Aaron Rodgers' lightning-quick release time and Pittsburgh's unusual blocking schemes have Cleveland supporters crying conspiracy, but the truth might be a tribute to Garrett's dominance.
You know the type at Christmas dinner. This guy has all the answers, and none of them align with your history books.that the Steelers spent this week scheming only to stop Garrett from setting the single-season sack record, division title be darned.
“To an extent, I feel like they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron than getting the win, Garrett said afterAdd Garrett to the crowd of conspiracy theorists after Sunday’s win over the Steelers, which featured zero records broken and plenty of posited reasons why. To hear Browns fans tell it, you’ve never seen a quarterback throw hot potato passes more quickly than Aaron Rodgers did at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday . You wouldn’t believe the barrage of blockers Garrett encountered on each play . And you can’t ignore that Pittsburgh edge rusher T.J. Watt shares the record in question with former Giants star Michael Strahan.When do the Browns play the Bengals in Week 18? Shedeur Sanders takes another step toward Browns ‘26 QB job despite ‘bittersweet’ win over Steelers: Mary Kay Cabot Among the 14 quarterbacks Cleveland has defended this season, nine have posted one of their three fastest times in Pro Football Focus’ average time-to-throw metric. That list does not include Rodgers, who has played five games with faster average release times than Sunday’s game. Nor does it account for the fact that Pittsburgh played Sunday without top receiver D.K. Metcalf, which makes it harder to find open receivers. The same logic applies to extra blockers, whom Garrett encounters more than most game-wreckers. According to ESPN’s Ben Solak, Garrett faced chips at the eighth-highest clip of the season on Sunday. One catch, though: He also faced chips atNothing new. Offenses often pay Garrett extra mind because they’re often worried he will ruin their play. To scheme around him is to salute him. “We didn’t do anything against Myles that we don’t normally do against Myles,” said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. “The sack record is irrelevant. We’ve got to minimize him if we want to engineer victory. We did the same thing last time we played him. I didn’t think he had any sacks in that game either. “We didn’t take a different approach because of the gravity of the record. It’s just standard business when you’re playing and him.” My guess: Tomlin’s staff had a different type of gravity in mind when it devised Sunday’s plan. Like Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Garrett draws attention due to his attendance alone. Tight ends and tailbacks follow his alignment before the snap. Teammates like Alex Wright enjoy single coverage while Garrett fights double or triple teams. And when quarterbacks sense the 272-pound Garrett approaching, their internal clock accelerates. Watt’s record? Rodgers was preserving his 42-year-old body on Sunday. Sacks hurt ribs and kill drives. The Steelers spent time and bodies trying to protect both against the Browns. And if Pittsburgh’s offense suffered as a result, then it underscored Garrett’s greatness in the process. Even without a sack, he can derail the opponent’s game plan. Even without the record, he left the field celebrating on Sunday. And even though Pittsburgh game-planned around Garrett, his teammates helped ruin it. You would think such a short passing game would have produced a better completion percentage . But you’ve never secured a catch against cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Denzel Ward . The Steelers aimed to produce more yards after catch, but second-level tacklers like rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger , veteran linebacker Devin Bush and safety Grant Delpit had other plans. Pardon the plain, boring truth, but I don’t believe the Steelers prioritized a record over a win on Sunday. They just harbored appropriate fear of Garrett and struggled to win matchups against his teammates.Jimmy Watkins is a columnist for Cleveland.com. He provides unique perspectives and intricate reporting on our local teams and their rivals. He joined us in November 2022 as the rivalry beat writer, and his...
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