Aaron Rodgers has a career passer rating of 127.5 against the Cleveland Browns, the best passer rating against any opponent in Rodgers' storied career.
He compiled those numbers in three games, all wins by the Green Bay Packers, but Rodgers has faced Myles Garrett only one time – in 2021 when Rodgers threw 3 touchdown passes with a 115.1 passer rating in a 24-22 Packers win.
Garrett didn't sack Rodgers that game, perhaps because Rodgers had a plan.
"Get the ball out," he said after the Steelers finished practice Wednesday in preparation for Garrett and the Browns.
"You know," Rodgers said, "Myles is a Hall of Famer. He might not be in yet, but that's where he's going. He's one of the few players in the league, in my 21 years, that you game plan for. You watch the film. Every team has a plan."
Garrett, since entering the league in 2017, has 106.5 sacks, second only to T.J. Watt in that time period. Watt, who also entered in 2017, has 111 career sacks. The next best after those two has 85.
"There've been a few guys over the years like that; not many," Rodgers said. "We have one as well. When we played the Steelers last year, our plan was to get four hands on T.J. Watt every single play and not let him dominate the game. His brother was the same way, J.J. [Watt]. Interior guys, it's sometimes a little harder, like the Aaron Donalds of the world and the JJs. But Myles is a special talent, has been since his first year in the league. He's a game-wrecker."
In five games this season, Garrett has 4 sacks, 8 QB hits, and a forced fumble. (Watt, in four games, has 3 sacks, 6 QB hits, a forced fumble, and an interception.) Garrett's being deployed all over the line once again this season by Browns coordinator Jim Schwartz, whose defenses Rodgers has played 13 times, all with the Packers. In those games, Rodgers is 9-4 with a 97.8 passer rating.
"I've gone against Jim over the years, enjoyed our side conversations as well," Rodgers said. "He told me a couple years ago he was going to be done, but he keeps coming back. He's a (heck) of a coach. But it's (about) how many ways they can get eight guys in the box and still play coverage is kind of a staple of a Jim Schwartz defense."
Is it basically the same defense throughout the years?
"Well, it's an eight-man presentation, but they play two high out of it. That's the thing," Rodgers said. "In years past, they played that two high differently. They have a lot of different defenses from the same looks. It's a defense that works really well together on the back end, as far as disguises. But, yeah, they were doing that differently, you know, 11, 12, 13 years ago. But just like how you stick in this league, you've got to evolve, and Coach has evolved."
Rodgers was asked if his experience against Schwartz has helped him.
"That's all I got at this point," Rodgers said. "I'm 21 years in."
Rodgers' success against the Browns – both with and without Garrett – and his success against Schwartz's defenses over the years mesh nicely with Rodgers' success in division games. For his career, Rodgers has the NFL's best passer rating (of the 115 QBs with 10 starts) in division games since realignment in 2002. Rodgers' career passer rating is 102.6. His passer rating in division games is 107.2.
What has Rodgers heard about the rivalries in the AFC North Division?
"I was asking PQ [Patrick Queen] about it the other day, because he's been on both sides with Baltimore and now with us," Rodgers said. "In my own time, in the NFC North, I think there was always a great rivalry with Chicago. (With) Minnesota, the states kind of don't like each other, so there was more bad blood between the fans. And Detroit, there wasn't the same type of energy. We wanted to beat 'em, but there wasn't like the hatred that Wisconsin people have for Minnesota, or just the old school 100-year rivalry with big Chicago and little Green Bay. It seems like with this (division), the rivalry is with the Browns and the hatred goes both ways between Steelers-Bengals and Steelers-Ravens."
So, no hatred for the Browns?
"Not according to PQ," Rodgers said.
Stay tuned. Hatred can show up abruptly in the AFC North.
