Browns 24, Steelers 19

I don't care if we were winless. I don't care if we were 2-8 coming in. And I don't care if this season would've gone the way we all hoped it would with a genuine Super Bowl contending team.

No matter the kind of season we're having, there's one thing that will never get old for as long as I live: Watching my beloved Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Call me shortsighted. Call me small-minded for celebrating victories like this in the middle of a lost season. I don't care in the least. I'd just agree with you, laugh, and have a goofy, Texas-sized grin on my face!

The Browns defeat the Steelers in a wild, wacky, whiteout game! I haven't seen a Snow Bowl like that for the Browns in about two decades! The last one will probably always be my favorite snowy weather game. In that game, Phil Dawson booted two field goals, and led the Browns to an 8-0 win over the Buffalo Bills back in 2007!

But fast forward 17 years, and this one was just as sweet. How'd the Browns get it done? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory!

Welcome Back, Nick Chubb!

Nick Chubb only ran the ball 20 times for 59 yards. But he had two massive short-yardage touchdowns. He's still working his way back from injury. And he may never be the same player he was before he went down last year.

But at least for one night, he ran like the running back we've come to know and love. I saw glimpses of it. On a few first downs, he found the hole and snuck through. And on the game-winning score, he would not be denied, no matter how much the offense started to sputter out at the end. He ran with a purpose.

The Browns have still struggled a lot in short yardage situations. They have the personnel to do it, but they've often failed to execute. It's part of why they got just their third win of the year this season.

But Nick Chubb was a grinder tonight. He always has been. He needed to get every one of those yards. And we certainly needed those scores too. But he would not let the Browns lose. When his number was called, he rose to the occasion. Batman saved snowy Gotham from these Black and Gold goons!

But someone else showed up big tonight too...

Jameis Winston: Gunslinger

I will always be partial to a great running game. A great running game and a defense that causes opposing quarterbacks to crap their pants, will always be my two favorite things in football.

But I have to tip my hat to Jameis Winston tonight. Other than the late interception he threw, he didn't make many mistakes. He didn't look timid at all, and he wasn't afraid to lean into his trademark: pushing the ball down the field.

Some of the throws he made, especially when the weather went south into blizzard-like conditions, were right on the money. And perhaps most importantly, after throwing the pick late, he came back and directed this offense on a go-ahead touchdown drive.

Lastly, what does everyone think of his pregame and postgame soundbites? I sometimes chuckle and roll my eyes in a good way. But I'm glad he seems to be enjoying himself. And he's genuine. I can get behind a guy who stays true to himself and doesn't try to put on a front. And it makes things that much sweeter when his team wins!

And it would be a crime if I didn't mention the last gamebreaker to help lead the Browns to victory. He had a massive night tonight!

Myles Garrett: Steeler Slayer

Do any of you remember Myles Garrett appearing in a parody of The Office when the Browns drafted him back in 2017? I do. And I still grin when I think about it.

Myles just smiled at the camera, grabbed a picture of Ben Roethlisberger off the table, and fed it through a paper shredder. Keep in mind this was before he had ever played a down in the NFL yet.

He was the first overall pick in the Draft out of Texas A&M, so we expected him to be good. But one of his first goals when he first arrived in Cleveland as a brand-new Brown, was beating the Steelers. He set the tone by saying that. That instantly endeared him to me, and hopefully many other Browns fans.

Sometimes pro sports rivalries don't seem to have a ton of passion unless they're really big-time ones like Yankees-Red Sox, or Lakers-Celtics.

But around here, Browns-Steelers is huge. And it's awesome when you have players who understand that! Pro sports are full of money, but not as much passion.

Getting a guy as passionate as Myles Garrett is a very special thing. He gets it. He gets what it means to beat Pittsburgh. And he played like it tonight too!

He finally was able to get free consistently, and racked up three sacks. Seeing him get home and finish plays is a thing of beauty! And he impacts the game even when he doesn't bring the quarterback down.

His presence alone is enough to strike fear into the heart of any quarterback and coaching staff. I'm just glad he was able to have a breakout game tonight!

A Rivalry Renewed?

It's still going to take a long time before I think Browns vs. Steelers is the rivalry that it used to be. But we may actually be heading there.

Over the course of the decade (2020s), the Browns and Steelers have split the last 10 games against each other right down the middle. 5-5, with the Browns winning the last two.

This is a far cry from where the rivalry used to be in the earlier decades. It probably shouldn't have even been called a rivalry. In the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, Pittsburgh went 44-11-1 against Cleveland. Ouch!

While a new decade isn't a sign that things will start swinging the other way, it's nice to see the rivalry be a lot more competitive and back and forth.

And even though I do not think it will happen, if the Browns happened to beat Pittsburgh on the road in a couple weeks, that would actually be the first regular season sweep for Cleveland over the Steelers since 1988, back when Marty Schottenheimer was head coach. 36 years. It's LONG overdue.

But for now, I'm just happy with a win like this. There hasn't been much of anything to cheer for this season. There's just been a lot of heartache, pain, and frustration. But few things consistently put a smile on my face like watching the Browns beat the Steelers! Enjoy Victory Friday everybody!

GO BROWNS!

Statistical Leaders

Jameis Winston: 18-27, 219 yards, INT

Nick Chubb: 20 carries, 59 yards, 2 TDs

Jerry Jeudy: 6 catches, 85 yards

Sources

ESPN

Browns–Steelers rivalry - Wikipedia

Picture Credit

th.bing.com