Browns-Steelers rivalry
Encyclopedia
| Cleveland Browns–Pittsburgh Steelers | |
|---|---|
| History | |
| 1st Meeting | October 7, 1950 |
| Last Meeting | January 2, 2011 |
| Next Meeting | 2011 NFL Season & |
| Number of Meetings | 118 |
| All-Time Series | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... :62-56 CLE Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... , 35-23 @ Cleveland PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... , 39-21 @ Pittsburgh |
| Regular Season Series | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... : 60-56 CLE Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... , 35-23 @ Cleveland PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... , 39-21 @ Pittsburgh |
| Largest victory | CLE Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... : 51–0 (9/10/1989) |
| Current streak | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... : Won 2 |
| Longest CLE win streak | 8 (October 7, 1950 – November 22, 1953) |
| Longest PIT win streak | 12 (November 23, 2003 – October 10, 2009) |
| Post Season series | PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... : 2-0 |
| January 7, 1995 | Steelers won 29–9 |
| January 5, 2003 | Steelers won 36–33 |
| Championship success | |
NFL Championships (10)
NFL Conference Championships (19)
NFL Divisional Championships AFC North The American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created prior to the 1967 season as the NFL Century Division when the NFL split into four divisions... (29)
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The Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
–Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
rivalry is one of the most storied rivalries in the NFL. With 117 meetings and counting, it is the oldest rivalry and the most storied in the American Football Conference (AFC)
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
, surpassing any other rivalry in the conference by at least 5 contests. The two divisional foes have a natural rivalry due to the commonalities between the cities, their proximity, etc. It is sometimes called the Turnpike Rivalry because the majority of the driving route between the two cities is via the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...
and Ohio Turnpike
Ohio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...
s.
Similarities between the cities
The rivalry was primarily fueled by the close proximity between the two cities, as Cleveland and Pittsburgh are roughly 135 miles apart. Many fans make the two hour drive by car to road games. Also, the city of Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
is roughly located at the halfway mark between the two cities and is within the 75-mile blackout
NFL on television
The television rights to broadcast National Football League games are the most lucrative and expensive rights of any American sport. It was television that brought professional football into prominence in the modern era after World War II...
radius for both teams. The Youngstown television market has dual rights to both teams. Both teams have such strong fan bases that neither typically has blackout issues since the current rules were implemented in , although the final two games of the 1995 season were blacked out in Cleveland (the last two prior to the Art Modell's move to Baltimore); one of these games was against their in-state rivals the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. The Youngstown area fan base remains roughly split 50/50 between the Steelers and Browns.
Businesses
In recent times, Pittsburgh-area businesses have entered the Cleveland market by buying out local Cleveland-area competitors such as Giant EagleGiant Eagle
Giant Eagle, Inc., is a supermarket chain with stores in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland. The company was founded in 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Supermarket News ranked Giant Eagle No. 21 in the 2009 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2008...
, Dollar Bank
Dollar Bank
Dollar Bank is a full service, regional bank serving both individuals and business customers, operating more than 50 branch offices and loan centers throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio metropolitan areas. The bank’s Pennsylvania headquarters is located in downtown...
, Howard Hanna Realty, and PNC Financial Services
PNC Financial Services
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based financial services corporation, with assets of approximately $264.3 billion...
acquisition
National City acquisition by PNC
The National City acquisition by PNC was the deal by PNC Financial Services to acquire National City Corp. on October 24, 2008 following National City's untenable loan losses during the subprime mortgage crisis...
of National City Corp.
National City Corp.
National City Corporation was a regional bank holding company based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 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 City Mortgage is credited for doing the first...
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
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
roots with Vocelli Pizza
Vocelli Pizza
Vocelli Pizza is a pizzeria based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. , the chain has stores in the District of Columbia, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia...
and Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
-based Sheetz
Sheetz
Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
making successful expansions into the Cleveland market.
Conversely, Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams has locations throughout Pittsburgh and nationally is one of the top competitors to Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries
PPG Industries
PPG Industries is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass and fiber glass. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 60 countries around the globe. Sales in 2010 were $13.4 billion...
. Two former Cleveland-based businesses, Picway Shoes and Revco
Revco
Revco Discount Drug Stores , 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 was traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RXR...
, had locations throughout Pittsburgh before being bought out by Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...
in 1994 and CVS/pharmacy in 1998, respectively. National City Bank itself had expanded into Pittsburgh in 1995 through its acquisition of Integra Bank
Integra Bank (Pittsburgh)
Integra Financial was a Pittsburgh-based bank that was eventually acquired by National City Corp. in late 1995 in one of National City's first attempts at becoming a major powerhouse in American banking....
and actually caused antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
problems when PNC bought National City in 2008, being forced to divest 61 National City branches in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
. Although First Niagara Bank
First Niagara Bank
First Niagara Bank is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured regional banking corporation headquartered in the historic Larkin Terminal Warehouse in Buffalo, New York.-History:...
ultimately bought 57 of the branches, Cleveland-based KeyBank was one of the banks that was considering buying the branches and expanding into Pittsburgh.
Republic Steel
Republic Steel
Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.The Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899....
, which was based in Cleveland, was the company that suggested to the Steelers that the team use the Steelmark
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....
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 coach Chuck NollChuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
was born in Cleveland and played linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Browns. His successor as head coach, Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
, also played linebacker and special teams for the Browns, and was an assistant coach for the Browns from 1985-1988. In the 1980s and 1990s however Cowher was considered a native Pittsburgher playing and coaching for Cleveland, having been born and raised in the west hills suburbs of Pittsburgh. Former Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
is a native of Pittsburgh area suburb Canonsburg
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
, along with his brother Kurt Schottenheimer
Kurt Schottenheimer
Kurt Schottenheimer is the special teams coordinator for the Virginia Destroyers.He was hired by the 49ers on January 18, 2010, and was dismissed following the departure of Mike Singletary as head coach. He is a former defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and...
, who was the Browns special teams coach from 1987-1988. Another Browns head coach, Bud Carson
Bud Carson
Leon H. "Bud" Carson was an American football coach best known for his role on the Pittsburgh Steelers' championship teams of the 1970s.-Player:Carson played defensive back for North Carolina from 1949 to 1951, then entered the Marines.-Georgia Tech:...
also had as his hometown a northern suburb of Pittsburgh and was a longtime Steelers coordinator under Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
.
Steelers Hall of Famer Jack Lambert is an native Ohioan and attended Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
, as did Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
native James Harrison. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
hails from Findlay, Ohio
Findlay, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,967 people, 15,905 households, and 10,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.3 people per square mile . There were 17,152 housing units at an average density of 997.6 per square mile...
. Former Browns fullback Tim Manoa
Tim Manoa
Tim Manoa is a former professional American football player. He played fullback for four seasons in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Indianapolis Colts...
attended Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. Former punter Chris Gardocki
Chris Gardocki
Christopher Allen Gardocki is a former punter in the National Football League. Gardocki has spent time with the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
played for three years for the Steelers, including the Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
championship team, after playing five seasons with the Browns from 1999-2003. Current Steelers Offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Bruce Arians
Bruce Arians
Bruce Arians is the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to holding this position, Arians served as the wide receivers coach for the Steelers, a position that he held with the team since the 2004 season...
held the same position with the Browns from 2001-2003.
History of the rivalry
The Browns and Steelers first met in 1950, the Browns' first NFL game after dominating the AAFCAll-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
. Early on during this period, the Browns were one of the NFL's elite teams and dominated the rivalry. The Steelers did not win the first game against the Browns until 1954.
The rivalry would carry over to the newly-formed American Football Conference in 1970 as the two teams and the then-Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
joined the former American Football League (AFL)
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
teams in the conference as part of the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. The newly-merged league needed to move three teams from the "old" NFL to the AFC so that the two conferences had 13 teams even. (The rest of the "old" NFL teams joined the newly-formed NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
.) The NFL tried to get the Steelers to the new conference, but then-Steelers owner Art Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
initially refused. Then-Browns owner Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
volunteered the Browns to shift to the AFC after he was offered $3 million as an incentive to move. That financial boost made it easy to convince Art Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
to join him in the AFC in order to continue their own rivalry. In addition, a potential intrastate rivalry
Battle of Ohio (NFL)
In the National Football League, the Battle of Ohio refers to games played between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. This rivalry has produced 2 of the 8 highest scoring games in NFL history...
with the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
(due to his lingering feud with Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
at the time) could be developed (though like the Browns, the Bengals currently view the Steelers as their biggest rival).
However, in the 1970s the Steelers had begun to even the playing field with the Browns, led by head coach Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
, a Cleveland native and former Browns linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. By then, the rivalry between the two clubs was more hostile and personal, as evident in the 1976 matchup at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, when Joe "Turkey" Jones tackled Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
with a pile-driving sack. Bradshaw would suffer a neck injury from the play, and the footage of the sack has since become immortalized in NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
as part of the rivalry.
While the two would exchange victories in the 1970s and 1980s, by the 1990s the Steelers would become the dominant team in the rivalry. Since the Browns' last series sweep in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, the Steelers have an overwhelming 29-8 mark against the Browns, enough that in 2007 the Steelers took over the lead in the all-time series (which they currently lead at 60-56) for the first time. During most of this time, Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
was head coach of the Steelers. Cowher, a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton
Crafton, Pennsylvania
Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 5,951 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, also played linebacker for the Browns (though unlike Noll, Cowher mostly played special teams), and also served as an assistant in Cleveland under Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
, himself a native of another Pittsburgh area suburb, Canonsburg
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
.
The Steelers also have a 2-0 record against the Browns in the playoffs, with both games taking place in Pittsburgh.
The rivalry took a brief hiatus from 1996-1998 due to the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
Cleveland Browns relocation controversy
The Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...
. When the league was voting on the Browns relocation, Steelers owner Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
was one of only two owners to vote against the move. In tribute of Cleveland losing the Browns, Steeler fans wore orange arm bands to the final game at Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
as a sign of mutual respect and sorrow for losing a great rivalry. While Browns fans still consider the Steelers as their main archrival, a small number of Steeler fans consider their rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
the spiritual successor to this rivalry due to Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
moving the his franchise to Baltimore and establish the expansion Ravens, even though the recent one-sidedness of this rivalry in favor of the Steelers has influenced this thinking as well. Nevertheless, it is still heated between both teams and one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL.
1950s (Browns 16-4)
| Season | Date | Result | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 1950 NFL season The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both... | October 7 | Browns 30-17 | Forbes Field Forbes Field Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise... | Taking advantage of six Steeler turnovers, the Browns won the inaugural meeting between the two franchises. Cleveland's first touchdown was set up by a 46-yard punt return from Dom Moselle Dom Moselle Dom Moselle is a former defensive back and halfback in the National Football League.-Biography:Moselle was born Dominic Angelo Moselle on June 23, 1926 in Gile, Wisconsin. He went on to serve in the United States Army during World War II and marry Patricia O'Keefe... in the opening quarter, and two more scores were tallied before halftime as a result of Pittsburgh fumbles. Both teams were powered by strong running games, combining for just over 400 yards on the day, with the clinching touchdown coming on a 48-yard run by the Browns' Dub Jones. That score came after yet another Steeler fumble. |
| October 29 | Browns 45-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Led by Marion Motley Marion Motley Marion Motley was a professional football player, a fullback for the Cleveland Browns, and briefly for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Early years:... 's 188 yards on just 11 carries, the Browns had little trouble in sweeping the season series. In addition to amassing a combined 338 yards on the ground, the Cleveland defense forced eight turnovers and held the Steelers scoreless until early in the final quarter. The Browns had held a 17-0 advantage at halftime, but then put the game away after the break with a 69-yard scoring run from Motley and a 14-yard scamper from Don Phelps, who gained 87 yards rushing and also returned a kickoff 61 yards to set up the team's first score. | |
| 1951 1951 NFL season The 1951 NFL season was the 32nd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Baltimore Colts owner Abraham Watner faced financial difficulties, and thus gave his team and its player contracts back to the league for $50,000. However, many Baltimore fans started to protest... | October 21 | Browns 17-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | |
| December 9 | Browns 28-0 | Forbes Field | ||
| 1952 1952 NFL season The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL... | October 4 | Browns 21-20 | Forbes Field | Browns' Otto Graham Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,... rallies from 13 point deficit, Pittsburgh loses game on missed PAT. |
| November 16 | Browns 29-28 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | ||
| 1953 1953 NFL season The 1953 NFL season was the 34th regular season of the National Football League. The names of the American and National conferences were changed to the Eastern and Western conferences.... | November 8 | Browns 34-16 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Bouncing back from an early 9-0 deficit, the Browns ran off 17 unanswered points and went on to maintain a spotless 7-0 record on the season. In the closing moments of the first half, they also blocked a field goal that was returned 79 yards for a score by Ray Renfro Ray Renfro Raymond Renfro was an American professional football player. Renfro attended the University of North Texas and played in twelve NFL seasons from 1952-1963 for the Cleveland Browns. He is the father of former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Mike Renfro. Ray died at the age of 67... , his second touchdown of the afternoon, to give Cleveland a 24-16 advantage. In the final quarter, Otto Graham Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,... connected with Dante Lavelli Dante Lavelli Dante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League from 1946 to 1956... , and Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... kicked his second field goal of the afternoon to close out the scoring. |
| November 22 | Browns 20-16 | Forbes Field | Otto Graham Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,... touchdown passes to Ray Renfro Ray Renfro Raymond Renfro was an American professional football player. Renfro attended the University of North Texas and played in twelve NFL seasons from 1952-1963 for the Cleveland Browns. He is the father of former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Mike Renfro. Ray died at the age of 67... and Darrell Brewster, along with field goals of 50 and 42 yards by Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... gave the Browns their ninth win of the season without a loss. Groza's field goals came against a stiff wind, while the injury-depleted Cleveland defense limited the Steelers to a pair of scores. Two of the Pittsburgh points came on an odd second quarter safety in which the Browns Warren Lahr Warren Lahr Warren Lahr is a former professional American Football player who played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns . He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1947 NFL Draft... intercepted a Jim Finks Jim Finks James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:... pass in the end zone, but was tackled before he came out. | |
| 1954 1954 NFL season The 1954 NFL season was the 35th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Detroit Lions in the NFL Championship Game.-Major rule changes:... | October 17 | Steelers 55-27 | Forbes Field | After being on the losing side in each of the previous eight matchups, the Steelers picked up their first win of the series with a 28-point thrashing. Ray Matthews provided plenty of offense with five catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns, along with another score on the ground. Pittsburgh took advantage of eight Browns turnovers, including six interceptions—two of which were returned for scores. |
| December 12 | Browns 42-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Fueled by three first half touchdown runs by running back Chet Hanulak Chet Hanulak Chet Hanulak is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Cleveland Browns.... , the Browns won their eighth straight game and avenged their earlier loss to the Steelers with the victory. Hanulak's scores and Ken Konz' interception return for another touchdown gave Cleveland a commanding 28-0 lead at halftime. On the day, the Browns rolled up 464 yards of total offense, including 282 on the ground, while holding Pittsburgh to just 171 on their side of the ball. | |
| 1955 1955 NFL season The 1955 NFL season was the 36th regular season of the National Football League. NBC paid $100,000 to replace DuMont as the national television network for the NFL Championship Game... | November 20 | Browns 41-14 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Three second half touchdowns by the Browns broke open a close contest and gave them their seventh win in nine games. Curly Morrison rushed for 140 yards for Cleveland while Dante Lavelli Dante Lavelli Dante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League from 1946 to 1956... cauight a pair of touchdown passes from Otto Graham Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,... . For the second straight year, Ken Konz returned an interception for a score, and also provided a 42-yard punt return that set up another touchdown. |
| December 4 | Browns 30-7 | Forbes Field | The Browns clinched their sixth consecutive Eastern Division title with a comfortable win that saw a dominating defense hold the Steelers to just 123 yards of total offense. Otto Graham Otto Graham Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,... completed only four passes for the afternoon, but two of those went for touchdowns, and he also scored one of his own on the ground. In addition, Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... added three field goals. The Steelers' only points came in the final quarter on a blocked Horace Gillom Horace Gillom Horace Albert Gillom was a professional American football defensive end and punter in the National Football League. He played ten seasons for the Cleveland Browns .... punt. | |
| 1956 1956 NFL season The 1956 NFL season was the 37th regular season of the National Football League. CBS became the first network to televise some regular season games across the nation... | October 6 | Browns 14-10 | Forbes Field | In a nighttime matchup, the Browns held off a last-minute drive to pick up the win as Warren Lahr Warren Lahr Warren Lahr is a former professional American Football player who played defensive back for the Cleveland Browns . He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1947 NFL Draft... knocked away Ted Marchibroda Ted Marchibroda Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:... 's pass in the end zone with 1:13 left in the contest. Browns quarterback George Ratterman George Ratterman George William Ratterman was an American Football player in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League.-Early life:... had given Cleveland the lead in the second quarter, but the Steelers headed to the halftime locker room with a 10-7 advantage. Ed Modzelewski Ed Modzelewski Ed Modzelewski is a former football player, who played professionally for the Cleveland Browns. His brother, Dick Modzelewski, also played in the NFL and at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft, but did not make the active roster.... 's 13-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter gave the Browns the lead for good and set up the late-game drama. |
| November 28 | Steelers 24-16 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Scoring three second quarter touchdowns helped the Steelers come back from an early 13-point deficit and allowed them to notch their first-ever win in Cleveland. Pittsburgh was sparked by a blocked field goal from Dale Dodrill Dale Dodrill Dale Dodrill is a former American football defensive tackle who played nine seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He attended Colorado State University.... , with Ted Marchibroda Ted Marchibroda Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:... sandwiching a pair of touchdown passes around a one-yard run by Lynn Chandnois Lynn Chandnois Lynn Chandnois was a former standout professional American football player who earned All-American honors for the Michigan State Spartans in 1949, the NFL Player Of The Year award for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1952 and twice made it to the Pro Bowl.After both his parents died, Lynn, who was born... . A quiet second half saw only one field goal from each close out the scoring. | |
| 1957 1957 NFL season The 1957 NFL season was the 38th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions crushed the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game, 59–14.-Major rule changes:... | October 5 | Browns 23-12 | Forbes Field | A Saturday night clash in Pittsburgh sees the Browns collect 13 points from the Steelers' seven turnovers, while Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... connects on three field goals during the evening. The two Cleveland touchdowns come via passes: the first on a halfback option from Chet Hanulak Chet Hanulak Chet Hanulak is a former professional American football player who played running back for four seasons for the Cleveland Browns.... to Ray Renfro Ray Renfro Raymond Renfro was an American professional football player. Renfro attended the University of North Texas and played in twelve NFL seasons from 1952-1963 for the Cleveland Browns. He is the father of former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Mike Renfro. Ray died at the age of 67... in the second quarter, the second on a toss from Tommy O'Connell Tommy O'Connell Tommy O'Connell is a retired American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who played in five NFL and two American Football League seasons from 1953–1957 and 1960-1961 for 3 different teams... to Milt Campbell Milt Campbell Milton Gray Campbell is an American decathlete of the 1950s. In 1956, he became the first African American to win the gold medal in the decathlon of the Summer Olympic Games.... . |
| November 10 | Browns 24-0 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | The Browns score in every quarter and shut out the Steelers for the second time in the eight-year history of the series. After Browns quarterback Tommy O'Connell Tommy O'Connell Tommy O'Connell is a retired American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who played in five NFL and two American Football League seasons from 1953–1957 and 1960-1961 for 3 different teams... throws touchdown passes to Ray Renfro Ray Renfro Raymond Renfro was an American professional football player. Renfro attended the University of North Texas and played in twelve NFL seasons from 1952-1963 for the Cleveland Browns. He is the father of former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Mike Renfro. Ray died at the age of 67... and Preston Carpenter Preston Carpenter Verba Preston Carpenter was a professional American football player who played wide receiver, tight end, running back and special teams for eleven seasons for five different teams in the National Football League and the American Football League... , they clinch the contest in the fourth quarter when defensive back Don Paul Don Paul (defensive back) Don Paul was a professional American football defensive back for the Chicago Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He was selected to four Pro Bowls, one as a member of the Cardinals and three as a member of the Browns.... returns a Billy Wells fumble 89 yards for the score. | |
| 1958 1958 NFL season The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League.The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23–17, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game... | October 5 | Browns 45-12 | Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium Pitt Stadium was a stadium located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1925 to 1999. It served primarily as the home of the University of Pittsburgh's football team, the Pittsburgh Panthers... | The Browns take advantage of nine Steeler turnovers to pick their second win of the season. Rolling up more than 400 yards of total offense, Cleveland is led by both Milt Plum's precision passing (completing all but one of his 14 pass attempts) and Jim Brown's 129 yards on the ground. After Pittsburgh slices their deficit to 21-10 in the second quarter, the Browns run off 24 unanswered points to put the game away. |
| October 19 | Browns 27-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Facing each other for the second time in three weeks, the Browns bounce back from an early 7-0 deficit to remain undefeated at 4-0. Cleveland takes advantage of seven Steeler turnovers and uses the running combination of Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... (153 yards) and Bobby Mitchell Bobby Mitchell Robert Cornelius Mitchell is a former American football halfback and flanker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Early life:Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas and attended... (108 yards) to run off 27 straight points. A slight head injury to Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... forces Browns quarterback Milt Plum Milt Plum Milton Ross Plum was an American football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants of the National Football League.-Career:... to kick two extra points. | |
| 1959 1959 NFL season The 1959 NFL season was the 40th regular season of the National Football League. Tragedy struck as NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack on October 11 at Philadelphia's Franklin Field while watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers play... | September 26 | Steelers 17-7 | Forbes Field | In a Saturday night season opener, the Browns are unable to stop Steelers quarterback Bobby Layne, who throws for 209 yards and two touchdowns, runs for 49 yards on five carries and also kicks a 26-yard field goal. The Browns had led 7-0 at the half on the strength of Milt Plum's one-yard quarterback sneak in the second quarter. |
| November 22 | Steelers 21-20 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Bobby Layne Bobby Layne Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962... takes the Steelers 72 yards for the winning touchdown, connecting with Gern Nagler on an 18-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left. Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... , whose missed extra point in the second quarter served as the final margin, misses his third field goal of the day, a 49-yard effort, for the Browns as time expires. The loss spoils an outstanding performance by the Browns' Ray Renfro Ray Renfro Raymond Renfro was an American professional football player. Renfro attended the University of North Texas and played in twelve NFL seasons from 1952-1963 for the Cleveland Browns. He is the father of former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Mike Renfro. Ray died at the age of 67... , who hauls in five receptions for 161 yards and three touchdowns. |
1960s (Browns 15-5)
| Season | Date | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 1960 NFL season The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals... | October 2 | Browns 28-20 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | The Browns jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead, but needed some defensive help to hold off the Steeler comeback. Cleveland's Milt Plum Milt Plum Milton Ross Plum was an American football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants of the National Football League.-Career:... threw for 308 yards on just 10 completions to three receivers: Rich Kreitling Rich Kreitling Richard Allen Kreitling is a former American football wide receiver who played with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League.... , Bobby Mitchell Bobby Mitchell Robert Cornelius Mitchell is a former American football halfback and flanker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Early life:Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas and attended... and Gern Nagler Gern Nagler Gern Nagler is a former American football wide receiver who played ten seasons in the National Football League.... . |
| November 20 | Steelers 14-10 | Forbes Field | On the final play of the game, Milt Plum Milt Plum Milton Ross Plum was an American football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns , Detroit Lions , Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants of the National Football League.-Career:... 's end zone pass to Leon Clarke is ruled a trap, giving the Steelers the victory. Earlier in the final quarter, the Steelers' Tom Tracy Tom Tracy John Thomas "The Bomb" Tracy was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Washington Redskins and in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders... had scored the go-ahead touchdown to complete a 75-yard drive. The Pittsburgh win spoiled an outstanding effort by Browns wide receiver Gern Nagler Gern Nagler Gern Nagler is a former American football wide receiver who played ten seasons in the National Football League.... , who caught 10 passes for 177 yards, one catch away from the team record. | |
| 1961 1961 NFL season The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per... | October 22 | Browns 30-28 | Forbes Field | With Bobby Mitchell Bobby Mitchell Robert Cornelius Mitchell is a former American football halfback and flanker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Early life:Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas and attended... scoring three touchdowns and Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... adding a trio of field goals, the Browns are able to withstand Buddy Dial Buddy Dial Gilbert Leroy "Buddy" Dial was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:... 's Steelers-record 235 receiving yards (including an 88-yard reception for touchdown). Pittsburgh's John Henry Johnson John Henry Johnson John Henry Johnson was an American football fullback. He played from 1954 to 1965 for the San Francisco 49ers, the Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League... fumble in the final two minutes seals the victory for Cleveland. |
| November 5 | Steelers 17-13 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Bob Schnelker Bob Schnelker Robert Bernard Schnelker is a former American football wide receiver who played for nine seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the New York Giants. Schnelker was a two-time Pro Bowler. After retiring from football, he was an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers and the... 's 26-yard touchdown catch from Rudy Bukich Rudy Bukich Rudolph Andrew Bukich is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League between 1953 and 1968. He played college football at the University of Southern California... in the closing minutes gives the Steelers the victory. The winning drive had been sparked by a 50-yard kickoff return from Dick Haley Dick Haley George Richard Haley, Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Pittsburgh Steelers... . The Browns' Lou Groza Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns.... had given Cleveland a three-point advantage with a 37-yard field goal at the 3:37 mark of the final quarter. | |
| 1962 1962 NFL season The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee.... | October 28 | Browns 41-14 | Pitt Stadium | After Browns starting quarterback Jim Ninowski Jim Ninowski James Ninowski, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He played college football at Michigan State University and was drafted in the fourth... suffers a shoulder separation in the second quarter, Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... enters the game and puts 34 points on the board, including touchdown passes to Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... and Ernie Green. The Cleveland defense also has a standout day, sacking Steeler quarterbacks Bobby Layne Bobby Layne Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962... and Ed Brown Ed Brown (quarterback) Charles Edward Brown was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League.-Prior to the NFL:... ten times. |
| November 25 | Browns 35-14 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Three fourth quarter touchdowns help break up a tight game, as Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... ends a busy day with 110 yards rushing, five receptions for 56 yards, and three touchdowns. Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... also puts up impressive numbers, completing 21 of 33 passes for 284 yards while throwing a trio of touchdown passes. | |
| 1963 1963 NFL season The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;... | October 5 | Browns 35-23 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Before more than 84,000 fans, the Browns use a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes to cement the victory. The game, played on a Saturday night for the first of eight consecutive years in Cleveland, saw seven lead changes. |
| November 10 | Steelers 9-7 | Pitt Stadium | Steeler quarterback Ed Brown Ed Brown (quarterback) Charles Edward Brown was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League.-Prior to the NFL:... connects with Gary Ballman Gary Ballman Gary John Ballman was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Ballman starred at Michigan State before playing halfback and wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1962 to 1966, making the Pro Bowl the final two seasons... early in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead (and eventual winning) score. The two point difference came from a third quarter safety in which Pittsburgh linebacker Bob Schmitz Bob Schmitz Robert Joseph Schmitz was an American football linebacker who played professionally in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Schmitz graduated from New Holstein High School in New Holstein, Wisconsin... trapped Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... in the end zone. | |
| 1964 1964 NFL season The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to... | October 10 | Steelers 23-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Veteran (35 years old) Steeler running back John Henry Johnson John Henry Johnson John Henry Johnson was an American football fullback. He played from 1954 to 1965 for the San Francisco 49ers, the Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League... , outgains Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... in rushing yardage, 200 to 59, and also scored three touchdowns in Pittsburgh's romp. |
| November 1 | Browns 30-17 | Pitt Stadium | Three weeks after their upset loss, the Browns gain a measure of revenge with the use of a potent running attack. Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... gains 149 yards while Ernie Green scores a pair of touchdowns. Cleveland's defense also sacks Steeler quarterback Ed Brown Ed Brown (quarterback) Charles Edward Brown was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League.-Prior to the NFL:... five times for 42 yards. | |
| 1965 1965 NFL season The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the... | October 9 | Browns 24-19 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | With just 44 seconds left in the game and the Steelers leading 19-17, Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... connects with Gary Collins on a 14-yard touchdown pass for the game-winner. Under rainy and muddy conditions, Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... runs for 168 yards on the evening |
| November 28 | Browns 42-21 | Pitt Stadium | The Browns clinch their second straight division championship behind the outstanding performance of Jim Brown Jim Brown James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News... who scores four touchdowns and rushes for 146 yards. Despite winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour, Steeler quarterback Bill Nelsen Bill Nelsen William Keith Nelsen was a former football player who played collegiately for the University of Southern California and professionally with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known for his leadership ability and ability to play with pain, having endured a series of knee... throws three touchdown passes, two of them for more than 80 yards or more. | |
| 1966 1966 NFL season The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams... | October 8 | Browns 41-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | After a third quarter letdown that saw Pittsburgh reduce a 21-0 halftime deficit to 11, the Browns reached the end zone three times in the final quarter. The Browns' Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.... and Ernie Green each rushed for more than 100 yards on the evening. |
| November 6 | Steelers 16-6 | Pitt Stadium | The Steelers pick off five of Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... 's passes and use the leg of kicker Mike Clark Mike Clark (placekicker) Michael Vincent Clark was an American football placekicker in the National Football League from . He was a part of the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl VI winning team. Clark died of a heart attack at Baylor University Medical Center. He was diagnosed with advanced melanoma in 1998.... to pull the upset victory. Clark connects on three field goals, while Gary Ballman Gary Ballman Gary John Ballman was an American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Ballman starred at Michigan State before playing halfback and wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1962 to 1966, making the Pro Bowl the final two seasons... catches a eight-yard touchdown pass, part of 16 unanswered points by Pittsburgh. | |
| 1967 1967 NFL season The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and... | October 7 | Browns 21-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Behind three touchdown passes from Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... and 188 yards rushing from the duo of Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.... and Ernie Green, the Browns evened their mark at 2-2 on the young season. Steeler rookie quarterback Kent Nix Kent Nix Alvin Kent Nix is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. Nix played football collegiately at Texas Christian University . He is the son of Emery Nix, New York Giants quarterback who played for the New York Giants in 1943 and 1946... , in just his second start, was 23-34 for 218 yards and one touchdown. |
| November 5 | Browns 34-14 | Pitt Stadium | Despite a severely bruised right arm, Browns quarterback Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... threw for a pair of scores, while the rushing attack also contributed 181 yards on the ground. Special teams were not ignored by Cleveland as rookie Ben Davis returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown. | |
| 1968 1968 NFL season The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The... | October 5 | Browns 31-24 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | With new quarterback Bill Nelsen Bill Nelsen William Keith Nelsen was a former football player who played collegiately for the University of Southern California and professionally with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known for his leadership ability and ability to play with pain, having endured a series of knee... at the helm, the Browns stop a two-game losing streak, in part by using the legs of Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.... , who rushes for 128 yards and one touchdown. Cleveland breaks a 17-17 deadlock in the third quarter by taking advantage of a fumbled punt and interception by the Steelers. |
| November 17 | Browns 45-24 | Pitt Stadium | The passing duo of Bill Nelsen Bill Nelsen William Keith Nelsen was a former football player who played collegiately for the University of Southern California and professionally with both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He was known for his leadership ability and ability to play with pain, having endured a series of knee... and Frank Ryan Frank Ryan (American football) Frank Beall Ryan is a retired American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Los Angeles Rams , Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins . Although he led the Browns to their last National Football League title in 1964, Ryan is best remembered for being perhaps... combine for 352 yards passing and five touchdown tosses for the Browns, while the ball-hawking defense collects six interceptions on the cloudy afternoon. | |
| 1969 1969 NFL season The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the... | October 18 | Browns 42-31 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | In a high-scoring affair, the Browns use a pair of interception returns for touchdowns to break open a tight 14-10 game, with veteran Erich Barnes Erich Barnes Erich Theodore Barnes was an American football defensive back in the National Football League. He was a six-time Pro Bowler. Before the NFL he was an outstanding all around athlete at Purdue University . Barnes was drafted fourth by the Bears in the 1958 NFL Draft and traded to the Giants in 1961... and rookie Walt Sumner Walt Sumner Walter Herman Sumner is a former American football player who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 1969 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 188 lbs. safety from Florida State University, Sumner played in 6 NFL seasons from 1969-1974.At Florida State, he was a two-sport star as an... doing the honors. Browns receiver Gary Collins and Steeler wideout Roy Jefferson Roy Jefferson Roy Lee Jefferson is a former American football wide receiver who played twelve seasons in the National Football League... each catch seven passes for over 100 yards. |
| November 16 | Browns 24-3 | Pitt Stadium | Wide receiver Paul Warfield Paul Warfield Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :... collects 132 yards on just five catches and scores one touchdown to help the Browns from a 51-3 drubbing the previous week. The victory marks the sixth consecutive victory over the Steelers. |
1970s (Steelers 15-5)
| Season | Date | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 1970 NFL season The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new... | October 3 | Browns 15-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Browns rookie quarterback Mike Phipps Mike Phipps Michael Elston Phipps is a former professional American football quarterback who played collegiately for the Purdue University Boilermakers , and professionally for both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears .-College career:After playing high school for Columbus High School in Columbus,... enters the game early in the second half and leads the Browns to 13 unanswered points and the victory. Fellow rookie signal caller Terry Bradshaw Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday... is trapped for his third safety in as many games for the Steelers. |
| November 29 | Steelers 28-9 | Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to... | An energized Steeler squad took control of a tight game in the second half as Terry Bradshaw Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday... threw touchdown passes to Ron Shanklin (his second of the game) and John Fuqua. The Browns managed just 199 yards of total offense, while Pittsburgh amassed more than 400 on the rainy afternoon. | |
| 1971 1971 NFL season The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins... | October 10 | Browns 27-17 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | After leading 20-7 at halftime, the Browns held off the upset-minded Steelers for the seventh straight time at home, with tight end Milt Morin Milt Morin Milton Denis Morin was a professional American football tight end in the National Football League. After college at the University of Massachusetts, he played for the Cleveland Browns for ten seasons... hauling in eight receptions for 126 yards. |
| November 7 | Steelers 26-9 | Three Rivers Stadium | L.C. Greenwood's block of a Don Cockroft Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns... fourth quarter punt leads to Roy Gerela Roy Gerela Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings.... 's fourth field goal of the afternoon and blunts a Cleveland comeback. The clutch play came as the Steelers had seen their 16-point halftime margin sliced to one touchdown. John Fuqua led all rushers with 133 yards on the day, while Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.... also reached the century mark for Cleveland with 102. | |
| 1972 1972 NFL season The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:... | November 19 | Browns 26-24 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Browns kicker Don Cockroft Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns... redeemed himself by kicking a game-winning 26-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. Cockroft had missed a 27-yard attempt with just under two minutes remaining, but quarterback Mike Phipps' final-minute drive gained 40 yards to set up the winning points. |
| December 3 | Steelers 30-0 | Three Rivers Stadium | A dominating performance by the Steelers puts them in position to win the first division title in their 40-year history. The Browns cross midfield just once, a drive that ends with a missed Don Cockroft Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns... field goal. Rookie Franco Harris Franco Harris Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall... runs for 102 yards and scores two touchdowns, while Roy Gerela Roy Gerela Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings.... adds three field goals. The Steelers take control after Andy Russell recovers a Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73.... fumble in the third quarter. | |
| 1973 1973 NFL season The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season... | September 23 | Steelers 33-6 | Three Rivers Stadium | For the second straight year, the Steelers completely bottle up the Browns in Three Rivers Stadium as Roy Gerela Roy Gerela Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings.... connects on four field goals and Frank Lewis is on the receiving end of two touchdown passes. Browns quarterback Mike Phipps Mike Phipps Michael Elston Phipps is a former professional American football quarterback who played collegiately for the Purdue University Boilermakers , and professionally for both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears .-College career:After playing high school for Columbus High School in Columbus,... has a rough day, throwing three interceptions and getting sacked three times. |
| November 25 | Browns 21-16 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | A clutch reception late in the fourth quarter by rookie running back Greg Pruitt Greg Pruitt Gregory Donald Pruitt is a former American football running back in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner... , followed soon after by a 19-yard touchdown run by Pruitt helped the Browns notch their ninth straight win against the Steelers in Cleveland. The victory keeps the Browns in the thick of the AFC Central Division race. | |
| 1974 1974 NFL season The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings... | October 20 | Steelers 20-16 | Three Rivers Stadium | Entering the game as heavy underdogs, the Browns nearly pull off an upset before coming up short. Late in the fourth quarter, Mike Phipps Mike Phipps Michael Elston Phipps is a former professional American football quarterback who played collegiately for the Purdue University Boilermakers , and professionally for both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears .-College career:After playing high school for Columbus High School in Columbus,... ' pass in Steeler territory is intercepted by Glen Edwards Glen Edwards (American football) Glen Edwards played safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1971 to 1977, and for the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1981. Edwards is a Gibbs High School alumnus.... to seal the game for the Steelers. Both teams had problems holding onto the ball, with eight fumbles leading to three turnovers. |
| November 17 | Steelers 26-16 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | For the first time since 1959, the Steelers swept the season series between the two teams as Pittsburgh scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the victory. Don Cockroft Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns... 's third field goal of the day had given the Browns a 16-13 lead, but Roy Gerela Roy Gerela Roy Gerela is a former American football placekicker best known for his years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won three Super Bowl rings.... sandwiched a pair of field goals around J.T. Thomas J. T. Thomas (defensive back) James Thomas Jr. is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers 24th overall in the 1973 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.... ' fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown. | |
| 1975 1975 NFL season The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:... | October 5 | Steelers 42-6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | The Steelers take a 28-0 halftime lead and coast to victory. The most noteworthy moment of the game came in the second quarter when Steelers defensive tackle "Mean Joe" Greene Joe Greene (American football) Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League... repeatedly kicked Browns lineman Bob McKay Bob McKay Robert Charles McKay was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1970 through 1978, playing with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.... in the groin Groin In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles... during this game while McKay was on the ground., leading to his ejection from the contest. |
| December 7 | Steelers 31-17 | Three Rivers Stadium | Bouncing back from a 17-7 second quarter deficit, the Steelers score 24 unanswered points to hold off the upset-minded Browns, who entered the game with a 2-10 record. Two Terry Bradshaw Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday... to Lynn Swann Lynn Swann -Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He... touchdown passes in the third quarter fuel the comeback, while Franco Harris Franco Harris Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall... contributes 103 yards to the Pittsburgh running game. | |
| 1976 1976 NFL season The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... | September 19 | Steelers 31-14 | Three Rivers Stadium | After trailing 14-0 at the half, the Steelers change the momentum of the game when Jack Ham blocks Don Cockroft Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns... 's punt, leading to Pittsburgh's first score, the first of 31 straight points for the defending Super Bowl champions. The Browns contribute by committing four turnovers in the second half, including a pair of fumbles by rookie Mike Pruitt Mike Pruitt Michael Pruitt is a former American football running back who played eleven seasons from 1976 to 1986 with the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League... . |
| October 10 | Browns 18-16 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | After Browns quarterback Brian Sipe Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985.... leaves the game in the first half with a concussion, third-string signal caller Dave Mays leads the Browns to victory. Don Cockroft Don Cockroft Donald Lee Cockroft is a former American football punter and placekicker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns... kicks four field goals for Cleveland, with running back Cleo Miller Cleo Miller Cleophus Miller is a former professional American football running back who played nine seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns.-NFL Career:... scoring the team's lone touchdown. The most memorable play came with approximately 11 minutes left in the game as the Browns' Joe "Turkey" Jones sacks Terry Bradshaw Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday... on a pile-driving sack, injuring the quarterback and forcing him to miss the next two games. | 1977 1977 NFL season The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central.... | October 2 | Steelers 28-14 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Trailing 14-7 in the second quarter, the Steelers' Frank Lewis catches a ball that bounces off the Browns' Oliver Davis Oliver Davis (American football) Oliver Davis is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1977 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee State.... , then is tipped by Davis' teammate, Thom Darden Thom Darden Thomas Vincent Darden is a former American football cornerback, safety, and punt returner who played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League . In the NFL, he was a three-time All-Pro free safety. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 1978. He holds most Cleveland Browns franchise... , before being grabbed by Lewis for a 65-yard touchdown pass. In the third quarter, a fumbled punt by the Browns deep in their own territory is recovered by Pittsburgh and results in a Lynn Swann Lynn Swann -Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He... touchdown reception, giving the Steelers the lead for good. |
| November 13 | Steelers 35-31 | Three Rivers Stadium | After taking a 28-3 halftime lead and knocking out Browns quarterback Brian Sipe Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985.... with a season-ending shoulder injury, the Steelers hold off a fourth quarter rally by the Browns. The Steelers were powered primarily by the pass catching duo of John Stallworth John Stallworth Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,... and Lynn Swann Lynn Swann -Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He... , who combined for 255 yards on 11 catches, while scoring three touchdowns. | |
| 1978 1978 NFL season The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference... | September 24 | Steelers 15-9 (OT) | Three Rivers Stadium | After the two teams each kicked three field goals in regulation, they face off in the first-ever overtime game ever in the series. Pittsburgh wins the coin toss to start the extra session, but fumble on the ensuing kick to the Browns. However, an official ruled that the play had been whistled dead before the fumble. Terry Bradshaw Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday... then leads the Steelers down the field before calling double reverse and connecting with tight end Bennie Cunningham Bennie Cunningham Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. is a retired American football tight end.Cunningham was drafted out of the Clemson University in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Steelers his entire career... for the winning touchdown. |
| October 15 | Steelers 34-14 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | After Dave Logan Dave Logan (American football) David Russell Logan is a former American football player. Logan played in nine National Football League seasons from 1976 to 1984, primarily for the Cleveland Browns... 's second quarter touchdown reception gives the Browns a 7-6 lead, Steelers' rookie Larry Anderson takes the subsequent kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to give Pittsburgh the lead for good. In the third quarter, the Steelers' Mike Wagner Mike Wagner Michael Robert Wagner is a former American football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He won four Super Bowls as a safety on the famed Steel Curtain defense.-Playing career:... 's interception leads to another score and effectively puts the game away. Pittsburgh linebacker Jack Lambert was ejected in the second quarter for unnecessary roughness after hitting Browns quarterback Brian Sipe Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985.... out of bounds, and then punching a second Browns player. In a Howard Cosell Howard Cosell Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these... interview the next week Lambert comments on the now much quoted event as "Quarterbacks should wear dresses." | |
| 1979 1979 NFL season The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams... | October 7 | Steelers 51-35 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | After the Steelers take a 27-0 first half lead, they increase the margin to 30 at 44-14 late in the third quarter. At that point, the Browns' Brian Sipe Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985.... chops the margin to nine with just over nine minutes left with three of his five touchdown passes on the day. The Steelers then seal the victory with a long clock-eating drive, ending with Sidney Thornton Sidney Thornton Sidney Thornton is a former American professional football player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2nd round of the 1977 NFL Draft. A 5'11", . running back from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, Thornton played in 6 NFL seasons from 1977-1982 for the Steelers.... 's TD in the final minute. The contest remains the highest scoring game in the series to date. |
| November 25 | Steelers 33-30 (OT) | Three Rivers Stadium | After the Steelers' Matt Bahr Matt Bahr Matthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he excelled in both football and soccer... kicks a last-minute field goal to tie the game at 30, he wins the contest with nine seconds left in overtime on a 37-yard three-pointer. In a game that lasted more than four hours, the two teams combine for almost 700 passing yards—the Steelers with 606 total yards. The Browns held a 10-point lead at 30-20 with less than 10 minutes remaining, but the Steelers scored a touchdown with 4:42 left, followed by Bahr's field goal with 24 seconds left in regulation. |
1980s (Browns 12-8)
| Season | Date | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 1980 NFL season The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws... | October 26 | Browns 27-26 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Brian Sipe Brian Sipe Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985.... rallies the Kardiac Kids Kardiac Kids The Kardiac Kids is a reference to the 1980 Cleveland Browns, who had a penchant for having games decided in the final moments. Finishing 11-5, the Browns captured their first division title since 1971, winning a tiebreaker with the Houston Oilers... from a 26-14 fourth quarter deficit with touchdown passes to Greg Pruitt Greg Pruitt Gregory Donald Pruitt is a former American football running back in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner... and Ozzie Newsome Ozzie Newsome Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,... . The Steelers are without the services of injured players Terry Bradshaw Terry Bradshaw Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday... , Franco Harris Franco Harris Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall... , John Stallworth John Stallworth Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,... , Lynn Swann Lynn Swann -Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He... and Jack Lambert. |
| November 16 | Steelers 16-13 | Three Rivers Stadium | Terry Bradshaw's TD pass to Lynn Swann with eleven seconds left keeps the Browns winless at Three Rivers Stadium. | |
| 1981 1981 NFL season The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:... | October 11 | Jack Lambert knocks out Brian Sipe with helmet to helmet hitSteelers 13-7 | Three Rivers Stadium | |
| November 22 | Steelers 32-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | A pair of trick plays and three interceptions from defensive back Donnie Shell Donnie Shell Donnie Shell is a former American Football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League between 1974 and 1987. Shell was a member of the Steelers famed Steel Curtain defense in the 1970s.Shell retired as the NFL strong safety career leader in interceptions with 51... helps the Steelers effectively eliminate the Browns from playoff competition. Pittsburgh takes control of the game in the third quarter as a fake field goal leads to a Franco Harris Franco Harris Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall... touchdown. In the final stanza, a touchdown pass to offensive tackle Ray Pinney Ray Pinney Raymond Earl Pinney is a former NFL offensive tackle and guard who played seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft. Was the Steelers Starting Right Tackle in Super Bowl XIII. He played in the USFL. Won the 1983 USFL... gives the team a 15-point advantage. | |
| 1982 1982 NFL season The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule... | December 19 | Browns 10-9 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Browns defensive back Hanford Dixon Hanford Dixon Hanford Dixon is a former professional American football cornerback who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. Dixon made the Pro Bowl three times, in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He was drafted by the Browns out of The University of Southern Mississippi with the 22nd pick in the... intercepts three passes, including two in the final minutes as Cleveland stops a four-game losing streak. Punter Steve Cox Steve Cox Charles Steven Cox is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.... ran out of the end zone in the closing seconds for a safety Safety Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be... to preserve the Browns victory. |
| January 2 | Steelers 37-21 | Three Rivers Stadium | ||
| 1983 1983 NFL season The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:... | October 16 | Steelers 44-17 | Three Rivers Stadium | |
| December 18 | Browns 30-17 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | ||
| 1984 1984 NFL season The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana.... | September 23 | Browns 20-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | |
| December 9 | Steelers 23-20 | Three Rivers Stadium | ||
| 1985 1985 NFL season The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:... | September 16 | Browns 17-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | In the first Monday Night Football Monday Night Football Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series... meeting ever between the two teams, the Browns combined a harassing defense along with touchdowns from second-year running back Earnest Byner Earnest Byner Earnest Alexander Byner is a former American football running back in the National Football League and is currently a running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars... and rookie wide receiver Fred Banks Fred Banks Frederick Bly Banks is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played eight seasons for the Cleveland Browns , the Miami Dolphins , and the Chicago Bears .... to collect their first victory of the season. Steelers' quarterback Mark Malone Mark Malone Mark M. Malone is a former American football quarterback in the NFL.-Playing career:Malone was the nation's most recruited quarterback in 1975 out of El Cajon Valley High School near San Diego, California... was intercepted twice in connecting on just 18 of 45 pass attempts. |
| November 3 | Steelers 10-9 | Three Rivers Stadium | Gary Anderson's kick wins it in final seconds, after the Steelers hold Kosar to just 96 total yards during a driving rain storm. The AFC Central is all tied up with every team at 4-5 after this game. | |
| 1986 1986 NFL season The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:... | October 5 | Browns 27-24 | Three Rivers Stadium | Browns' first win ever at Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to... . |
| November 23 | Browns 37-31 (OT) | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Bernie Kosar Bernie Kosar Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American... connects with rookie Webster Slaughter Webster Slaughter Webster Melvin Slaughter is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League from 1986 to 1998.... on a game-winning 37-yard pass in overtime to give the Browns their first sweep of Pittsburgh since 1969. Kosar throws for 414 yards for the Browns, who rack up 536 yards of total offense, but the Browns lose kicker Matt Bahr Matt Bahr Matthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he excelled in both football and soccer... after he suffers a season-ending knee injury. | |
| 1987 1987 NFL season The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players... | September 20 | Browns 34-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | |
| December 26 | Browns 19-13 | Three Rivers Stadium | The Browns clinch the AFC Central Division title by holding the Steelers to one offensive play in the 4th quarter. | |
| 1988 1988 NFL season The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division.... | October 2 | Browns 23-9 | Three Rivers Stadium | |
| November 20 | Browns 27-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Browns' last sweep of Steelers to date. | |
| 1989 1989 NFL season The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement... | September 10 | Browns 51-0 | Three Rivers Stadium | Biggest margin of victory within the rivalry to date. Also the worst loss for the Steelers in franchise history. |
| October 15 | Steelers 17-7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium |
1990s (Steelers 10-5)
| Season | Date | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 1990 NFL season The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period... | September 9 | Browns 13-3 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | |
| December 23 | Steelers 35-0 | Three Rivers Stadium | ||
| 1991 1991 NFL season The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills.... | October 27 | Browns 17-14 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Bernie Kosar Bernie Kosar Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American... has his own Immaculate Reception Immaculate Reception The Immaculate Reception is the nickname given to one of the most famous plays in the history of American football. It occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1972... after a 90 degree deflected pass ends up on top of a knocked down Brown in the Steelers endzone, giving Cleveland the lead. Gary Anderson's last minute FG hits the goal post. |
| December 22 | Steelers 17-10 | Three Rivers Stadium | Steelers head coach Chuck Noll Chuck Noll Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991... 's final game. He retired four days later after 23 seasons. | |
| 1992 1992 NFL season The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that... | October 11 | Browns 17-9 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | |
| December 27 | Steelers 23-13 | Three Rivers Stadium | ||
| 1993 1993 NFL season The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new... | October 24 | Browns 28-23 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Eric Metcalf returns two punts for TDs, including one in the final three minutes for the winning score. |
| January 2 | Steelers 16-9 | Three Rivers Stadium | 1993 season extended into January 1994 due to use of an extra bye week. | |
| 1994 1994 NFL season The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season... | September 11 | Steelers 17-10 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | |
| December 18 | Steelers 17-7 | Three Rivers Stadium | Steelers dominate Browns in clinching the AFC Central Division title. | |
| January 7 | Steelers 29-9 | Three Rivers Stadium | Divisional Playoff game following the 1994 season. | |
| 1995 1995 NFL season The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars... | November 13 | Steelers 20-3 | Three Rivers Stadium | One week after Art Modell had announced plans to move the Browns to Baltimore, Steelers fans wore orange arm bands in tribute to the seeming end of the rivalry.(The team officially suspended operations until being returned in 1999. Officially, the Baltimore Ravens are a 1996 expansion team.) |
| November 26 | Steelers 20-17 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | Final meeting at Cleveland Stadium. Cleveland officially suspended operations 1996 1996 NFL season The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end... -1998 1998 NFL season The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS... . | |
| 1999 1999 NFL season The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season... | September 12 | Steelers 43-0 | Cleveland Browns Stadium Cleveland Browns Stadium -See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity... | First game in history of Cleveland Browns Stadium and Browns' first game back after a three year hiatus. Sunday Night Football ESPN Sunday Night Football ESPN Sunday Night Football is the ESPN cable network's weekly television broadcasts of Sunday evening National Football League games. The first ESPN Sunday night broadcast occurred on November 8, 1987, while the last one aired on January 1, 2006.... . |
| November 14 | Browns 16-15 | Three Rivers Stadium | Browns gain revenge for season-opening humiliation on Phil Dawson's FG as time expires. Their first win in Pittsburgh since 1989. |
2000s (Steelers 18-3)
| Season | Date | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000... | September 17 | Browns 23-20 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | |
| October 22 | Steelers 22-0 | Three Rivers Stadium | Final meeting at Three Rivers Stadium. | |
| 2001 2001 NFL season The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day... | November 11 | Steelers 15-12 (OT) | Cleveland Browns Stadium | |
| January 6 | Steelers 28-7 | Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... | Game was intended to be first game at new stadium, played September 16, 2001. Because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, all Week 2 games were moved to the first Sunday or Monday of January 2002. | |
| 2002 2002 NFL season The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each... | September 29 | Steelers 16-13 (OT) | Heinz Field | |
| November 3 | Steelers 23-20 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | ||
| December 29 | Steelers 36-33 | Heinz Field | AFC Wild Card Playoff game. Steelers rally from 24-7 third quarter deficit. | |
| 2003 2003 NFL season -Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *... | October 5 | Browns 33-13 | Heinz Field | |
| November 23 | Steelers 13-6 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | ||
| 2004 2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005... | October 10 | Steelers 34-23 | Heinz Field | |
| November 14 | Steelers 24-10 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Browns running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... William Green and Steelers linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... Joey Porter Joey Porter Joseph "Joey" Eugene Porter is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado State.A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Porter earned a... were both ejected prior to kickoff due to a pregame fight. Akron Akron, Ohio Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan... native James Harrison would get his first NFL start in place of Porter. | |
| 2005 2005 NFL season The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006... | November 13 | Steelers 34-21 | Heinz Field | |
| December 24 | Steelers 41-0 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Steelers linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... James Harrison would bodyslam a drunken Browns fan after the fan ran onto the field. The incident, which later became a YouTube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... sensation, would become the highlight of Harrison's career before his breakout 2007 season. 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the 75th season of the Steelers franchise. The season saw the team improve upon their 8–8 record from 2006, finish with a record of 10–6, and win the AFC North Division... | |
| 2006 2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006... | November 19 | Steelers 24-20 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Ben Roethlisberger Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft... throws a 4-yard shovel pass to Willie Parker Willie Parker "Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina... in the final minute to lead the Steelers to a comeback win. |
| December 7 | Steelers 27-7 | Heinz Field | Willie Parker Willie Parker "Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina... sets the all-time Steelers single-game rushing record with a 223-yard performance. | |
| 2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... | September 9 | Steelers 34-7 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | The Browns would trade Trade (sports) In professional sports, a trade is a sports league transaction involving an exchange of players' contracts or draft picks between teams. Cash is another commodity that may be packaged together with contracts or draft picks to complete a trade... starting quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... Charlie Frye Charlie Frye Charles Frye, , is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:... to the Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... two days following this contest, in which he was replaced by Derek Anderson Derek Anderson (American football) Derek Matthew Anderson is an American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft... , making Frye the first QB in NFL history to start a season opener before being traded prior to Week 2. Mike Tomlin Mike Tomlin Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history... 's debut as Steelers head coach. |
| November 11 | Steelers 31-28 | Heinz Field | Steelers come back from being down 21-6. Browns' Phil Dawson Phil Dawson Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010... misses a 52 yard field goal attempt to tie with 6 seconds left. | |
| 2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... | September 14 | Steelers 10-6 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | The Steelers defeated the Browns as remnants of Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954... hit Cleveland with rain and winds of 60 miles per hour (96.6 km/h). The game's only touchdown was a Ben Roethlisberger Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft... pass to Hines Ward Hines Ward Hines E. Ward, Jr. is an American football player who currently plays the wide receiver position for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, where he is the longest-tenured current player on the team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl XL. He played college football at the University of Georgia... . |
| December 28 | Steelers 31-0 | Heinz Field | ||
| 2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... | October 18 | Steelers 27-14 | Heinz Field | |
| December 10 | Browns 13-6 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | The Browns defeated the Steelers for the first time since 2003 in what was called the coldest game in the history of the rivalry with a windchill of 10 degrees below zero. |
2010s (Steelers 2-0)
| Season | Date | Result | Steelers 28-10Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... | October 17 | Steelers 28-10 | Heinz Field | The Steelers wore their throwback uniform Throwback uniform Throwback uniforms and jerseys are one-time or limited-time variations on a sports team's uniforms styled to resemble uniforms from that team's past. They have proven popular in all major pro and college sports in the USA, not only with fans, but with the teams' marketing and merchandising... in this game. |
| January 2 | Steelers 41-9 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | ||
| 2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... | December 8 | Heinz Field | Thursday Night Football | |
| January 1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | |||
Jinx
- The Three Rivers Jinx. When the Steelers moved to Three Rivers Stadium in 19701970 NFL seasonThe 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
, they defeated the Browns 16 straight times before the Browns finally broke through with a win in 19861986 NFL seasonThe 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
. The Browns eventually went on to post a miserable all-time mark (5-24, .172) at the stadium from 1970-20002000 NFL seasonThe 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
. At Heinz Field (opened 20012001 NFL seasonThe 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
), the Steelers lead 10-1. Since the 1970 mergerAFL-NFL MergerThe AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
, the Browns are 6-34 at Pittsburgh. Before that, they had won 16 of their first 20 visits (19501950 NFL seasonThe 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
-19691969 NFL seasonThe 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
).
- Likewise, the Steelers posted a less-than-spectacular record (14-32, .304) at the Browns' old facility, Cleveland Municipal StadiumCleveland StadiumCleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
, from 19501950 NFL seasonThe 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
-19951995 NFL seasonThe 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
. At Cleveland Browns StadiumCleveland Browns Stadium-See also:* List of current National Football League stadiums* Chronology of home stadiums for current National Football League teams* List of American football stadiums by capacity* List of U.S. stadiums by capacity* List of North American stadiums by capacity...
(opened 19991999 NFL seasonThe 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
), the Steelers lead 9-2. Since 19741974 NFL seasonThe 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
(their first Super Bowl season1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season-NFL Draft:In the 1974 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team in NFL history to select four Pro Football Hall of Fame players in the same draft .* Round 1: Lynn Swann, USC...
), the Steelers lead 18-15 in Cleveland. Beforehand, the Steelers had lost 19 of 24 on the road (1950-19731973 NFL seasonThe 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
).
Records
- The greatest defeat in Steelers history occurred on the season opener (September 10) of the 1989 NFL Season1989 NFL seasonThe 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
in Pittsburgh when the Browns won 51-0. Nearly ten years to the day (September 12), when the Browns returned to the league in the 1999 NFL Season1999 NFL seasonThe 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, the Steelers defeated them in their first game back 43-0, still the revived Browns' worst loss as well as the Steelers' most lopsided defeat ever of the Browns.
- The game is the most played rivalry in the AFC and fifth most played in the NFL. Among the top 5 NFL rivalries however the win-loss difference of 4 games (2 regular season games) arguably makes it the most contested in the league.
See also
- Steelers–Ravens rivalry
- Battle of Ohio (NFL)Battle of Ohio (NFL)In the National Football League, the Battle of Ohio refers to games played between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. This rivalry has produced 2 of the 8 highest scoring games in NFL history...
- Bengals–Steelers rivalry
- Cleveland Browns relocation controversyCleveland Browns relocation controversyThe Cleveland Browns relocation controversy was the decision by then Browns owner Art Modell to move the National Football League team from its longtime home of Cleveland, Ohio to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 NFL season...