According to Eshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns-Pittsburgh Steelers rivalry is one of the best in sports.
Watson spent the last two seasons with the Browns and has seen enough to grasp the rivalry between the AFC North teams. Cleveland’s quarterback shared his thoughts on the most recent episode of his “QB Unplugged” podcast.
“Cleveland-Pittsburgh, for sure,” Watson remarked. “It is even bigger than Cincinnati. It is not Baltimore. Baltimore is up there, but it’s not as authentic as Pittsburgh.”
Watson’s top four rivalries also featured Duke vs. North Carolina in college basketball, Georgia vs. Florida in college football, and Barcelona vs. Real Madrid in soccer.
The Browns and Steelers first met in 1950, and the Browns won 30-17. Both sides have
Watson’s view of the Steelers-Browns rivalry did not appeal to everyone. While it is undeniably a big game, the most popular complaint was that it has recently become unfair.
The Steelers have an 81-63-1 series record. That includes a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020 in which Pittsburgh dominated Cleveland, winning 36 games to five defeats.
Watson personally has a 0-3 record against the Steelers, losing twice as a member of the Browns.
“Well that’s false. Can’t have a rivalry when one team dominated the other over a long period,” one fan tweeted. “The Browns are a poverty franchise. It’s the Steelers and Ravens all the way.”
Other Pittsburgh fans chimed in with similar takes.
“Browns are the obnoxious little brother who tries to be relevant. “We are without a doubt their biggest rival, but they are not ours,” said another tweet.
Recent history has overwhelmingly favored the Steelers. However, the Browns have the most crucial win over the last few seasons. Cleveland dominated Pittsburgh 48-37 in a Wild Card game in 2021. The Browns built a 28-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised to victory, ruining Pittsburgh’s season.
The Ravens are the odds-on favorite to win the AFC North next season, at +140. The Bengals are next at +170, followed by the Browns (+500) and Steelers (+650).
