Primetime slots are one of the clearest signs of how the NFL views a team. The league wants its biggest stages to feature the most compelling matchups, and flexible scheduling gives it a way to move games that suddenly carry more weight than expected. For most of the last decade, the Browns have rarely been part of those conversations. That changed this week.
Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Browns’ Week 8 trip to Pittsburgh was seriously considered for Sunday Night Football.
“The NFL decided Tuesday not to flex the Birds’ Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders (1-4-1) off NBC’s Sunday Night Football, according to league sources. Despite that, the NFL seriously considered swapping in an AFC North matchup between the Cleveland Browns (4-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2), which instead remains at 1 p.m. on CBS,” Tornoe wrote.
It is easy to see why the league was tempted. The Philadelphia Eagles have lost 4 straight games and Washington is 1-4-1, while Browns-Steelers features 2 teams tied for 1st place in what has become the most competitive division in football.
The Browns ended up staying in the afternoon window, but simply being part of the discussion says a lot. When the schedule came out, their Week 4 Thursday night game against Pittsburgh was the only primetime appearance on the calendar, a reflection of how little the league expected from them.
The matchup itself has plenty of storylines. The Browns won the first meeting 27-24 on Andre Szmyt’s 56-yard field goal, and Jared Verse made it clear afterward that he was looking forward to seeing the Steelers again after calling out their double teams and extra activity after the whistle.
The stakes are significant, too. Cleveland, Pittsburgh and the Baltimore Ravens are all 4-2, and the Browns hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over both. A win at Acrisure Stadium would complete a season sweep of the Steelers and strengthen Cleveland’s grip on the division.
History will be working against them. The Browns have not won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003, although they did win a Wild Card game there after the 2020 season.
The Steelers have momentum of their own after rallying from 13 points down to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers threw for 299 yards against Cleveland in the first meeting, and Pittsburgh will be eager to even the series.
Before any of that, the Browns have to take care of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Keeping pace in this division leaves no room to look ahead.
The league may have kept this rematch off Sunday night, but it will not lack attention. If both teams take care of business in Week 7, a game between the top 2 teams in the AFC North could end up being one of the most important of the week, regardless of when it kicks off.
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