CLEVELAND — There’s not been too many times where the Browns have held an advantage over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Typically, it’s the Steelers who are in the midst of some long streak of success against the Browns. That’s especially true since the expansion franchise started playing in Cleveland in 1999.

A funny thing has happened, though, and it started around 2018. The Steelers have found themselves struggling to win when they find themselves on the Ohio end of the turnpike.

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The trend started innocently enough, with the two rivals playing to a 21-21 tie in the 2018 season opener. The following season, however, started a stretch where the Browns have won five of their last six home games against Pittsburgh.

The only Steelers win in that stretch was a 15-10 Week 8 victory in 2021. That means they’ll come to Cleveland having lost their last three trips into town, needing a win to clinch the AFC North championship thanks to the Baltimore Ravens’ Dec. 27 win at the Green Bay Packers.

The Browns haven’t won four or more in a row at home against Steelers since they won 11 in a row at old Cleveland Municpal Stadium from 1982-93. If they can get four in a row at home against Pittsburgh, they would also get their fourth win of the season.

That’s the backdrop for the 149th meeting between the Browns and Steelers. Here’s a deeper dive into what’s going into the matchup:

Cleveland Browns offensive matchup of the game: LG Joel Bitonio vs. DT Cam Heyward

This may very well be the final time you see this individual matchup in the interior. Bitonio’s in his 12th season and Heyward’s in his 15th season, and multiple things are true for both. Both could easily make a case for it being their last season. Both could easily say they’re playing as well as they’ve ever played. And both can absolutely make Hall of Fame arguments. They’re the old graybeards of this rivalry in its current incarnation, and even if both return for 2026, it’s a matchup that won’t continue for much longer. Appreciate it for what it is.

Cleveland Browns defensive matchup of the game: DE Myles Garrett vs. QB Aaron Rodgers

The Ravens beat the Packers, so Aaron Rodgers will be starting for the Steelers at quarterback. Even if the Ravens had lost, it would seem like that’s something that the veteran quarterback would at least like to do, judging by his own comments this week. Rodgers is one quarterback Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett has never sacked, including in the Week 6 meeting in Pittsburgh. The next full sack for Garrett gives him the single-season NFL sack record. The challenge won’t just be the various obstacles the Steelers throw in his way. It’ll be Rodgers’ elite ability to get rid of the ball fast. How does Garrett navigate those two things? It’s going be fascinating to watch the chess match between two future Hall of Famers, assuming Rodgers plays.

3 burning questions: Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

• Can the Browns play spoiler or will the Steelers celebrate in Cleveland? The Ravens’ win means the Steelers get to take the matter of clinching the AFC North championship into their own hands. They need to beat the Browns to do so. Otherwise, it comes down to a winner-takes-all game in Pittsburgh between the Steelers and Ravens in Week 18. The Browns would certainly love to force their archrivals to have to wait a week to potentially celebrate. The Steelers would certainly love the added bonus of celebrating a division championship in the home stadium of their geographically-closest division rival, especially with thousands of their own fans expected to be in the stadium.
• Can Browns cobble together enough of a running game with no Quinshon Judkins? Dylan Sampson is trending toward playing after missing multiple games with a hand injury. That would add another back to the rotation, along with veteran Trayveon Williams and rookie Raheim “Rocket” Sanders. Somehow, between those three backs, as well as even wide receivers Malachi Corley and Isaiah Bond, the Browns have to find a way to put together a running game without the injured Quinshon Judkins to keep the Steelers honest. The first time around, in Week 6 in Pittsburgh, the Browns managed just 65 net rushing yards. Some of that was game flow, but a good way to improve game flow is to establish the run early.
• Can Shedeur Sanders avoid the rookie QB struggles against the Steelers? The Steelers’ success against rookie quarterback has been, since the 1970 merger, the best in the NFL. Their success against Browns rookie quarterbacks in that span is also well-documented, going 10-4. Sanders will be the 15th rookie quarterback the Browns have started against the Steelers since the merger, and the third different rookie in the last five meetings. The last one, Dillon Gabriel, struggled mightily in Week 6, getting sacked six times while completing 29-of-52 passes for 221 yards. However, the last rookie quarterback to start against the Steelers in Cleveland, Dorian Thompson-Robinson in Week 11 of the 2023 season, is also the last rookie quarterback to beat Pittsburgh.