Todd Monken isn’t spending Wednesday’s media session dwelling on old Steelers scars or what a win in Pittsburgh would mean for the Browns’ larger story. His message was simpler than that: the only thing worth chasing is the work in front of them.
Cleveland heads into Sunday’s matchup with Pittsburgh carrying a chance to sweep the season series, and there’s plenty of history hanging over the game. The Browns have not won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003. Still, Monken kept steering the conversation back to the present, the practice field, and the next snap.
“This year, whether it’s where we’re at record-wise, comparing the past or the history against the Steelers, it’s a divisional game. So, as I always say, what matters is what we do today, how we practice today, how we prepare today for any opponent.
“It’s bigger because it’s obviously a divisional opponent. The fastest way to get in the playoffs is to win your division.
That’s the fastest way to get in the playoffs. I mean, you’re guaranteed (a spot) in the tournament, and we’re a long way away from that.
That’s not what I’m saying. That’s why the game is what it is, and rivalries are made up of good teams playing each other, and we’re fighting like hell to be a really good team.”
That’s the mindset Monken wants to keep pushing, especially with a group that is still growing up at the NFL level. He made it clear he’s not interested in feeding the team a buffet of what-ifs or adding weight to the matchup beyond what already exists on the schedule.
“I know it’s a divisional game and I know it’s next, and they’re all important, and that’s why I try to not get too much into that, because it’s one of 17. It happens to be one-plus, because it’s a divisional game, but they’re all going to be important, right?
The last one was critically important to get us to five. This one’s critically important to try and get us to six.
And then you go from there.
“But I try not to put too much emphasis on what-ifs, if this, if that, whether it’s win or lose. I don’t control that part of it.
Me personally, what do I control? The messaging to the team, to our coaches, the game plan we put together, and getting our guys to have a practice today that’s worthy of the preparation we’re going to need to go play them Sunday.”
It’s a useful approach for a young roster that has not had much success to lean on. Cleveland teams in the past have sometimes won a few games, started believing the noise, and then stumbled. Monken’s solution is to keep the lens narrow and the urgency constant.
If the Browns handle their business Sunday, though, the story changes quickly. The season series sweep would be part of it, but so would the broader shift in how this team is viewed.
Monken may be keeping the spotlight off the history for now, but if Cleveland walks out of Pittsburgh with a win, that history will be impossible to ignore. Then it’s on to the next game, and maybe, just maybe, another step in what could be becoming a special season.
In Other News...
Browns Face A Huge First-Place Test In Pittsburgh Again
The next trip to Pittsburgh comes with plenty on the line, because the Browns and Steelers are tied atop the AFC North at 5-2-0 and the division race is already tight midway through the 2026 season. This one carries the feel of a familiar first-place measuring stick, with both clubs trying to prove they can separate from the pack in a game that could shape the standings well beyond one Sunday.
Cleveland will have to sort through the usual Steelers puzzle on the road, and the matchup points in a lot of directions at once: recent trends, how the two teams stack up on offense and defense, and which individual battles tilt the field. The Bengals are still lurking in the background as well, which only adds to the pressure if either side slips, making this one of those October games that can ripple through the division for weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face A Troubling O-Line Question Before Steelers Matchup
The Browns got most of their starters back on the field Thursday as they continued preparing for a division matchup with the Steelers, but the right side of the offensive line remains a concern. Starting right tackle Tytus Howard missed his second straight practice while going through the NFL concussion protocol, leaving his status for the game up in the air.
Dawand Jones filled in last week, and the Browns would likely lean on him again if Howard cannot go, but the early returns have not been encouraging. Against a Steelers defense that tends to punish any weakness up front, Cleveland is staring at a familiar late-week question on an already important part of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Are Putting Huge Pressure On Their Youngest Playmakers
For a team that has spent much of the season leaning on youth, Cleveland has been especially willing to put its youngest playmakers in the games most stressful moments. In the Week 7 win over Tennessee, rookies and second-year players were the ones getting the call when the Browns needed third-down conversions, with KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Dylan Sampson all seeing meaningful involvement in those spots.
It has become part of the larger formula behind a 5-2 start, with Todd Monken making it clear the Browns intend to trust young players to make key plays rather than shelter them from pressure. The approach has paid off so far, but it also means Cleveland is asking a lot from a group still learning on the fly, especially when the offense gets into the downs that decide games. [Read more 🡒]