5 months ago
- Sports
- Published: Dec. 31, 2025, 1:51 p.m.
CINCINNATI, Ohio — After nan Browns hit nan Steelers, 13-6, connected Sunday, protect extremity Myles Garrett had immoderate prime words astir Pittsburgh’s attack to him, hinting that nan Steelers were much concerned astir preventing Garrett from getting nan NFL’s single-season sack record.
“To an grade (Aaron Rodgers was getting free of nan shot moreover quicker),” Garrett told reporters including Mary Kay Cabot. “I consciousness for illustration they were much worried astir keeping maine distant from Aaron than getting nan win, and I deliberation that’s what came backmost to wound him.”
Garrett needs half a sack to necktie Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for nan single-season grounds and a afloat sack to person nan grounds each to himself.
Head coach Zac Taylor and nan Bengals are nan past squad betwixt Garrett and history. But astatine his Wednesday property conference, Taylor disagreed pinch Garrett’s thoughts astir really nan Steelers played him.
“I don’t work together pinch that,” Taylor stated emphatically. “I deliberation each squad goes successful location pinch Myles Garrett connected each azygous play, ‘What are we going to do to limit him?’ And truthful I deliberation I’ve heard that a mates times astir Pittsburgh was conscionable trying to triumph nan game. And nan measurement to do that is you person to limit Myles Garrett’s effectiveness.”
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The Bengals already faced Garrett each nan measurement backmost successful Week 1 and he had 2 sacks successful Cincinnati’s 17-16 triumph astatine Cleveland.
Taylor insisted that portion of going up against Garrett is that each play has to relationship for him successful immoderate shape aliases fashion.
“Every run, each pass, each screen, each naked. It each has 95 successful mind. And our scheme has ne'er been immoderate differently,” Taylor explained. “You want to limit his effectiveness, and he makes arsenic overmuch of an effect connected a crippled arsenic immoderate subordinate successful nan NFL, period.”
The Bengals person seen conscionable really Garrett tin wreck a crippled firsthand. Garrett has sacked Bengals backmost Joe Burrow 11 times successful their careers.
Taylor frames containing Garrett not arsenic a abstracted extremity from winning, but arsenic an basal constituent of it.
“You deliberation astir 95 successful your caput each 2nd of each week you’re playing nan Cleveland Browns. You gotta beryllium fresh for him,” Taylor said.
The Browns-Bengals rivalry adds different furniture of intrigue pinch these comments, arsenic Taylor fundamentally acknowledges Garrett’s game-wrecking expertise while simultaneously refusing to dainty it arsenic thing extraordinary. It’s conscionable portion of nan occupation erstwhile facing Cleveland—a situation that Taylor and his unit intelligibly clasp alternatively than fear.
The matchup besides presents an opportunity for nan Bengals’ improved violative statement to spot conscionable really acold they’ve travel this season, peculiarly pinch nan continued improvement of defender Dylan Fairchild and correct tackle Amarius Mims.
“I want to spot america decorativeness connected nan statement that we’ve had astatine nan extremity of nan play here,” Taylor said. “Again, I’ve sewage a batch of assurance successful nan violative line. They’re up for nan task, whether it’s against nan Browns protect statement aliases anybody, I’ve seen that from them.
“So I cognize what I’m going to get, and I’ve sewage a ton of respect for each nan guys that are that statement up successful beforehand of Joe and protect for him and artifact for him. So I’m just, again, excited to watch these guys decorativeness connected a beardown note.”
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Tim Bielik been portion of cleveland.com's sports unit since 2013 and has been covering sports successful Northeast Ohio for 12 years. He is simply a wide duty sports newsman who has covered galore sporting events...
