After outshining Steelers’ TJ Watt, Browns’ Myles Garrett proclaims himself ‘No. 1 edge defender’ in the NFL

CLEVELAND – Myles Garrett finally had a signature game against his biggest rival.

As in, both the team and peer at his position.

Garrett had three sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss on fourth down as he helped lift the Cleveland Browns to a 24-19 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

Garrett filled up the stat sheet — all of his sacks and tackles for loss came in the first half — on a night where the opposing team’s star edge rusher was mostly quiet. The Steelers’ TJ Watt had a solo tackle, three assisted tackles and a tackle for loss in the loss.

“I mean, I wasn’t really looking at what he was doing; I was just focusing on playing the best ball I could,” Garrett said, “but I wanted to let it be known that I’m ‘the guy’ — the No. . 1 linebacker (in the NFL). And that was the statement … that I made.”

Garrett’s big game came two days after he said Watt “will have to apologize” to him for skipping the NFL Honors ceremony in February, when Garrett named Watt the NFL’s defensive player of the year award.

“I have never complained about the trophy at my house and vice versa. He shouldn’t have two ways about it going to me,” Garrett told Cleveland reporters earlier this week.

Garrett backed up the big talk. Entering Thursday’s game, he had nine sacks in 12 games against the Steelers. Watt had 17 in 12 games against Cleveland.

After Thursday, through 12 weeks this season, Watt has 7 ½ sacks and Garrett has 10.

Garrett said he did not speak to Watt after the game.

“I try to be ‘the guy,'” Garrett said, referring to the unofficial title of the league’s best defensive player, “and I think I show that day in and day out.”

Cleveland (3-8) is in last place but beat a heated AFC North rival at home for the second time in less than a month. The Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens on October 27th.

Garrett addressed the team before the game.

“I just wanted everyone to know the mission,” Garrett said. “That’s not changing. Damn record, this is divisional football. This is as classic of a matchup as it gets. Browns-Steelers, Thursday night, you couldn’t ask for a better platform or a better time to show, what you can do as an individual and as a team, just recognize that opportunity and take it.”

Garrett certainly did, posting the fifth three-sack game of his career.

“Obviously, our plan just wasn’t great against him,” said left tackle Dan Moore Jr.. “We’ll review the film, but we’ve just got to get better.”

Watt, meanwhile, was held without a sack for the fourth time in his past six games and for just the second time in a game against Cleveland in his career.

“We’ve got to close out games,” Watt said. “We didn’t do that tonight and the result was a loss.”