observer_reporter
BEREA, Ohio — Todd Monken is no stranger to AFC North rivalries, having served as offensive coordinator for both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. However, the Browns head coach will not be giving his team any history lessons as they prepare for Sunday's trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers with first place in the AFC North on the line.
"Well, it has nothing to do with our team," Monken said. "I mean, this year, whether it's where we're at record-wise, comparing the past or the history against the Steelers, it's a divisional game." He added that he saw no value in devoting time to discussing the rivalry. "It's bigger because it's obviously a divisional opponent. The fastest way to get in the playoffs is win your division. Rivalries are made up of good teams playing each other, and we're fighting like hell to be a really good team."
Pittsburgh's 22-game regular-season home winning streak over Cleveland is the second-longest in NFL history, behind Green Bay's 23 straight over Detroit from 1992 through 2013. Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, the Steelers have a 47-6 home record against the Browns, a .887 win percentage that is surpassed only by Pittsburgh's .938 win rate and 15-1 mark against Indianapolis. Nine players on the Browns' current roster were not even born the last time Cleveland won in Pittsburgh in the regular season, on Oct. 5, 2003, when Tim Couch threw for two touchdowns and William Green rushed for 115 yards in a 33-13 victory.
Two players do know what a win in Pittsburgh is like while in a Browns uniform: cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit were on the 2020 team that posted a 48-37 victory in an AFC Wild Card round game. "I don't look at the history or look at what happened," Ward said. "This is two different teams, those different people, and we just got to go in and it's the same thing, try to go 1-0 this week and get this win."
A win on Sunday would give the Browns their first season sweep of the Steelers since 1988. Cleveland rallied for a 27-24 victory on Oct. 1, when Deshaun Watson threw for 268 yards. Watson had his first 300-yard passing game since being acquired by the Browns in last week's 27-24 win at Tennessee. He is just the third quarterback since the merger to have a game-winning drive in each of his team's first five wins of a season. "We don't try to make one game bigger than the other," Watson said. "I think all the young guys understand. They got a little taste of it on Thursday night (in the first Pittsburgh game). So, I think everyone will be prepared and just want to go play and play hard and try to get a W."
A win would not only give the Browns sole possession of the division, it would make them 3-0 in the AFC North for the first time. The NFL realigned to its current eight-division format in 2002. "You talk about the history and everything, but I think it'd be well for us just to get a win and keep stacking," Ward said.
Key Analysis
The Browns are taking a pragmatic approach to a rivalry that has been historically one-sided. By focusing on the present rather than the past, Cleveland aims to secure a crucial divisional win that could reshape the AFC North landscape. The Steelers' dominant home record against the Browns underscores the challenge, but with a victory, Cleveland can signal a shift in the rivalry's momentum.
Originally reported by observer_reporter.