Browns 

Browns DE Myles Garrett has 20 sacks this season and is poised to break Michael Strahan‘s record of 22.5. Cleveland DC Jim Schwartz said they will celebrate Garrett once he passes Strahan’s mark, but their defensive end has done great at staying focused on each game ahead of him. 

“I think if we get to that (record), we’ll celebrate it then,” Schwartz said, via Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “I think the thing that Myles has done a good job of has just been focusing on the now. … Not an award or what happens if this happens, and what’s going to happen when we get there. It literally has been the game in front of us, and I think that’s one of the reasons that we’ve been able to maintain that kind of pace.”

Regarding Garrett’s five-sack game against the Patriots in Week 8, DT Shelby Harris said Garrett didn’t approach the game at all differently, and he was able to take advantage of New England putting single blockers on him. 

“It wasn’t even a different look in his eye that day,” Harris said. “It was just domination and determination. For the most part, they weren’t putting two guys on him. And he just continued to make them pay.”

Garrett was actually a top basketball recruit coming out of high school, but he elected to play football at Texas A&M. Garrett reflected on his decision, saying it was a “main priority” to take care of his family. 

“It was probably my first year in college where I figured basketball’s not good on the knees, and that I’m better at football than basketball,” Garrett said. “And most of all, I wanted to be able to take care of my family. So, that was the main priority. I ended up picking this, and it’s been good to me.”

Ravens

The Ravens are 6-7 and a game behind the Steelers in the AFC North following their loss to Pittsburgh in Week 14. Baltimore HC John Harbaugh understands that they need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

“The ramifications mean nothing,” Harbaugh said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “To say we control our own destiny, that’s only if we win. You have to win to control your destiny. So, that’s what we have to do. And it’s been that way the last two weeks, and we haven’t been able to pull off a win. It was that way the previous four weeks, and we were able to do it. So, we need to go win. That’s it. … If you win, then you have a chance to control your destiny. If you don’t, then it’s going to be out of your hands. It’s as simple as that.”

Ravens S Kyle Hamilton added that they can control their destiny by winning their remaining games. 

“You play the cards you’re dealt, and really, we’ve dealt ourselves these cards,” Hamilton said. “But we still have an opportunity to go win the AFC North and get into the playoffs. So, we still control our destiny, and that’s not going to change where our mindset is, ‘Win, and we’re in, from here on out.’ So, that’s something we can control and something we have to go do.”

Ravens TE Mark Andrews is excited for their remaining four games and thinks there’s good energy in the locker room. 

“It’s that time of year with everything in front of us,” Andrews said. “Being able to dial in and focus on this game is what it’s all about. I know the energy and everything in this locker room and this organization is all geared toward that, and so I’m excited to go out and do that and start being the team that we are.”

Steelers

It was reported that Steelers HC Mike Tomlin has a contract option in 2027. When appearing on 102.5 WDVE, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said the news was leaked by Tomlin’s agent, given that the organization doesn’t talk about contract situations during the season.  

“First of all, that’s coming from Mike Tomlin’s agent, because it’s not coming from the Steelers,” Dulac said. “Because they don’t discuss anything that’s going to happen after the season, during the season. From that end, I know where that’s coming from. The stuff about the option, I mean, I’m not going to sit here and dispute it because I know this, a couple contract extensions ago, they gave Mike Tomlin, it was a one-year extension with a one-year option. And ever since then, I just assumed, and maybe even before that, there was always an option clause in his contract.”

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