The Browns have a shot on Sunday to do something they haven’t pulled off since 1998: sweep the Steelers.
That chance comes with some baggage. Cleveland already beat Pittsburgh in Week 4, 27-24, on a game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left. Now the Browns have to go on the road and try to finish the job in a place where they haven’t won a regular-season game since 2003.
But the standings make the matchup impossible to ignore. Both teams are 5-2, both are chasing first place in the AFC North, and the rematch should come down to who handles the moment better when the game starts getting tight.
Kurt Warner thinks the answer may be simple: make Pittsburgh score the hard way.
The Hall of Fame quarterback appeared on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday and was asked how far he thinks the Steelers can go. Warner didn’t hesitate. “I don’t think [the Steelers are] gonna go very far.”
His point was centered on Pittsburgh’s offense, which he sees as lacking explosiveness. Warner said the Steelers often need long, methodical drives to put points on the board, and that kind of attack gives defenses a chance to wait for a mistake and blow up the series.
That showed up in the first meeting between these teams. Pittsburgh opened with a 17-play touchdown drive, but that march was helped along by multiple Browns penalties. After that, Cleveland’s defense settled in and controlled the next two quarters.
The Steelers did find some late life, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Browns still came out on top in the overall battle.
That’s the blueprint again for Sunday. If Cleveland’s defense stays steady, doesn’t crack, and the offense avoids the costly mistakes that can swing a game on the road, the Browns have a real path to finishing the sweep.
In Other News...
Browns Trade Deadline Should Be About One Kind Of Defender
With the trade deadline approaching, the Browns are being urged to shop with a very specific kind of defender in mind: someone young enough to help now and still make sense beyond this season. Clevelands roster needs are obvious, but the bigger point is how the front office should approach the market, with an eye toward cost-controlled additions rather than expensive rentals who could look out of place once the calendar flips.
That is why names like EDGE rushers Tuli Tuipulotu and KLavon Chaisson, along with cornerback Riq Woolen, fit the conversation better than older, pricier alternatives. The Browns need impact at positions of need, but they also need to avoid paying a premium for short-term help when the more sensible move may be targeting defenders who can grow with the roster and keep their value intact well past 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Suddenly Have A New Reason To Watch Myles Garrett
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For Cleveland fans, the intrigue goes beyond one missed game. The schedule always has a way of creating new crossovers, and the possibility of Garrett lining up in a marquee matchup against Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Eve is the kind of storyline that can shift quickly from hypothetical to headline. In a league this unpredictable, one injury report can change which games suddenly feel worth circling. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Bring Back A Familiar Look For Huge Steelers Showdown
The Browns are leaning into a look that has brought them good memories in Pittsburgh. Cleveland announced it will wear orange helmets, white jerseys and orange pants for its upcoming game against the Steelers, a combination tied to the franchises only two wins at Acrisure Stadium.
It is a small detail, but one that fits the moment for a team trying to climb in the AFC North. The Browns know the setting, the opponent and the history, and this uniform choice only adds a little more weight to a game that already carries plenty of it. [Read more 🡒]