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When the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers matchup on Monday Night Football in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL regular season, it could either be a rivalry renewed or the passing of the torch.
The two teams have matched up 143 times in their histories with the Steelers holding a strong 80-62-1 advantage in those matchups. The Browns have had times where they controlled the rivalry but, since 1999, Cleveland has won just 10 games versus Pittsburgh including the 2020 playoff victory.
Overall, the Browns are 10-39-1 versus the Steelers since The Return in 1999.
Week 1 of the 2023 season started with the two teams having far different results. Cleveland cleaned the clocks of the Cincinnati Bengals, the AFC North defending champions while Pittsburgh had no shot against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Steelers get a second straight home game, this time on Monday Night Football, to start their season. Two straight home losses could set the team on a path for HC Mike Tomlin’s first losing season ever as a head coach.
For the Browns, Monday Night Football against a solidly coached team will test whether this team is ready to really compete in the AFC North or if Week 1 was just a lucky combination of weather, Joe Burrow’s return from injury and a bad Bengals offensive line.
Should Cleveland pull out the road victory, not only will the national media be forced to give credit but the relationship with Pittsburgh will start to swing. Since the 2020 season, the Browns would have four victories over the Steelers after having just six in the previous 20 years. That alone would allow the matchup to be a true rivalry once again after being controlled by one side for too long.
If Cleveland dominates Pittsburgh the way they did Cincinnati, it could be a sign of the tide turning the way of the orange and brown. It would be nice to be on the other side of the rivalry where the Steelers are the little brother who hopes it can win sometimes.
Do you think a Browns victory renews a real rivalry? Do you think Cleveland has a chance to dominate Pittsburgh in the foreseeable future?