Few rivalries in football carry as much weight as Browns vs. Steelers. The 2 franchises sit just a few hours apart on the turnpike, and for most of the last 2 decades, Pittsburgh has owned the matchup. There is one setting, though, where the script has completely flipped. When the Steelers come to Cleveland on a Thursday night, the Browns have been nearly untouchable.
Tony Grossi of The Land On Demand dug into the numbers ahead of this week’s matchup.
“History says the Browns are unbeatable against their arch-rivals at home on Thursday night. Well, glory be. They’ve hosted 12 prime-time games on Thursday since 1981 and won 10 of them. The Browns are 9-1 in Thursday night home games, and have won nine in a row after losing their first game against Denver in 2008. The Steelers have been guests of the Browns on Thursday night four times. Each time they trudged home via the turnpike a loser,” Grossi wrote.
That track record is hard to explain for a franchise that has struggled for most of the modern era. Some of those Thursday wins came during otherwise forgettable seasons, which makes the streak even more remarkable.
Part of the advantage comes down to the schedule itself. Thursday games leave teams only a few days to recover and prepare, and the visiting side also has to deal with travel. Add a primetime crowd in Cleveland, and the environment becomes a real edge.
The Steelers have not won in Cleveland at all since 2021, regardless of the day of the week.
This year’s matchup gives the Browns plenty of reasons for confidence beyond history. Their pass rush just pressured Bryce Young on 30 of his 47 dropbacks, and Mason Graham has recorded a sack in every game this season. Defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg also spent time on the Jets’ staff when Aaron Rodgers was in New York, giving him a firsthand understanding of the Steelers’ quarterback.
Of course, history does not play the game. Pittsburgh is also 2-1 under first-year coach Mike McCarthy, and the Browns still need to clean up the penalties and passing game issues that nearly cost them against Carolina.
The stakes are significant. This is the first AFC North game of the season for both teams, and the division is bunched together after 3 weeks. A win would move Cleveland to 3-1 and give the Browns an early edge in the standings.
It will also be Todd Monken’s first primetime game as a head coach, and the only one on the schedule this season. If the Browns can extend their Thursday night dominance, they will send the Steelers home down the turnpike one more time and give Browns fans even more reason to believe this season is different.
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