Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't think the team played too conservative against the Cleveland Browns .
Many have criticized the Pittsburgh Steelers for only worrying about keeping Myles Garrett from breaking the single-season sack record in their Week 17 loss to the 3-12 Cleveland Browns. However, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger strongly disagrees with that belief.
"There's been a lot made of that," Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. "Myles made a comment. That's probably why it became a big deal. I think he came out and said, 'The Steelers cared more about me not getting the record than they did about winning the game,' which is absolutely ridiculous."
Garrett is the clear favorite to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year with 59 tackles, 22 sacks, three forced fumbles and one pass defensed on this season. However, that's the exact reason Pittsburgh felt the need to show him some extra attention on Sunday.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reiterated just that.
"We didn't do anything against Myles that we don't normally do against Myles," Tomlin said . "The sack record is irrelevant. We have to minimize him if we want to engineer victory. We did the same thing last time we played them. I didn't think he had any sacks in that game either. And so we didn't take a different approach because of the gravity of the record. It's just standard business when you're playing these guys and him."
Pittsburgh Steelers Broderick Jones and Jaylen Warren block Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett on Oct. 12, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The team has also been forced to start backup offensive tackle Dylan Cook since starter Broderick Jones was placed on injured reserve with what is believed to be a season-ending neck injury .
"Myles Garrett is a stud," Roethlisberger continued. "You're going to put people on him, whether he's at 10 sacks or 21.5 sacks. That's just how you play him. They've done it since I was there. You don't just say, 'Good luck, left tackle.' And we're playing with our left tackle that's only played in three games."
The Steelers lack of success on offense was also likely due to the absence of wide receiver DK Metcalf , who is serving a two-game suspension for his altercation with a Detroit Lions fan at Ford Field in Week 16, and tight end Darnell Washington , who left the game with a broken arm.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh better find an answer this week against the Baltimore Ravens as it's a win-and-in matchup for the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Big Ben Defends Steelers Game Plan in Loss to Browns
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