Mike Tomlin didn’t need long to get his shot in at Cleveland.
After the Browns opened the season with an ugly 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the former Steelers head coach - now working as an NBC analyst - jumped right into the familiar AFC North routine of taking a swipe at the Browns.
“In the words of my friend JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Browns are the Browns,” Tomlin said on the NBC broadcast on Sunday night.
That line fits neatly into a rivalry tradition that’s been going for years. Steelers figures have long enjoyed piling on when Cleveland stumbles, and Ben Roethlisberger is among the former Pittsburgh names who’ve done it before.
Tomlin, no longer in the coaching seat and freed from the usual diplomatic script, had no problem joining the chorus after watching Cleveland get overwhelmed in a game that never felt competitive.
The Browns were badly outplayed by the Jaguars, with Deshaun Watson turning in another rough performance in the blowout. The result only added to the sense that Cleveland is heading into 2026 looking like a mess again.
It’s hard to find much sympathy for the organization given how often it seems to repeat the same mistakes. The fans, though, are a different story. They’ve been living with dysfunction for a long time, and somehow they’re still there.
The schedule doesn’t give Cleveland much of a breather, either. Next up is a Week 2 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another offense that can put pressure on a defense in a hurry.
In Other News...
Cavs Fans Just Got A New Way To Watch Key Matchups
Cavaliers fans will have a new, no-cost way to keep up with a big chunk of the regular season after the team and Gray Media, working with DAZN, announced that 15 games will air over the air for free next season. The broadcasts will be carried on WOIO, WUAB and the Rock Entertainment Sports Network, giving viewers in Cleveland and across the state another option beyond the usual pay-TV setup.
The package comes with full pregame and postgame coverage, and the schedule already includes specific dates and opponents, though it remains subject to change. For a fan base that follows every key matchup closely, the move should make it easier to catch the Cavs without having to hunt down a subscription first. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Fans Now Know What Following This Team Will Cost
Cavaliers fans now have a clearer picture of how theyll be able to follow the team this season, with Cleveland entering an exclusive broadcasting agreement with DAZN for its games. The setup splits the local viewing options, with 15 games set to air for free beginning Oct. 26 on Gray Media stations and Rock Entertainment Sports Network, while the rest of the schedule moves behind a subscription.
For season and half-season ticket holders, there is some relief in the form of a free season pass subscription to access the games. For everyone else, the change means the price of keeping up with the Cavs will no longer just be measured in wins and losses, but in another monthly bill for fans who want to watch nearly every night. [Read more 🡒]
Delonte West Just Gave Cavaliers Fans A Reason To Smile
Delonte Wests name has been in the news again for reasons Cavaliers fans can feel good about. The former Cleveland guard has completed 100 days in a wellness and recovery program in Florida and is reportedly sober, a meaningful update for a player whose post-NBA life has often drawn concern far more than celebration. West last played professionally in 2015, but he has recently shown he can still handle a basketball, including in a one-on-one game against a YouTuber.
There is also a familiar basketball twist ahead for him. The NBA plans to include West as a playable character in NBA 2K27, with royalty payments set to begin in March 2027, giving him a new kind of presence in the game years after his playing career ended. For a fan base that remembers both the talent and the struggles, it is a small but welcome reminder that Wests story is still moving forward. [Read more 🡒]