CLEVELAND – Myles Garrett finally had a signature match against his biggest rival.

As in, both the team and the peer at his position.

Garrett had three sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss on fourth down to help the Cleveland Browns to a 24-19 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

Garrett filled up the stat sheet — all of his sacks and tackles for loss came in the first half — on a night when the opposing team’s star edge rusher was largely silent. The Steelers’ TJ Watt had one solo tackle, three assisted tackles and a tackle for loss.

“I mean, I wasn’t really looking at what he was doing; I just focused on playing the best ball I could,” Garrett said, “but I wanted to make it known that I am ‘the guy’: the No. 1 edge defender (in the NFL). And that was the statement… I think I made.”

Garrett’s big game came two days after he said Watt should “apologize” to him for skipping the NFL Honors ceremony in February when Garrett beat Watt for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

“I never complained about the trophy being at my house and vice versa. He shouldn’t feel ambivalent about it happening to me,” Garrett told Cleveland reporters earlier this week.

Garrett supported the big talk. Entering Thursday’s game, he had nine sacks in 12 outings against the Steelers. Watt had 17 in 12 games against Cleveland.

After Thursday, through 12 weeks this season, Watt has 7 ½ sacks and Garrett has 10.

Garrett said he didn’t speak to Watt after the game.

“I try to be ‘the guy,’” Garrett said, referring to the unofficial title of the league’s best defensive player, “and I think I show that day in and day out.”

Cleveland (3-8) is in last place but defeated a heated AFC North rival at home for the second time in less than a month. The Browns defeated the Baltimore Ravens on October 27.

Garrett addressed the team before the game.

“I just wanted everyone to know the mission,” Garrett said. “It doesn’t change. Damn, this is divisional football. This is as classic of a matchup as it gets. Browns-Steelers, Thursday night, you couldn’t ask for a better platform or a better time to show what you can do as an individual and as a team, so recognize that opportunity and seize that opportunity.”

Garrett certainly did that, posting the fifth three-sack game of his career.

“Obviously our plan just wasn’t great against him,” left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said. “We’re going to review the movie, but we just have to be better.”

Watt, meanwhile, was held without a sack for the fourth time in his past six games and for the second time in a game against Cleveland in his career.

“We have to close out games,” Watt said. “We didn’t do that tonight and the result was a loss.”