Browns–Steelers Rivalry on:
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In Week 5 of the 2014 season, the 2–2 Browns routed the 3–2 Steelers in a 31–10 victory in Cleveland after suffering a narrow 30–27 loss to Pittsburgh in the season opener. The Steelers scored early with a field goal and kept the Browns scoreless in the first quarter. The Browns would dominate from the second quarter onward, however, and this win would propel the Browns to an eventual 6–3 record atop the AFC North. However, injuries and rookie QB
45–7 , style=", Browns
30–17 , Browns
2–0 , As a result of the AAFC–NFL merger, the Browns joined the NFL and were placed in the NFL American Conference (later renamed to NFL Eastern Conference in the 1953 season), resulting in two meetings annually with the Steelers.
Browns win
17–0 , style=", Browns
28–0 , Browns
4–0 , Browns lose
29–28 , style=", Browns
21–20 , Browns
6–0 , In Cleveland, Steelers nearly overcome a 29–7 deficit.
Browns lose
34–16 , style=", Browns
20–16 , Browns
8–0 , Browns win eight straight meetings (1950–1953).
Browns lose
42–7 , style=", Steelers
55–27 , Browns
9–1 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers score their most points in a game against the Browns.
Browns win
41–14 , style=", Browns
30–7 , Browns
11–1 , Browns win 1955 NFL Championship. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
24–16 , style=", Browns
14–10 , Browns
12–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Browns
24–0 , style=", Browns
23–12 , Browns
14–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Browns
27–10 , style=", Browns
45–12 , Browns
16–2 , In Pittsburgh, Browns force nine Steelers turnovers. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
21–20 , style=", Steelers
17–7 , Browns
16–4 , , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
28–20 , style=", Steelers
14–10 , Browns
17–5 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
17–13 , style=", Browns
30–28 , Browns
18–6 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers' WR
35–14 , style=", Browns
41–14 , Browns
20–6 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
35–23 , style=", Steelers
9–7 , Browns
21–7 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
23–7 , style=", Browns
30–17 , Browns
22–8 , Steelers move to
Browns win
24–19 , style=", Browns
42–21 , Browns
24–8 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
41–10 , style=", Steelers
16–6 , Browns
25–9 , , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
21–10 , style=", Browns
34–14 , Browns
27–9 , As a result of expansion, the two eight-team divisions became two eight-team conferences split into two divisions, with the Browns and Steelers being placed in the
31–24 , style=", Browns
45–24 , Browns
29–9 , , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
42–31 , style=", Browns
24–3 , Browns
31–9 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
15–7 , style=", Steelers
28–9 , Browns
32–10 , As a result of the
Steelers open
27–17 , style=", Steelers
26–9 , Browns
33–11 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
26–24 , style=", Steelers
30–0 , Browns
34–12 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
21–16 , style=", Steelers
33–6 , Browns
35–13 , Browns win 9 straight home meetings (1965–1973). , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
26–16 , style=", Steelers
20–16 , Browns
35–15 , Steelers' first season series sweep of the Browns since the 1959 season.
Steelers win
42–6 , style=", Steelers
31–17 , Browns
35–17 , In Cleveland, Steelers' DT "Mean" Joe Greene gets ejected for kicking Browns' OL Bob McKay in the groin.
Steelers win
18–16 , style=", Steelers
31–14 , Browns
36–18 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
28–14 , style=", Steelers
35–31 , Browns
36–20 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
34–14 , style=", Steelers
15–9(OT) , Browns
36–22 , First overtime game between the two teams.
In Cleveland, Steelers' LB Jack Lambert is ejected for throwing punches at Browns' QB
Steelers win
51–35 , style=", Steelers
33–30(OT) , Browns
36–24 , Game in Cleveland is the highest-scoring game in the rivalry (86 points).
Steelers win
27–26 , style=", Steelers
16–13 , Browns
37–25 , In Cleveland, Browns overcome a 26–14 deficit late in the fourth quarter.
In Pittsburgh, Steelers score the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds remaining. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
32–10 , style=", Steelers
13–7 , Browns
37–27 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
10–9 , style=", Steelers
37–21 , Browns
38–28 , Both games are played despite players' strike reducing the season to nine games. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
30–17 , style=", Steelers
44–17 , Browns
39–29 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
20–10 , style=", Steelers
23–20 , Browns
40–30 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
17–7 , style=", Steelers
10–9 , Browns
41–31 , Steelers win 16 straight home meetings (1970–1985). , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
37–31(OT) , style=", Browns
27–24 , Browns
43–31 , Browns record their first win at
Browns' first season series sweep of the Steelers since the 1969 season. , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
34–10 , style=", Browns
19–13 , Browns
45–31 , In Pittsburgh, Browns clinch the AFC Central with their win. , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
27–7 , style=", Browns
23–9 , Browns
47–31 , As of , this remains the Browns' most recent season series sweep against the Steelers. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
17–7 , style=", Browns
51–0 , Browns
48–32 , In Pittsburgh, Browns record their largest victory against the Steelers with a 51–point differential and scored their most points in a game against the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Steelers set a franchise record for their worst loss overall. , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
13–3 , style=", Steelers
35–0 , Browns
49–33 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
17–14 , style=", Steelers
17–10 , Browns
50–34 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
17–9 , style=", Steelers
23–13 , Browns
51–35 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
28–23 , style=", Steelers
16–9 , Browns
52–36 , In Cleveland, Browns' PR
17–10 , style=", Steelers
17–7 , Browns
52–38 , Steelers' first season series sweep of the Browns since the 1981 season. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1994 Playoffs , style=", , , style=", Steelers
29–9 , Browns
52–39 , AFC Divisional Round. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
20–17 , style=", Steelers
20–3 , Browns
52–41 , Final season before the Browns relocated to
In Pittsburgh, Steelers fans wear orange and brown armbands as a tribute to the seeming end of the rivalry.
Steelers lose
43–0 , style=", Browns
16–15 , Browns
53–42 , Browns return to the NFL and open
Browns win came on a game-winning field goal by K
23–20 , style=", Steelers
22–0 , Browns
54–43 , Browns' win was their first home win after their reactivation. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
15–12(OT) , style=", Steelers
28–7 , Browns
54–45 , Steelers open Heinz Field (now known as
23–20 , style=", Steelers
16–13(OT) , Browns
54–47 , , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2002 Playoffs , style=", , , style=", Steelers
36–33 , Browns
54–48 , AFC Wild Card Round.
Steelers overcome a 24–7 deficit in the second half. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
13–6 , style=", Browns
33–13 , Browns
55–49 , As of , this remains the Browns' only regular season win at Acrisure Stadium. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
24–10 , style=", Steelers
34–23 , Browns
55–51 , Steelers
41–0 , style=", Steelers
34–21 , Browns
55–53 , Steelers win
24–20 , style=", Steelers
27–7 , Tie
55–55 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers' RB Willie Parker rushed for 223 yards, setting a franchise record for most rushing yards in a game by a player (broken by
Last season where the Browns held the overall series record. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
34–7 , style=", Steelers
31–28 , Steelers
57–55 , Steelers take the overall series lead.
Both teams finished with 10–6 records, but the Steelers clinched the AFC North based on their head-to-head sweep, eliminating the Browns from playoff contention. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
10–6 , style=", Steelers
31–0 , Steelers
59–55 , Steelers win
13–6 , style=", Steelers
27–14 , Steelers
60–56 , Steelers win 12 straight meetings (2003–2009). , - , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
41–9 , style=", Steelers
28–10 , Steelers
62–56 , Steelers lose
13–9 , style=", Steelers
14–3 , Steelers
64–56 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
20–14 , style=", Steelers
24–10 , Steelers
65–57 , In Cleveland, Browns force eight Steelers turnovers. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
27–11 , style=", Steelers
20–7 , Steelers
67–57 , In Cleveland, Browns' WR
31–10 , style=", Steelers
30–27 , Steelers
68–58 , In Pittsburgh, Browns overcame a 27–3 deficit to tie the game, but the Steelers kicked the game-winning field goal. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
28–12 , style=", Steelers
30–9 , Steelers
70–58 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
24–9 , style=", Steelers
27–24(OT) , Steelers
72–58 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
21–18 , style=", Steelers
28–24 , Steelers
74–58 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers' win resulted in the Browns completing the second 0–16 season in NFL history. , - , , style=", , Tie
21–21(OT) , style=", Steelers
33–18 , Steelers
75–58–1 , In Cleveland, both teams missed game-winning field goals in overtime that would have won them the game. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
21–7 , style=", Steelers
20–13 , Steelers
76–59–1 , Game in Cleveland featured a brawl involving Steelers' players QB Mason Rudolph and C Maurkice Pouncey, and Browns' players DE
24–22 , style=", Steelers
38–7 , Steelers
77–60–1 , Steelers win 17 straight home meetings (2004–2020).
Browns clinch their first playoff berth since the 2002 season with their win, setting up a rematch in the wild-card round the following week. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2020 Playoffs , style=", Browns 1–0 , , style=", Browns
48–37 , Steelers
77–61–1 , AFC Wild Card Round.
Browns' first win in Pittsburgh since the 2003 season, their first playoff win since the 1994 season, and their first playoff win over the Steelers.
Browns score 28 points in the first quarter, tying an NFL record for a playoff game.
Steelers QB
15–10 , style=", Steelers
26–14 , Steelers
79–61–1 , Last season for Steelers' QB
29–17 , style=", Steelers
28–14 , Steelers
80–62–1 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
13–10 , style=", Steelers
26–22 , Steelers
81–63–1 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
24–19 , style=", Steelers
27–14 , Steelers
82–64–1 , , - , - , Regular Season , style=", , , , , - , Postseason , style=", , ''no games'' , Steelers 2–1 , AFC Wild Card:
AFC Divisional:
Browns vs Steelers
at pro-football-reference.com
at afc-north.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Browns-Steelers Rivalry NFL rivalries Cleveland Browns rivalries Pittsburgh Steelers rivalries
The Browns–Steelers rivalry or Turnpike Rivalry is a
in 1998, respectively. National City Bank itself had expanded into Pittsburgh in 1995 through its acquisition of National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
between the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
and Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
.
The rivalry originated during the 1950 season, following the AAFC–NFL merger, which placed the Browns and Steelers in the same conference, the NFL American Conference (later referred to as the NFL Eastern Conference starting in the 1953 season). This alignment led to the teams facing each other twice each year. Since the AFL–NFL merger
The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, wh ...
, the Browns and Steelers have been competing in the AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was created after the NFL realign ...
(previously known as the AFC Central until 2001).
The rivalry, featuring 146 meetings, stands as the oldest rivalry and the most frequently played matchup in the American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
. The two divisional foes have a natural rivalry due to the commonalities between the cities, proximity, etc. It is sometimes called the Turnpike Rivalry or Turnpike War because the majority of the driving route between the two cities are via the Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
and Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike, sometimes shortened to Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road which is operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in Pennsylvania. It runs for across the southern part of the st ...
s.
The Steelers lead the overall series, 82–64–1. The two teams have met three times in the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, with the Steelers holding a 2–1 advantage.
Similarities between the cities
The rivalry was primarily fueled by the close proximity between the two cities, asCleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
are roughly 135 miles apart. Many fans make the two-hour drive by car to away games. The city of Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, 11th-most populous city in Ohio with a population of 60,068 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Mahoning ...
is roughly located halfway between the two cities, is split roughly 50/50 between the two teams and was within the 75-mile blackout radius for both teams before blackouts were abolished in the mid-2010s. The Youngstown television market is a secondary market for both teams because of its proximity to both cities, meaning that road games for both the Browns and Steelers are by NFL rule to be shown in Youngstown. Both teams have such strong fan bases that neither typically had blackout issues, although the final two games of the 1995 season were blacked out in Cleveland (the last two prior to the original Browns' move to Baltimore). WKBN-TV
WKBN-TV (channel 27) is a television station in Youngstown, Ohio, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside low-power Fox affiliate WYFX-LD (channel 62); Nexstar also provides certain services to ABC a ...
broadcasts both teams; when they play at the same time the station chooses one game, and gets many calls from disappointed fans of the other team.
Businesses
In recent times, Pittsburgh-area businesses have entered the Cleveland market by buying out local Cleveland-area competitors such asGiant Eagle
Giant Eagle, Inc. is an American supermarket chain with stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland. The company was founded in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and incorporated on August 31, 1931. ''Supermarket News'' ...
, Dollar Bank
Dollar Bank is a full-service regional savings bank serving both individuals and business customers, operating more than 90 offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia. The bank's corporate headquarters is in downtown Pittsbur ...
, Howard Hanna Realty, and PNC Financial Services
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of Columbia, with 2,629 ...
acquisition of National City Corp.
National City Corporation was a regional bank holding company based in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1845; it was once one of the ten largest banks in America in terms of deposits, mortgages and home equity lines of credit. Subsidiary National Ci ...
Among other reasons, some Clevelanders didn't like the idea of a Pittsburgh-based bank buying National City because of the rivalry between the Browns and Steelers. PNC and Giant Eagle are official team sponsors for both teams. In addition, natural expansion has occurred with companies with Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...
roots with Vocelli Pizza and Altoona-based Sheetz
Sheetz, Inc. is an American chain of convenience stores. Its stores, which are open 24/7 year-round, offer made-to-order fast food, and most include a gas station, while a few locations are full-scale truck stops, offering showers and a laundrom ...
making successful expansions into the Cleveland market.
Conversely, Eaton Corporation
Eaton Corporation plc is an American-Irish-domiciled multinational power management company, with a primary administrative center in Beachwood, Ohio. Eaton has more than 85,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countr ...
was founded in Cleveland and has long had significant operations in Pittsburgh. Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Realty Trust, Inc., formerly Forest City Enterprises, was a real estate investment trust that invested in office buildings, shopping centers and apartments in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and the great ...
owns billions of dollars of Pittsburgh-area real estate. The Cleveland branch of the Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a series of ...
includes Pittsburgh in its territory. Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams is an American paints and coatings company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is primarily engaged in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coatings, floorcoverings, and related products with operations in over 120 coun ...
has locations throughout Pittsburgh and nationally is one of the top competitors to Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries
PPG Industries, Inc. is an American Fortune 500, ''Fortune'' 500 company and global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 70 countries around the globe. By ...
. Two former Cleveland-based businesses, Picway Shoes and Revco
Revco Discount Drug Stores (known simply as Revco or Revco, D.S.), once based in Twinsburg, Ohio, was a major drug store chain operating through the Ohio Valley, the Mid-Atlantic states, and the Southeastern United States. The chain's stock w ...
, had locations throughout Pittsburgh before being bought out by Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource Worldwide, LLC (formerly known as Payless ShoeSource Inc.), was an American multinational discount footwear chain. Established in 1956 by cousins Louis and Shaol Pozez. Payless was a privately held company owned by Blum Capit ...
in 1994 and CVS/pharmacy #REDIRECT CVS Pharmacy #REDIRECT CVS Pharmacy {{R from other capitalisation
Company now has a new name to go along with it's anti-tobacco changes. New name is CVS Health ...
{{R from other capitalisation
Company now has a new name to go along ...Integra Bank
Integra Bank Corporation was the parent of Integra Bank National Association, a retail bank headquartered in Evansville, Indiana that failed on July 29, 2011. As of March 31, 2010, Integra Bank had $2.9 billion in total assets and operated 67 ...
and actually caused antitrust
Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...
problems when PNC bought National City in 2008, being forced to divest 61 National City branches in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania is a region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the Unite ...
. Although First Niagara Bank
First Niagara Bank was a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured regional bank, regional banking corporation headquartered in Buffalo (city), New York, Buffalo, New York. Its parent company, First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. was the 44th- ...
ultimately bought 57 of the branches, Cleveland-based KeyBank
KeyBank is an American regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and the 27th largest bank in the United States. Organized under the publicly traded KeyCorp, KeyBank was formed from the 1994 merger of the Cleveland-based Society Corpora ...
was one of the banks that was considering buying the branches and expanding into Pittsburgh; KeyBank would later acquire First Niagara outright.
Republic Steel
Republic Steel is a Mexican steel manufacturer that was once America’s third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Century, ...
, which was based in Cleveland, was the company that suggested to the Steelers that the team use the Steelmark
The Steelmark is a logo representing steel and the steel industry owned by the American Iron and Steel Institute, and used by it to promote the product and its manufacturers.
The logo was incorporated as the emblem of the Pittsburgh Steelers an ...
logo on its helmets in 1962. The logo later became the Steelers primary trademark, and is arguably better known with the logo than the steel industry itself.
Coaches and players
The teams have also had various prominent players and coaches with roots in the other team. For instance, former Steelers head coachChuck Noll
Charles Henry Noll (January 5, 1932 – June 13, 2014) was an American professional football player and head coach. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, his sole head coaching position was for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the ...
is from Cleveland and played linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
for the Browns. His successor as head coach, Bill Cowher
William Laird Cowher (; born May 8, 1957) is an American sports analyst, former professional football player and coach. Following a six-year playing career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he served as a head coach in the ...
, also played linebacker and special teams for the Browns, and was an assistant coach for the Browns from 1985 to 1988. Cowher was born and raised in Crafton, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Former Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American professional football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He was the head coach of the Cl ...
is a native of Pittsburgh area suburb Canonsburg, along with his brother Kurt Schottenheimer
Kurt Schottenheimer (born October 1, 1949) is an American former football coach who was a position coach and coordinator at the college and professional levels for almost 40 years. During his National Football League (NFL) career, Schottenheime ...
, who was the Browns special teams coach from 1987 to 1988. Another Browns head coach, Bud Carson
Leon H. "Bud" Carson (April 28, 1930 – December 7, 2005) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1967 to 1971, compiling a record of 27–27. Carson then coached in the ...
also had as his hometown a northern suburb of Pittsburgh and was a longtime Steelers coordinator under Chuck Noll.
Steelers Hall of Famer Jack Lambert is a native Ohioan and attended Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a Public university, public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Kent State University at Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Kent State ...
, as did Akron, Ohio
Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...
native James Harrison. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
hails from Findlay, Ohio
Findlay ( ) is a city in Hancock County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The second-largest city in Northwest Ohio, Findlay lies about 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. Its population was 40,313 at the 2020 United Sta ...
. Former punter Chris Gardocki played for three years for the Steelers, including the Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2005 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...
championship team, after playing five seasons with the Browns from 1999 to 2003. Former Steelers Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...
Bruce Arians
Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the h ...
held the same position with the Browns from 2001 to 2003.
History of the rivalry
1950s and 1960s: Browns Dominance
The Browns and Steelers first met in 1950, the Browns' first NFL season after dominating theAll-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a major professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many ...
. The Browns continued their dominance in the NFL as they appeared in six straight NFL Championship games from 1950 to 1955, winning the NFL title in 1950, 1954, and 1955. During that time the Steelers were among the NFL's worst teams.
The Browns won the first meeting on October 7, , 30–17 as they forced six Steelers turnovers. Later that season in Cleveland, the Browns won in a blowout, 45–7. The Browns would win the first eight meetings before the Steelers would finally beat their rivals in . The Steelers won 55–27 in a game in which Ray Matthews had 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The Browns continued their dominance throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, marked by several strong rushing performances by Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
. The Browns would hold a 31–9 series advantage through the first two decades of the rivalry.
1970s: Steelers Super Bowl run
After the NFL merged with the former American Football League (AFL) in 1970, the Browns and Steelers were placed in the Central division of the newly formedAmerican Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
(AFC). The Browns and Steelers, along with the Baltimore Colts
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...
were placed in the AFC with the former members of the AFL to allow each conference to have the same number of teams. The NFL tried to move the Steelers to the new conference, but then-Steelers owner Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph Rooney Sr. (January 27, 1901 – August 25, 1988), often referred to as "the Chief", was an American professional American football, football executive. He was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football fr ...
initially refused. However, Rooney reconsidered after then-Browns owner Art Modell
Arthur Bertram Modell (June 23, 1925 – September 6, 2012) was an American businessman, entrepreneur and National Football League (NFL) team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise for 35 years and established the Baltimore Ravens f ...
volunteered the Browns to shift to the AFC, partly because the NFL had offered $3 million as an incentive to move but also because of the potential for an intrastate rivalry with the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
. The financial boost combined with the prospect of losing his most lucrative division rival quickly persuaded Rooney to join Modell in the AFC in order to continue their own rivalry, although the team did lose its in-state rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
with the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
as a result.
In the 1970s the Steelers began to even the playing field with the Browns, led by head coach Chuck Noll
Charles Henry Noll (January 5, 1932 – June 13, 2014) was an American professional football player and head coach. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, his sole head coaching position was for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the ...
, a Cleveland native and former Browns linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
. By then, the rivalry between the two clubs was more hostile and personal, as evident in the 1976 matchup at Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and foot ...
, when Joe "Turkey" Jones tackled Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 1994, he has been a television sports an ...
with a pile-driving sack. Bradshaw suffered a neck injury from the play, and the footage of the sack has since become immortalized in NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces advertisement film, commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentary film, documentaries ...
as part of the rivalry.
The Steelers opened Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) ...
in 1970 and won their first sixteen meetings with the Browns at that venue. During the 1970s, the teams each won five of the ten meetings in Cleveland. The Steelers ended the 1970s winning seven straight meetings and capped the decade by winning Super Bowls XIII
XIII may refer to:
* 13 (number) or XIII in Roman numerals
* 13th century in Roman numerals
* ''XIII'' (comics), a Belgian comic book series by Jean Van Hamme and William Vance
** ''XIII'' (2003 video game), a 2003 video game based on the comic b ...
and XIV to go along with their Super Bowl wins earlier in the decade ( IX and X).
1980s and 1990s
The teams exchanged victories throughout the 1980s. In the first meeting of the decade, the Browns, led by quarterbackBrian Sipe
Brian Winfield Sipe (born August 8, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1983. He then played in the United States Football Lea ...
, overcame a 12-point deficit to stun the Steelers 27–26. The Steelers would defeat the Browns later that year in another close game. The 1980 Browns, nicknamed the " Kardiac Kids", would make the playoffs that year for the first time since 1972 after Pittsburgh dominated the AFC Central with four Super Bowl wins in the late 1970s.
The Browns ended a 16-game losing streak at Three Rivers Stadium with a 27–24 victory in 1986. This was the first of four straight Browns wins in Pittsburgh from 1986 to 1989. In the 1989 season opener, the Browns defeated the Steelers 51–0 in Pittsburgh. This is the largest margin of victory in the rivalry and the worst loss in Steelers franchise history.
While the two exchanged victories in the '70s and '80s, by the 1990s the Steelers became the dominant team in the rivalry. Since the Browns' last series sweep in 1988
1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...
, the Steelers achieved an overwhelming 39–11 mark against the Browns, enough that in 2007, the Steelers took over the lead in the all-time series (which they currently lead at 82–64–1) for the first time. This included six straight wins from 1993 to 1995 that featured a 29–9 win in the 1994 divisional playoff game, the first playoff meeting between the two rivals. During most of this time, Bill Cowher
William Laird Cowher (; born May 8, 1957) is an American sports analyst, former professional football player and coach. Following a six-year playing career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he served as a head coach in the ...
was head coach of the Steelers. Cowher, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton, also played linebacker for the Browns (though unlike Noll, Cowher mostly played special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
), and also served as an assistant in Cleveland under Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American professional football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He was the head coach of the Cl ...
, himself another Pittsburgh area native.
After the 1995 season, the rivalry took a brief hiatus due to the Browns relocation to Baltimore. When the league was voting on the Browns relocation, Steelers owner Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton Rooney (July 20, 1932 – April 13, 2017) was an American professional American football, football executive and diplomat best known for his association with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL), and son of ...
was one of only two owners to vote against the move. In tribute of Cleveland losing the Browns, Steelers fans wore orange arm bands to the final game at Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) ...
as a sign of mutual respect and sorrow for losing a great rivalry. While Browns fans still consider the Steelers as their main rival, most Steelers fans consider their rivalry
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...
with the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
the spiritual successor
A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous product or work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue th ...
to this rivalry due to Art Modell moving the franchise to Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
and renaming them "Ravens". The consistently poor Browns' teams since their expansion in 1999, along with the one-sidedness of the rivalry since then is also a factor in the rivalry having diminished in the views of football fans.
1999–2003: Browns rejoin the NFL
The name "Browns" returned to the NFL in attached to a new expansion team. They played their first game against the Steelers at the newCleveland Browns Stadium
Huntington Bank Field is a stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and high school football, soccer, hockey, and con ...
. The Steelers dominated the game 43–0 in a game in which the new Browns could only gain two first downs. However, in the return fixture in Pittsburgh later that season, the new Browns would defeat the Steelers 16–15 on a last-second Phil Dawson field goal.
The Browns and Steelers would again split the series in 2000, with each team winning in their home stadium.
The two teams would meet in a 2002 wild card playoff game. Browns starting quarterback Tim Couch
Timothy Scott Couch (born July 31, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the ...
, however, was ruled out due to a broken leg he suffered in their regular season finale. As a result, backup QB Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb (born July 9, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Holcomb was signed by the ...
started. The Browns built a 24–7 lead in the third quarter, but the Steelers came back to win 36–33. In 2003, the Browns would win their first game at Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium, formerly (and still colloquially) known as Heinz Field, is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Foot ...
, defeating the Steelers 33–13. This was the Browns’ only win at Heinz Field until the 2020 playoffs.
2004–2021: The Ben Roethlisberger era
The Steelers drafted QBBen Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
, a native of Findlay, Ohio
Findlay ( ) is a city in Hancock County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The second-largest city in Northwest Ohio, Findlay lies about 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. Its population was 40,313 at the 2020 United Sta ...
, in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft
The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held from April 24–25, 2004, at the Theate ...
. Roethlisberger became the Steelers' starting quarterback in his rookie year and led the Steelers to three Super Bowl appearances, including wins in Super Bowls XL and XLIII. During Roethlisberger's tenure, the Steelers amassed a 29–6–1 record against the Browns including a 17–1 mark at home; at one point, Roethlisberger ironically held the record as the winningest quarterback at Cleveland Browns Stadium history despite having never suited up for the Browns. The Steelers made 11 playoff appearances including three trips to the Super Bowl and two Super Bowl titles, while the Browns only made one playoff appearance in this stretch.
In Week 11 of 2006, the Steelers managed to tie the series at 55 games apiece between them and the Browns. They stunned the Browns 24-20 after Browns QB Charlie Frye's Hail Mary fell incomplete. The loss also left the Browns to finish last place in the division behind the Steelers.
In Week 1 of , the Steelers defeated the Browns 34–7 to take a 56–55 lead in the overall series. This was the first time the Steelers led the series and the Steelers have not given the lead up since. Later that season, the Steelers came back from down 21–6 to win 31–28. The two teams finished the season at 10–6, tied atop the AFC North. The Steelers won the head-to-head tiebreaker, while the Browns failed to earn a wild card spot after losing a tiebreaker to the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
.
On December 10, , the Browns defeated the Steelers 13–6, ending a 12-game winning streak for the Steelers. This game is believed to be the coldest game in the history of the rivalry with a wind chill around .
Roethlisberger continued his dominance of the Browns in the 2010s, going 12–1–1 against them in the decade. However, the majority of the games have been close and come down to the final minutes or one final play.
In Week 5 of the 2014 season, the 2–2 Browns routed the 3–2 Steelers in a 31–10 victory in Cleveland after suffering a narrow 30–27 loss to Pittsburgh in the season opener. The Steelers scored early with a field goal and kept the Browns scoreless in the first quarter. The Browns would dominate from the second quarter onward, however, and this win would propel the Browns to an eventual 6–3 record atop the AFC North. However, injuries and rookie QB Johnny Manziel
Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992), nicknamed "Johnny Football", is an American former football quarterback. He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. He played prof ...
's poor play would doom the Browns’ season, where they would finish with a 7–9 record while the Steelers won the division. The Browns' struggles continued and the team reached rock bottom in 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and 2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, as they went 1–31 in those two seasons combined.
On September 9, , the teams played to a 21–21 tie. This marked the first and only tie game in the history of the rivalry. The game saw the Steelers jump to a 21–7 lead, but the Browns mounted two successful drives to tie the game at 21–21 and send it to overtime. The Steelers committed 6 turnovers against a strong Browns defense, and Browns DE Myles Garrett was able to sack Roethlisberger three times in their first meeting. Going into overtime, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell missed a potential game-winning field goal. On a subsequent drive after a Browns 3-and-out, Roethlisberger had his 5th turnover of the game, a fumble recovered by Browns linebacker Joe Schobert. A field goal try by the Browns in the last seconds of overtime was blocked, resulting in the tie. The tie would come back to hurt the Steelers as they would finish 9–6–1, a half game behind the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
for the AFC North title (had the Steelers won this game, they would have finished 10–6, tied with the Ravens, and would have won the tiebreaker). The Steelers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
On November 14, 2019, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield
Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners ...
notched his first win over the Steelers with a 21–7 victory, the Browns’ first win in the series since 2014. However, in the final seconds of the game, a brawl broke out between the two teams. With eight seconds remaining in the game, Browns DE Myles Garrett
Myles Lorenz Garrett (born December 29, 1995) is an American professional football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, receiving unanimous All-American ...
tackled Steelers QB Mason Rudolph after the latter completed a screen pass to RB Trey Edmunds. Rudolph had choice words for Garrett and unsuccessfully tried to pull Garrett's helmet off. Garrett then ripped off Rudolph's helmet and used it to hit Rudolph in the head while being restrained by Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey and Steelers G David DeCastro. Pouncey then jumped into the brawl by punching and kicking Garrett in the head several times. Browns DT Larry Ogunjobi
Olumide Larry Ogunjobi (born June 3, 1994) is an American professional American football, football defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Charlotte 49ers football, Charlott ...
was also involved in the scuffle by pushing Rudolph to the ground. Garrett, Ogunjobi, and Pouncey were ejected from the game. Following the game, Garrett was suspended for 6 games while Pouncey and Ogunjobi received 2-game and 1-game suspensions, respectively. Garrett's suspension was the longest in NFL history for a single on-field transgression. On December 1, the teams met in Pittsburgh, in a game in which the winner would remain in the thick of the AFC wild card race and the loser would fall further behind. The Steelers, who had benched Rudolph in favor of third string Devlin Hodges, won 20–13 to improve to 7–5 while the Browns fell to 5–7, two games out of a playoff spot.
On January 3, 2021, the Browns entered Week 17 at home and would clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Steelers. The Steelers rested a few of their starters, with Rudolph starting as quarterback. The Browns won 24–22 despite a late Steelers rally; the Browns stopped a Pittsburgh two-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game. The win meant that the 11–5 Browns clinched the 6-seed and faced the Steelers in Pittsburgh for a rematch in the Wild Card Round
A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...
. Prior to the playoff game, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster
John Sherman "JuJu" Smith-Schuster ( Smith; born November 22, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Tr ...
was quoted as saying "The Browns is 'sic''the Browns," implying they were the "same old Browns" and calling them "nameless grey faces." Several Cleveland players took Smith-Schuster's comments personally. Despite losing several coaches, including head coach Kevin Stefanski
Kevin Lawrence Stefanski (born May 8, 1982) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the head coach of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career as an assistant coach for the ...
due to COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, the Browns forced five Steelers turnovers, led 28–0 in the first quarter, and won 48–37 to advance to the divisional round. This was the Browns' first win at Heinz Field
Acrisure Stadium, formerly (and still colloquially) known as Heinz Field, is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Foot ...
since 2003 and their first ever playoff win against the Steelers.
Season-by-season results
, - , , style=", , style=", Browns45–7 , style=", Browns
30–17 , Browns
2–0 , As a result of the AAFC–NFL merger, the Browns joined the NFL and were placed in the NFL American Conference (later renamed to NFL Eastern Conference in the 1953 season), resulting in two meetings annually with the Steelers.
Browns win
1950 NFL Championship Game
The 1950 NFL Championship Game was the 18th National Football League (NFL) title game, played on Sunday, December 24 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
This was the first NFL championship game played between two expansion teams. In thei ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Browns 17–0 , style=", Browns
28–0 , Browns
4–0 , Browns lose
1951 NFL Championship Game
The 1951 NFL Championship Game was the National Football League's 19th championship game, played December 23 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
It was a rematch of the previous year's game in Cleveland, with the ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Browns 29–28 , style=", Browns
21–20 , Browns
6–0 , In Cleveland, Steelers nearly overcome a 29–7 deficit.
Browns lose
1952 NFL Championship Game
The 1952 NFL Championship Game was the 20th annual championship game, held on December 28 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Detroit Lions (9–3) were the National Conference champions and met the Cleveland Browns (8–4) ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Browns 34–16 , style=", Browns
20–16 , Browns
8–0 , Browns win eight straight meetings (1950–1953).
Browns lose
1953 NFL Championship Game
The 1953 NFL Championship Game was the 21st annual championship game, held on December 27 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.
The defending NFL champion Detroit Lions (10–2) of the Western Conference were led by quarterback Bobby Layne and runnin ...
.
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 42–7 , style=", Steelers
55–27 , Browns
9–1 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers score their most points in a game against the Browns.
Browns win
1954 NFL Championship Game
The 1954 NFL Championship Game was the National Football League's 22nd annual championship game, held on December 26 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Billed as the "1954 World Professional Football Championship Game," the turnover-plague ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Browns 41–14 , style=", Browns
30–7 , Browns
11–1 , Browns win 1955 NFL Championship. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
24–16 , style=", Browns
14–10 , Browns
12–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Browns
24–0 , style=", Browns
23–12 , Browns
14–2 , , - , , style=", , style=", Browns
27–10 , style=", Browns
45–12 , Browns
16–2 , In Pittsburgh, Browns force nine Steelers turnovers. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
21–20 , style=", Steelers
17–7 , Browns
16–4 , , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
28–20 , style=", Steelers
14–10 , Browns
17–5 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
17–13 , style=", Browns
30–28 , Browns
18–6 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers' WR
Buddy Dial
Gilbert Leroy "Buddy" Dial (January 17, 1937 – February 29, 2008) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college foo ...
finished with 235 receiving yards, setting a franchise record for most receiving yards in a game by a Steelers' player (broken by Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was ...
in 2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
).
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Browns 35–14 , style=", Browns
41–14 , Browns
20–6 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
35–23 , style=", Steelers
9–7 , Browns
21–7 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
23–7 , style=", Browns
30–17 , Browns
22–8 , Steelers move to
Pitt Stadium
Pitt Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1925 Pittsburgh Panthers fo ...
.Browns win
1964 NFL Championship Game
The 1964 NFL Championship Game was the 32nd annual championship game, held on December 27 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. With an attendance of 79,544, it was the first NFL title game to be televised by CBS.
The game marked the last ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Browns 24–19 , style=", Browns
42–21 , Browns
24–8 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
41–10 , style=", Steelers
16–6 , Browns
25–9 , , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
21–10 , style=", Browns
34–14 , Browns
27–9 , As a result of expansion, the two eight-team divisions became two eight-team conferences split into two divisions, with the Browns and Steelers being placed in the
NFL Century Division
The NFL Century Division was one of the four divisions of the National Football League during the 1967 through 1969 seasons. (The other divisions were named ''Capitol'', ''Central'', ''Coastal''; each name began with C and consisted of seven lette ...
.
, -
,
, style=", Browns 2–0
, style=", Browns 31–24 , style=", Browns
45–24 , Browns
29–9 , , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
42–31 , style=", Browns
24–3 , Browns
31–9 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
15–7 , style=", Steelers
28–9 , Browns
32–10 , As a result of the
AFL–NFL merger
The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, wh ...
, the Browns and Steelers are placed in the AFC Central
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was created after the NFL realigned its divisions u ...
(later renamed to the AFC North in the 2002 season).Steelers open
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) ...
.
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 27–17 , style=", Steelers
26–9 , Browns
33–11 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
26–24 , style=", Steelers
30–0 , Browns
34–12 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
21–16 , style=", Steelers
33–6 , Browns
35–13 , Browns win 9 straight home meetings (1965–1973). , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
26–16 , style=", Steelers
20–16 , Browns
35–15 , Steelers' first season series sweep of the Browns since the 1959 season.
Steelers win
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1974 Minnesota Vikings season, Mi ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 42–6 , style=", Steelers
31–17 , Browns
35–17 , In Cleveland, Steelers' DT "Mean" Joe Greene gets ejected for kicking Browns' OL Bob McKay in the groin.
Steelers win
Super Bowl X
Super Bowl X was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for t ...
.
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 18–16 , style=", Steelers
31–14 , Browns
36–18 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
28–14 , style=", Steelers
35–31 , Browns
36–20 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
34–14 , style=", Steelers
15–9(OT) , Browns
36–22 , First overtime game between the two teams.
In Cleveland, Steelers' LB Jack Lambert is ejected for throwing punches at Browns' QB
Brian Sipe
Brian Winfield Sipe (born August 8, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1983. He then played in the United States Football Lea ...
and other players. During an interview with Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell (; né Cohen; March 25, 1918 – April 23, 1995) was an American sports journalist, broadcaster and author. Cosell became prominent and influential during his tenure with ABC Sports from 1953 until 1985.
Cosell was widel ...
the following week, Lambert reflects on the incident, stating, "Quarterbacks should wear dresses."Steelers win
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1978 Dallas Cowboys season, Dallas Cow ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 51–35 , style=", Steelers
33–30(OT) , Browns
36–24 , Game in Cleveland is the highest-scoring game in the rivalry (86 points).
Steelers win
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1979 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...
.
, -
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 27–26 , style=", Steelers
16–13 , Browns
37–25 , In Cleveland, Browns overcome a 26–14 deficit late in the fourth quarter.
In Pittsburgh, Steelers score the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds remaining. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
32–10 , style=", Steelers
13–7 , Browns
37–27 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
10–9 , style=", Steelers
37–21 , Browns
38–28 , Both games are played despite players' strike reducing the season to nine games. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
30–17 , style=", Steelers
44–17 , Browns
39–29 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
20–10 , style=", Steelers
23–20 , Browns
40–30 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
17–7 , style=", Steelers
10–9 , Browns
41–31 , Steelers win 16 straight home meetings (1970–1985). , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
37–31(OT) , style=", Browns
27–24 , Browns
43–31 , Browns record their first win at
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) ...
.Browns' first season series sweep of the Steelers since the 1969 season. , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
34–10 , style=", Browns
19–13 , Browns
45–31 , In Pittsburgh, Browns clinch the AFC Central with their win. , - , , style=", Browns 2–0 , style=", Browns
27–7 , style=", Browns
23–9 , Browns
47–31 , As of , this remains the Browns' most recent season series sweep against the Steelers. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
17–7 , style=", Browns
51–0 , Browns
48–32 , In Pittsburgh, Browns record their largest victory against the Steelers with a 51–point differential and scored their most points in a game against the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Steelers set a franchise record for their worst loss overall. , - , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
13–3 , style=", Steelers
35–0 , Browns
49–33 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
17–14 , style=", Steelers
17–10 , Browns
50–34 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
17–9 , style=", Steelers
23–13 , Browns
51–35 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
28–23 , style=", Steelers
16–9 , Browns
52–36 , In Cleveland, Browns' PR
Eric Metcalf
Eric Quinn Metcalf (born January 23, 1968) is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Washington ...
returns two punts for touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final minutes.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 17–10 , style=", Steelers
17–7 , Browns
52–38 , Steelers' first season series sweep of the Browns since the 1981 season. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 1994 Playoffs , style=", , , style=", Steelers
29–9 , Browns
52–39 , AFC Divisional Round. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
20–17 , style=", Steelers
20–3 , Browns
52–41 , Final season before the Browns relocated to
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, becoming the Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
.In Pittsburgh, Steelers fans wear orange and brown armbands as a tribute to the seeming end of the rivalry.
Steelers lose
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion fo ...
.
, -
, colspan="6" , ''No games from 1996-1998 as the Browns suspended operations''
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Steelers 43–0 , style=", Browns
16–15 , Browns
53–42 , Browns return to the NFL and open
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Huntington Bank Field is a stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and high school football, soccer, hockey, and con ...
. Game in Cleveland was the inaugural game for the expansion Browns, while the Steelers record their largest victory against the Browns with a 43–point differential.Browns win came on a game-winning field goal by K
Phil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns football, Texas Lo ...
as time expired.
, -
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 23–20 , style=", Steelers
22–0 , Browns
54–43 , Browns' win was their first home win after their reactivation. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
15–12(OT) , style=", Steelers
28–7 , Browns
54–45 , Steelers open Heinz Field (now known as
Acrisure Stadium
Acrisure Stadium, formerly (and still colloquially) known as Heinz Field, is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Foot ...
).
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 23–20 , style=", Steelers
16–13(OT) , Browns
54–47 , , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2002 Playoffs , style=", , , style=", Steelers
36–33 , Browns
54–48 , AFC Wild Card Round.
Steelers overcome a 24–7 deficit in the second half. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Steelers
13–6 , style=", Browns
33–13 , Browns
55–49 , As of , this remains the Browns' only regular season win at Acrisure Stadium. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
24–10 , style=", Steelers
34–23 , Browns
55–51 , Steelers
draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
QB Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 41–0 , style=", Steelers
34–21 , Browns
55–53 , Steelers win
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2005 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 24–20 , style=", Steelers
27–7 , Tie
55–55 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers' RB Willie Parker rushed for 223 yards, setting a franchise record for most rushing yards in a game by a player (broken by
Le'Veon Bell
Le'Veon Andrew Bell Sr. ( ; born February 18, 1992) is an American Professional boxing, professional boxer and former American football, football running back. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Michigan State ...
in 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
).Last season where the Browns held the overall series record. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
34–7 , style=", Steelers
31–28 , Steelers
57–55 , Steelers take the overall series lead.
Both teams finished with 10–6 records, but the Steelers clinched the AFC North based on their head-to-head sweep, eliminating the Browns from playoff contention. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
10–6 , style=", Steelers
31–0 , Steelers
59–55 , Steelers win
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
.
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 13–6 , style=", Steelers
27–14 , Steelers
60–56 , Steelers win 12 straight meetings (2003–2009). , - , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
41–9 , style=", Steelers
28–10 , Steelers
62–56 , Steelers lose
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 13–9 , style=", Steelers
14–3 , Steelers
64–56 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
20–14 , style=", Steelers
24–10 , Steelers
65–57 , In Cleveland, Browns force eight Steelers turnovers. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
27–11 , style=", Steelers
20–7 , Steelers
67–57 , In Cleveland, Browns' WR
Josh Gordon
Joshua Caleb Gordon (born April 13, 1991), nicknamed "Flash", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Baylor Bears and was ...
finished with 237 receiving yards, setting a franchise record for most receiving yards in a game by a Browns' player (broken by him later in the season).
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 31–10 , style=", Steelers
30–27 , Steelers
68–58 , In Pittsburgh, Browns overcame a 27–3 deficit to tie the game, but the Steelers kicked the game-winning field goal. , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
28–12 , style=", Steelers
30–9 , Steelers
70–58 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
24–9 , style=", Steelers
27–24(OT) , Steelers
72–58 , , - , , style=", , style=", Steelers
21–18 , style=", Steelers
28–24 , Steelers
74–58 , In Pittsburgh, Steelers' win resulted in the Browns completing the second 0–16 season in NFL history. , - , , style=", , Tie
21–21(OT) , style=", Steelers
33–18 , Steelers
75–58–1 , In Cleveland, both teams missed game-winning field goals in overtime that would have won them the game. , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
21–7 , style=", Steelers
20–13 , Steelers
76–59–1 , Game in Cleveland featured a brawl involving Steelers' players QB Mason Rudolph and C Maurkice Pouncey, and Browns' players DE
Myles Garrett
Myles Lorenz Garrett (born December 29, 1995) is an American professional football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, receiving unanimous All-American ...
and DT Larry Ogunjobi
Olumide Larry Ogunjobi (born June 3, 1994) is an American professional American football, football defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Charlotte 49ers football, Charlott ...
. The altercation escalated when Garrett swung Rudolph's helmet at his head. All players involved, except Rudolph, were ejected and faced suspensions.
, -
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 24–22 , style=", Steelers
38–7 , Steelers
77–60–1 , Steelers win 17 straight home meetings (2004–2020).
Browns clinch their first playoff berth since the 2002 season with their win, setting up a rematch in the wild-card round the following week. , - style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;" , 2020 Playoffs , style=", Browns 1–0 , , style=", Browns
48–37 , Steelers
77–61–1 , AFC Wild Card Round.
Browns' first win in Pittsburgh since the 2003 season, their first playoff win since the 1994 season, and their first playoff win over the Steelers.
Browns score 28 points in the first quarter, tying an NFL record for a playoff game.
Steelers QB
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
sets an NFL record with 47 completions in the game.
, -
,
, style=",
, style=", Steelers 15–10 , style=", Steelers
26–14 , Steelers
79–61–1 , Last season for Steelers' QB
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
.
, -
,
, Tie 1–1
, style=", Browns 29–17 , style=", Steelers
28–14 , Steelers
80–62–1 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
13–10 , style=", Steelers
26–22 , Steelers
81–63–1 , , - , , Tie 1–1 , style=", Browns
24–19 , style=", Steelers
27–14 , Steelers
82–64–1 , , - , - , Regular Season , style=", , , , , - , Postseason , style=", , ''no games'' , Steelers 2–1 , AFC Wild Card:
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, 2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
AFC Divisional:
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, -
, Regular and postseason
, style=",
,
,
,
, -
See also
*List of NFL rivalries
As with all sports leagues, there are several significant rivalries between teams and notable players in the National Football League (NFL). Rivalries are occasionally created due to a particular event that causes bad blood between teams, player ...
* AFC North
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was created after the NFL realign ...
References
Further reading
*External links
Browns vs Steelers
at pro-football-reference.com
at afc-north.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Browns-Steelers Rivalry NFL rivalries Cleveland Browns rivalries Pittsburgh Steelers rivalries