The AFC North is routinely one of the most competitive divisions in football with several noteworthy rivalries.
But when it comes to the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson knows which team his franchise circles on the calendar twice a year.
“Cleveland-Pittsburgh, for sure,” the QB said on his podcast. “It’s even bigger than Cincinnati. It’s not Baltimore. Baltimore is up there, but it ain’t as real as Pittsburgh.”
The Steelers have been the standard in the North (formerly the AFC Central) dating back to their dynastic years in the 70s. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 81-63-1, but in recent years the Browns have made things much more competitive.
It’s been a long time since the Steelers were able to look at their schedule and know that they’d have at least two wins even if everything else went wrong.
This season both of Cleveland and Pittsburgh’s matchups take place in the second half of the year. With the Steelers traveling to The Land on Nov. 21 (Week 12) and the Browns visiting Acrisure Stadium a couple weeks later on Dec. 8 (Week 14).
Both teams figure to be vying for a playoff spot in 2024. Last season, the Steelers and Browns split their games 1-1.