense and keeping Wilson off balance. Despite a strong track record against Garrett, Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. struggled to contain the pass rusher, allowing him to wreak havoc on Wilson and the offensive line.
Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. on why Myles Garrett had such a dominant first half: “Obviously, our plan just wasn’t great against him.” https://t.co/DPLUOiLH9W pic.twitter.com/48en7vxWUH
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) November 22, 2024
After the game, Moore acknowledged his poor performance, clearly frustrated with how he had allowed Garrett to disrupt the Steelers' offense. The offensive line, which had been a strength for much of the season, now faces increased scrutiny after this tough loss. Moore reacted to his tough outing against the Browns.
"Yeah, obviously our plan wasn’t great against him," Moore said. "We will review the film, but like I said, we just got to be better. It’s kind of hard to say, just got to look at the film."
At halftime, Mike Tomlin told the sideline reporter that the Steelers had exhausted all schematic options to slow down Garrett.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin coaching a game against the Browns.
Despite using chips and double teams, the offensive line couldn’t contain Garrett, who was having a dominant night. It was clear that Garrett was playing with an extra edge, determined to make a statement.
Browns' Myles Garrett Takes Shot At Steelers' TJ Watt
In the lead-up to the game, Garrett stirred the pot with some intriguing comments about Watt not supporting him for the 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award. Many fans and pundits believed Watt had been snubbed of the honor, and his frustration led him to skip the award ceremony. Garrett didn’t shy away from addressing the controversy, sharing his thoughts on Watt’s reaction to the voting results.
Garrett’s remarks seemed to add fuel to the fire, as he used the moment to express his feelings about Watt’s absence at the ceremony. With tensions high, it was clear that Garrett was motivated not only by the desire to win, but also by the unresolved drama surrounding the AP Defensive Player of the Year debate.
AP Photo / Matt Durisko
Steelers' TJ Watt meets with Browns' Myles Garrett after a game.
After the game, Garrett took another jab at Watt, further fueling the rivalry. While Garrett is riding high after his dominant performance, his team sits with just three wins, compared to Watt's Steelers, who are at 8-3.
Pittsburgh dropped a game they should have won, and now they'll need to regroup with a tough schedule ahead. The Steelers will be hoping for a stronger showing from their offensive line and an overall improvement from their offense as they look to bounce back in the coming weeks.
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