When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns meet twice each season, fans, players and coaches alike expect fireworks. Head Coach, Mike Tomlin has preached the importance of AFC North football and no team should be taken lightly in the divisional matchups. The Steelers got a taste of divisional play only twice so far in 2023 and carry a 2-0 record as a result. Although the Browns are an even 2-2 within the division, those records clearly don’t matter in this season’s second installment of the classic Steelers and Browns rivalry.
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Steelers Alex Highsmith drags down Browns' Deshaun Watson in Week 2 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Were 'Given' Victory In September, According To The Browns
The two teams met in the second week of the season in Pittsburgh and there was no love lost between the teams after a long preseason slate. But since that Week 2 matchup, both teams look vastly different and the AFC playoff race has narrowed. The Steelers valuable 26-22 win in September over the Browns only is appreciated with time and the Browns know it. In fact, as they eagerly prepare for their second shot at their division rival, the Browns think they gave a win that was in their grasp to the Steelers. Browns defensive tackle, Dalvin Tomlinson proclaimed they gave the Steelers the Week 2 win.
"Last game, they got that one, but we felt like we gave it away," he said. "That game was physical. But we got another chance to rewrite our wrongs. I can't wait to get out there and play Sunday."
In certain ways, Tomlinson isn’t wrong in his sentiments. The game began with an Alex Highsmith interception that he returned for a touchdown, only for TJ Watt to close out the game with a defensive touchdown of his own, which ultimately won the game for the Steelers. Even though the game happened nine weeks ago, it still seems fresh in the minds of the Browns. But for Tomlinson, he wasn’t much of a factor in the game and logged only a pair of hits on Kenny Pickett.
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Steelers' TJ Watt sacks Browns' Deshaun Watson in Pittsburgh, PA.
The looming emotional toll doesn’t stop on the Browns’ defensive side of the locker room. Rookie wide receiver, Cedric Tillman added his feelings to Tomlinson’s remarks. Although Tillman didn’t see any action in the prime time game back in September, that didn’t stop him from making his mark on the rivalry’s bulletin board. It sounds like the rookie is looking forward to going against the Steelers defense.
"They punched us in the face in Week 2," Tillman said. "We want this game real bad. I am very excited for the game, and I know everyone else is."
For the Steelers, a +10 turnover differential has been their backbone. The defense’s ability to make those game-changing splash plays has been something that has fans hoping the unit get back to the ways of the 2008 unit. We heard Pickett and Tomlin explain how they are embracing the fact of winning ugly, and if that equates to the defense scoring as many points as the offense, then so be it. The Browns and other teams may not like it, but that goal is one the Steelers strive for every game.
The magnitude behind this game is massive for both clubs. Both teams are entering the contest battered, broken, and bruised, but that is no excuse to not execute on the field. But with that said, the Browns are desperate for a major morale boost to propel them forward. With quarterback, Deshaun Watson out for the remainder of the season and rookie, Dorian Thompson-Robinson stepping in under center, the Browns are looking for any momentum they can get.
Further, this will be Pickett’s first time playing in Cleveland. The Steelers haven’t won in Cleveland since Ben Roethlisberger retired. If the previous game is any indication, this will be another game decided by the defenses with both clubs featuring less-than-stellar offenses. Both groups have improved since the September matchup, yet both have seen their fair share of injuries along the depth chart as well.
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Ben Roethlisberger makes a throw in his final game in Cleveland in 2021.
A final note to make regarding Sunday's matchup is the fact that the Browns are favored again against the Steelers. In the last matchup, the Browns were 2.5-point favorites and this week they are two-point favorites. This marks the first time where the Browns have been favored to win over the Steelers in consecutive games for as long as any Steelers fan can remember.
That shared mindset of the Browns giving the game away, albeit not necessarily inaccurate, may just be the Browns way against the Steelers. The Steelers’ 81-62-1 record against the Browns is simply a reflection of the dominance they’ve imposed on Cleveland. But to Cleveland, they seem to think they’ve more so given the Steelers those 81 victories. Needless to say, this week’s game is going to be another grueling one to watch for fans on both sides of the Pennsylvania/Ohio state line.
Do you think the Browns gave away the last game to the Steelers? Who do you think wins this week? Let us know in the comments below!
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