Steelers Face Weather, History, and a Dominant Browns Defense in Crucial AFC North Clash
As the Steelers prepare for a pivotal AFC North showdown in Cleveland this Sunday, they’ll be battling more than just the Browns - Mother Nature is expected to join the fray. The game has landed on the Yellow/Orange weather alert radar, with steady winds and rain in the forecast that could shake up how this one plays out.
According to meteorologist Kevin Roth, wind speeds are projected to hover between 15 to 18 mph, with gusts even higher - and that’s paired with a decent chance of rain throughout the game. In an open-air stadium like Cleveland’s, that’s not just a footnote. That’s the kind of weather that can turn a high-flying passing attack into a grind-it-out ground war, and it can wreak havoc on special teams.
But if there’s one quarterback who’s never flinched in the cold, it’s Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers has been dialed in lately, completing 73 of his last 102 passes for 774 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions - good for a 106.4 passer rating over his last three games. And he’s not just surviving the late-season chill; he’s thriving in it.
“The last five or six years, I’ve kind of Benjamin Button-ed this thing,” Rodgers said earlier this week. “I feel I get stronger as the season goes on. I always say the cold weather slows everybody else but me down.”
Rodgers, still managing a healing wrist, says everything else is feeling “really good.” That’s encouraging news for Pittsburgh, especially with the division title hanging in the balance.
If the Steelers beat the Browns on Sunday, they’ll clinch the AFC North. A Baltimore loss to Green Bay on Saturday night could also seal it. But standing in their way is a Cleveland defense that’s been nothing short of elite - and historically problematic for Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomlin didn’t sugarcoat it during his Tuesday press conference. The Steelers are just 1-5-1 in their last seven trips to Cleveland, and Myles Garrett has been a recurring nightmare during those visits.
“They got what appears to be a slam dunk Defensive Player of the Year (Myles Garrett) and they got what appears to be a slam dunk Defensive Rookie of the Year (Carson Schwesinger) in their front seven,” Tomlin said.
Garrett has tormented Pittsburgh in Cleveland, tallying five sacks in the last two home games against the Steelers - both Browns wins. This season, he’s sitting at 22.0 sacks and needs just one more to break the single-season sack record of 22.5, currently shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
“He’s at the doorstep of history,” Tomlin said. “We certainly have respect for that.”
The Browns’ front seven is loaded, and Schwesinger has burst onto the scene as a disruptive rookie linebacker who complements Garrett’s relentless pass rush. Together, they’ve helped shape what Tomlin called “the best unit in the entire AFC North.”
So yes, Rodgers is hot. Yes, he’s historically great in the cold.
And yes, the Steelers are within striking distance of a division crown. But they’ll need to solve a Browns defense that’s been dominant, in a stadium where they’ve struggled, under weather conditions that could level the playing field - or tilt it toward the team that thrives in chaos.
Sunday’s matchup isn’t just a rivalry game. It’s a battle for the AFC North, a shot at history for Garrett, and a test of whether Rodgers and the Steelers can keep their late-season momentum rolling when the wind, rain, and one of the league’s nastiest defenses are all coming straight at them.