I remember when Eli Manning played what seemed like it could be, and what ultimately was, his final game in an NFL uniform. As an Eagles fan, I never rooted for him, and still I felt bittersweet and sentimental feelings toward the end of the Eli era. After all, it was fun having a constant presence to root against within the division for well over a decade. When he beat us? Really, really tough. When we beat him? There were few things more satisfying.
And so this may be how Browns fans are approaching what could very well be the final home game of Ben Roethlisberger's career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's the longest tenured player in the NFL for one team and one team only, in season No. 18 with the Steelers as their trusty starting quarterback. He's played against the Browns 28 times in regular season action, defeating them in all but three of those contests. Again, there's a lot of history and nostalgia there.
It's just that Myles Garrett isn't feeling very sentimental. He wants to play the spoiler in this scenario, and he's not afraid to hide that, discussing Monday night's matchup with Rich Eisen.
"I would love for this to be his last home game and we can send him off with the L," Garrett said. "That would be perfect.
"...They (the Steelers) have no love for us, and we don't have love for them as a city. This is a rivalry that I heard about as soon as I got on the team, so to have to go through them for a playoff spot, I think it's poetic."
For what it's worth, if any NFL player knows poetry, it's Myles Garrett.
It's also worth noting that this interview must have taken place before Week 17's Sunday slate of games, as Cleveland was officially eliminated from playoff contention before they had a chance to face off with Pittsburgh. That's not the case for the Steelers, whoever, as they're hanging on by a thread and need a lot to go their way. With a loss or tie on Monday night, they — and likely Roethlisberger's career with the team — will go down without a postseason berth.
With a win, they'll stay alive, though the outlook isn't too bright. But based on Garrett's comments, we'll refrain from getting into potential Week 18 scenarios in this article. That's because Garrett wants to add Roethlisberger's potential final shot at a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh to his oft-growing graveyard, and we can't rule out that possibility.
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