DE Myles Garrett (11.19.24)
When you look at this Pittsburgh (Steelers) team you’ve played a bunch, but how different is it with Russell (Wilson) and then the new offensive coordinator (Arthur Smith)?
“I mean, fundamentally, there’s still the Pittsburgh that I’ve seen since I got into the league. Always going to find a way to win, not going to beat themselves, just very smart and just a savvy team. They know the best way to put themselves in position to win. And Russ (Russell Wilson) definitely helps them be a little more versatile move them down the field. He’s playing some great football right now. Definitely hitting the deep ball with some consistency, can scramble when they need to. But their core and who they’ve been, that hasn’t changed.”
Why do you think their makeup allows them to win when they don’t have the best games or they don’t score a ton of points? Whatever it is, they still figure out a way to win seemingly every year.
“Great coaching, very consistent across the board, the standards and expectations, no matter who’s in there. And that kind of coaching seeps into the players and leads to the execution just being on point down the stretch, especially when they need it.”
I broke down some stats here and you guys have given up 15 touchdown drives of 70 yards or longer, you’re 24th in points against, after having such a great year last year, what do you think is going wrong?
“Well, I haven’t looked at the stats to know. So, it could be deeper than what you just told me. But if I have to just go off of what I’ve seen, just being out of position. And when we are there, we have to make those tackles and getting off the field. We’ve had multiple instances and drives where it could be a gain of three, gain of two, and it turns into a big play. We have to make the plays that come to us that we’re in a position to win, and we have to eliminate the ones where we’re fully out of position.”
Have teams caught up to you guys from what you did last year?
“No, I just don’t think we’re playing the way we need to, up to our standard which we set last year.”
Myles, I know you and T.J. Watt have a lot of mutual respect for each other, but last year when you won NFL Defensive Player of the Year, he kind of reacted on Twitter in a negative way, as though he maybe should have won it. How did you feel about that?
“I’ve never complained about the trophy not being in my house and vice versa. He shouldn’t be feeling two ways about it going to me. So, I’m just going to play the game, I don’t play against T.J., he doesn’t play against me. But we have a plan to go out and do what we’re supposed to, win the game and dominate on defense. But it’s up for grabs this year and we’ll see the best man win.”
Is there an extra motivation that comes with that?
“Absolutely. Two of the very best in the same division, play each other twice a year and fans hate each other. That kind of stuff gets you excited and I know we both feel it and get a little bit juiced up for the mashup.”
What do you think about just the year he’s having? Not just the seven and a half sacks, but he’s leading the NFL in forced fumbles right now, too.
“I mean, he’s playing some great ball. I mean, they are as a unit, they’re deep at the line front, solid from the left hand to the right-hand position. So, it’s not just him, but he leads that front in what he does, energy that he brings. And obviously they take on his and (Cameron) Heyward’s mentality when they go out there.
As a captain and leader of this team, just what are you telling your teammates about the approach for the stretch run and just what do you feel is the response and the mood in this locker room?
“Well, I don’t think they’ll be running as much stretch run as the people we played last week; I think that was more of a priority for the (New Orleans) Saints. Of course they’ll work it in, they’ll scheme it in, seeing as we had a little trouble with it last game, but it’s just about making those plays that are in front of us. We have multiple opportunities to get TFLs, tackles for short gains, get them behind the sticks, and we didn’t do that. So, it’s about wrapping those guys up and getting them behind the sticks so we can really tee off and get in a good spot.”
Myles, you talk about the stage on Thursday and so many people have mentioned just how AFC North football is different. What is it about these matches with the Steelers and the other teams in this division that makes it different?
“Well, it’s going to be cold as hell. So that’d be a little bit different. But I mean, it’s probably as physical and gritty a football game as you’re really going to see around the league. It’s two teams that really don’t have that much love for one another and play a physical brand of ball. And they’re looking forward to trying to take the number one spot in the AFC, and we’re fighting tooth and nail for each and every win we get. So that’s just a classic case of, ‘Immovable object meets unstoppable force’. We don’t want to just go out and take losses and look forward to next year. We have something to look forward to and that’s playing every game like it’s our last. Like I said in the media after last game, you got to play for something bigger than you, and this is something that you’ll be remembered for a long time. Win, lose, or draw, you’re putting out that tape. Whether you have a great game, a bad game, in between, people are going to be looking at that. And so expect all of us to work with that kind of mindset and emotion, and we don’t want to go gently into that good night.”
You think it’ll be more emotional for Nick (Chubb), playing Pittsburgh for the first time since that knee injury?
“Nick’s not very emotional in general, so…”
Is this an exception?
“You’ll have to ask him that. He keeps that same calm and solemn demeanor. When he gets out there, it could be different, but right now he’s cool as a cucumber, as he always is.”
How impressive has it been to see Nick out there at all? Not that we take him for granted, but the fact that he’s come back from…
“We do. We do take him for granted.”
To a degree, we probably do. How inspiring is it to see him even be out there, to be himself?
“It’s amazing to see him out here in general. The guy is coming back from not one, but two. He’s done it prior in his career and to have that kind of resolve…It’s one thing to say, ‘This is going to be another bump in the road, it’s not going to stop me. It’s not going to draw the line for me here.’ And to continue to work his a** off, day in and day out to get back on this field and play the game that he loves and move in the way that he does. The guy is one of the most athletic people on the field every time he steps on. And to get back to even 99% of that, 95% of that takes a whole hell of a lot of work. And he did everything that he can to put himself in position to make some huge plays for us and be that cornerstone as he always has been. So, a massive amount of respect for him.”
Did T.J. ever say anything to you after that diss kind of went viral, a little bit?
“No, he didn’t say nothing to me. He’s got to apologize to me when I see him.”
Did this change the way that — I know you’re friends. Did this change the way that you view him or feel about him in any way?
“I mean, I wouldn’t say we’re friends. I would say we’re friendly and I have a respect for him and his brother. They’ve both been great figures and advocates for this game. It doesn’t really change anything, but let’s see what happens on Thursday.”