It’s not just Steelers players and coaches who need to turn the page on a win against the Baltimore Ravens as soon as possible.
Fans and members of the media must do the same.
Fans will want to soak in the afterglow of their eighth win in 12 tries against a hated team in Baltimore. For those of us who cover the Steelers (8-2), it’s easy to criticize the Ravens (7-4) for their mental blocks every time they see the black and gold.
However, Thursday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, who had 2 wins and 8 losses, took a sudden turn for the better. So you may not want to spend too much time throwing rocks at glasshouses in Maryland. Because, somewhat quietly, Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland has become a house of horrors for the Steelers these days.
From Cleveland’s return to the NFL in 1999 until the end of the 2017 season, the Browns won just six of 39 tries against the Steelers (including the playoffs).
But since then, things have become more balanced, especially when the teams play each other in Northeast Ohio. Since the start of the 2018 season, the Steelers are just 1-4-1 on the road against their longtime neighbors across the state line.
“We’re looking at the environment,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of this week’s trip to Cleveland. “We need to be prepared for Thursday night in a hostile and divided environment.”
The Steelers haven’t been all that great in recent years — especially considering the opposing quarterbacks that Tomlin’s teams have lost to (or tied with) on trips to the lake over those six years.
They were (in order) Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield twice, Jacoby Brissett, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Tomlin said it’s the way they play defense at the Dawg Pound that makes Cleveland a threat, as it has this year.
“They’ve had a top-quality rushing group for years, whether it’s the environmental elements, the prime-time television, or the waves that Myles Garrett and others provide up front. Combined with a second group of talented veterans, they have a top-quality rushing group up front.” They have a great umbrella on the rear end,” Tomlin said. “The things I outlined and others are what we are looking at from a preparation standpoint.”
At least this year, they will be gearing up for a veteran quarterback in Russell Wilson, whose history suggests he can handle such situations. Additionally, Wilson is 3-0 in his career with Cleveland, with a 6:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio, a 67% completion percentage and a 114.7 passer rating.
The Steelers haven’t exactly given Cleveland a collection of respectable quarterbacks in this stretch of games. Indeed, future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger delivered a tie in 2018 and his only win in 2021. Besides him, Mason Rudolph lost there twice (including the infamous “Myles Garrett Helmet Game”), Kenny Pickett lost there last season, and Mitch Trubisky opted out of the 2022 game. .
Those quarterbacks combined for just five touchdowns, eight interceptions, and 15 sacks.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have won four of six games played in Cincinnati during the same period and have won nine of the last 11 trips to Peyco Stadium overall. . As for the visit to Baltimore, the Steelers are on a four-game winning streak and have won six of seven games overall.
But what has been a thorn in the Steelers’ side in the division lately is a quick trip to Cleveland to face the often-lowly Browns.
Go figure.
And the Steelers better do exactly that over the next two days before Thursday night’s kickoff if they want to keep their vision of a bye week and the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoffs. That is the goal that is now suddenly in focus. .
But it’s also something that could be obscured by another setback in Cleveland.
Listen: Chris Adamski and Tim Benz look ahead to Thursday’s Steelers-Browns showdown.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All Tweets may be reposted. All emails will be made public unless otherwise specified.
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