The Browns are walking into Pittsburgh on Sunday with a history they’d love to erase.
Cleveland hasn’t won a regular-season game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh since 2003, a drought that now stretches across 23 seasons. And for older Browns fans, that kind of frustration has a familiar feel. Before this latest skid, there was the one that lived forever in Pittsburgh lore: the “Three Rivers Jinx.”
That stretch began with the opening of Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, and the Browns spent 16 straight trips there without a win. They came painfully close a few times, too - four-point losses in 1974 and 1977, three-point losses in 1979, 1980, and 1984, and a one-point loss in 1985. Cleveland even tried changing its routine, taking a bus instead of flying and switching hotels, but nothing changed.
Then came October 5, 1986.
Gerald McNeil flipped the day with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter, Cleveland’s first touchdown return in 12 seasons. Pittsburgh answered and took the lead back in the third quarter, but the Browns stayed close. Matt Bahr’s field goal trimmed the gap to one heading into the fourth.
The Steelers pushed the margin to four on a Gary Anderson field goal, but Earnest Byner punched in a four-yard touchdown run to put Cleveland back in front. After Bahr missed his second field goal of the afternoon, Pittsburgh got one last shot. Cleveland’s defense shut the door, and the jinx was finally broken.
Now the Browns get another crack at Pittsburgh this Sunday, with a season that has already delivered plenty of surprises. Maybe this is the week they finally go into the Steel City and get it done.
Here’s the latest Daily Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature noted that Browns WR KC Concepcion is among four players nominated for Rookie of the Week after his big performance in Week 7.
Chris Pokorny asked the question plenty of fans are wondering: is the Browns’ offense truly turning the corner? The win column says yes, but the survey is checking the pulse of the fan base.
Jared Mueller reported on three Browns roster moves, including putting Kalia Davis on season-ending injured reserve, and noted that Cleveland has an open spot available.
Barry Shuck caught up with former Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace, who checked in on Cleveland, cold weather, and plenty more.
Pokorny also took a look at how Cleveland’s offense graded out after Sunday’s win, with the Browns’ first-round picks leading the way and the team’s top two PFF performers coming from that group.
The Browns also added DE Nadame Tucker to the practice squad, according to clevelandbrowns.com.
On the other side of the matchup, Mike McCarthy spoke highly of the Browns-Steelers rivalry ahead of Sunday’s game, calling it one of the best in the country and saying it runs deep beyond football.
Elsewhere in the NFL, ESPN reported that the Colts traded DT DeForest Buckner to the 49ers in another major move, with Quenton Nelson also part of the fire sale in Indianapolis.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Face A Jared Verse Decision They Never Expected
When the Browns made the Myles Garrett trade, Jared Verse was supposed to be part of the long-term payoff, the kind of premium edge presence that can anchor a defense for years. Now the conversation around him has shifted in a way Cleveland probably did not anticipate, because Verse is moving toward the point where the team has to start thinking about the fifth-year option that comes with his rookie deal.
Jack Duffin, the Browns' salary cap expert, has floated the possibility that Cleveland could decline that option if Verse's play does not rebound. The financial angle is a big one, with the projection already pointing to a fully guaranteed $27.9 million in 2028, and it adds another layer to a roster-building question the Browns may not want to answer this soon. If the concern holds, defensive end could become a priority as early as the 2027 draft. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Are Split On One Risky Answer To Their QB Future
The Browns have given themselves a lot to think about with a 5-2 start and the AFC North lead, but the most complicated question in Cleveland still sits under center. Deshaun Watson has been uneven enough to leave his long-term standing uncertain, and with free agency looming after the season, fans are already looking past this year and wondering what the next quarterback move should be.
One idea getting traction in some corners is a swing at Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, even though his season has not matched his usual standard. It is the kind of big-name speculation that naturally divides a fan base, especially for a team in position to compete right now, but the path to making it happen looks slim. Herberts no-trade clause and Clevelands current success make a deal before the 2027 offseason feel unlikely, even if the conversation is already underway. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Face A Tough Shedeur Sanders Decision Before The Deadline
With the Colts shifting into sell mode after moving Quentin Nelson and DeForest Buckner and parting ways with general manager Chris Ballard, the quarterback market around the deadline is getting a fresh look. Cleveland has a potentially interesting name sitting behind Deshaun Watson in Shedeur Sanders, and the buzz is that Indianapolis could be among the teams to at least explore a deal.
For the Browns, the question is less about whether Sanders has value and more about whether they want to give up on a developmental arm this soon. Cleveland does have Watson entrenched as the starter, but any interest from a rebuilding Colts side could force the Browns to weigh immediate roster flexibility against the long-term upside Sanders still represents. [Read more 🡒]