Rivalries are often shaped long before players and coaches ever step on the field. Kids growing up in one city hear stories about the other, and those impressions can last for decades even when they have little to do with reality. Pittsburgh and Cleveland have traded those stories for generations. The Steelers’ head coach shared what he learned when he finally saw the other side for himself.
Mike McCarthy reflected on the rivalry and the city of Cleveland ahead of Sunday’s game, as shared by Ashley Wenskoski.
“I was shocked the first time I went to Cleveland. It looked like nothing I was told that it looked like. They have nice suburbs. They got a good downtown. The impression of what you think of the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland as a kid is different. I remember the great rivalries and the old days, the Kardiac Kids, and the history of it too. That’s cool. When I do bring it up, I don’t think some guys even know what the hell I’m talking about if I bring up the Kardiac Kids,” McCarthy said.
Mike McCarthy gave the perspective of a Pittsburgh kid today on the Steelers/Browns rivalry:
"I was shocked the first time I went to Cleveland. It looked like nothing I was told that it looked like. Nice suburbs, good downtown."
"The impression of what you think of the… pic.twitter.com/wyJgxCbHvx
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) October 27, 2026
McCarthy’s perspective comes from someone who grew up inside the rivalry. A Pittsburgh native, he took over the Steelers this season after Mike Tomlin stepped down, returning home after head coaching stints with the Green Bay Packers, where he won a Super Bowl, and the Dallas Cowboys.
His mention of the Kardiac Kids is especially timely. Brian Sipe’s Browns of 1979 and 1980 became famous for winning games in the final minutes, and McCarthy would have watched those teams as a teenager in Pittsburgh. This year’s Browns have brought the nickname back, winning all 5 of their games with a score in the final 4 minutes.
That trend started against McCarthy’s team. In Week 4, the Browns beat the Steelers 27-24 when Andre Szmyt made a 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, part of a run that has Deshaun Watson leading the NFL with 5 game-winning drives.
His point about younger players not knowing the history is fair, too. Many players on both rosters were not born when the Kardiac Kids were playing, and the rivalry they know has mostly gone Pittsburgh’s way. The Browns have not won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003.
The respect in McCarthy’s comments stands out in a rivalry that is usually anything but friendly. Still, his compliments will only go so far on Sunday.
The stakes are huge. Both teams are 5-2, and the Browns hold the tiebreaker from the first meeting. A Cleveland win would give it a 2-game edge over Pittsburgh in the head-to-head race, while a Steelers win would even the series and shake up the AFC North. McCarthy knows all about the Kardiac Kids, and the Browns will try to give him a modern version of them on his home field.
NEXT: 4 Young Browns Players Are Turning Heads Around The League
