Steelers’ Mike Tomlin claims Myles Garrett’s sack record pursuit didn’t impact terrible game plan

Mike Tomlin wasn’t buying the premise. After the Pittsburgh Steelers’ deflating Week 17 loss, the head coach flatly dismissed the idea that Myles Garrett’s chase for the NFL sack record altered Pittsburgh’s offensive approach. According to Tomlin, the Steelers treated Garrett like they always do. He claimed it was “standard business” despite the Cleveland Browns star entering the game one sack shy of history. It was a firm stance meant to quiet speculation. However, it rang hollow in the aftermath of an offensive performance that looked anything but prepared for Cleveland’s relentless front.

On the field, the Steelers fell 13-6 to the Browns. Pittsburgh missed a chance to clinch the AFC North outright. The Steelers’ offense never found rhythm. They failed to score a touchdown and came up seven yards short on a desperate late drive. Garrett, record or not, was once again a disruptive force. He collapsed pockets, dictated protections, and helped hold the Steelers to just six points in a game that snapped Cleveland’s four-game skid.

Tomlin maintained postgame that the sack milestone was “irrelevant.” He insisted the Steelers didn’t alter protections, play-calling, or tempo because of the looming record. Yet the optics were harsh. The Steelers displayed conservative concepts and slow-developing routes. Their offense struggled to counter a defense clearly winning the trenches. Whether intentional or not, Garrett’s presence loomed over every snap.

For Garrett, the season has been nothing short of historic. Sitting at 22 sacks through 16 games, he stands one away from breaking the all-time single-season record. He has cemented himself as the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. For Pittsburgh, meanwhile, the loss dropped them into a winner-take-all Week 18 showdown with Baltimore. This left fans wondering how “standard business” produced such familiar frustration.

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