The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be tasked with a tough challenge coming out of their bye week. In Week 6, the Steelers will host the Cleveland Browns for their first AFC North clash of the 2025 season. While the Browns sit at 1-4 and Pittsburgh is 3-1, every AFC North matchup carries a level of intensity that goes beyond the records. Division games are rarely easy, and this one promises to be no exception.
AP Photo / Matt Durisko
Steelers star pass rusher TJ Watt shares a brief postgame moment with Browns defensive standout Myles Garrett following a hard-fought AFC North battle between Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
Cleveland’s front seven and overall defense have been impressively strong this season, putting the Steelers’ offensive line in a high-pressure spot. Protecting the quarterback and opening running lanes will be a brutal test, especially against star pass rusher Myles Garrett. Pittsburgh’s offensive line will need to bring its A-game to slow down one of the league’s most dominant defensive players and keep the offense moving.
Adding fuel to the fire is the ongoing rivalry between TJ Watt and Garrett, which has only intensified this matchup. Garrett, speaking to Daniel Oyefusi, made it clear that he’s coming for Steeler Nation this Sunday. With emotions running high on both sides and the personal battles within the game, this clash is shaping up to be a fierce, hard-hitting showdown that fans won’t want to miss. Garrett was asked if the boos from Steelers fans at Acrisure Stadium fuel his motivation.
"For sure, and I love it," Garrett said while speaking about Steelers fans. "That kind of stuff fuels me."
Garrett is no friend of the Steelers fan base. During the 2023 season, he was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year, a decision that left many Steelers fans frustrated. By traditional production metrics, long used to evaluate the greatness of a defender, it seemed Garrett’s award was not fully earned. Many felt the NFL was determined to give him the honor regardless of the stats, and that sentiment extended beyond Steelers fans to football fans across the league.
Ron Schwane / AP Photo
Cleveland Browns edge rusher swings at quarterback Mason Rudolph with a helmet during a professional football game in Cleveland, OH.
Garrett also did not take kindly to how Watt handled not winning the award that year. He openly took shots at both TJ and his brother JJ Watt, further deepening the rivalry. Just as Browns fans have long disliked Watt, Steelers fans are expected to give Garrett a cold reception at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. The boos will be loud, relentless, and personal.
The bad news for Pittsburgh is that Garrett thrives on that kind of energy. He has a history of using fan animosity as fuel, and Steelers fans have seen him dominate and disrupt games against their team in the past. On Sunday, he will be looking to make another statement, and the Steelers’ offense will have to rise to the challenge to stop him.
Steelers Fans Don't Like Browns' Myles Garrett For Another Obvious Reason
Back in November of the 2019 season, Garrett removed the helmet from Mason Rudolph’s head and swung it aggressively at him. He later claimed that Rudolph had said something disturbing, but the NFL investigated and never found any evidence that Rudolph had made the alleged comment.
Browns Media
Cleveland Browns star pass rusher Myles Garrett speaks to the media after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2024 NFL season.
That moment remains firmly in the minds of Steelers fans, who believe Garrett got away with a dangerously egregious act. It was a disturbing incident that seemed to be swept under the rug by the NFL a few years later. For many Steelers fans, that single event alone is enough reason to dislike Garrett. The Steelers fan base will hope Garrett has a quiet day Sunday.
What do you expect the outcome of this Week 6 contest between the Steelers and Browns to be? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.
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