During the 2025 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced off against the Cleveland Browns twice. First, the Steelers defeated the Browns 23-9 in October, while Cleveland sought revenge in December, handing Pittsburgh 6-13 loss. For this season, they are gearing up for the second face-off on November 1 against Cleveland after a 27-24 loss. Former Steelers star Russell Wilson has already put Mike McCarthy’s squad on high alert.
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Not to forget, the Steelers are carrying the burden of a huge playoff drought. The last time they won a playoff game was on January 15, 2017, sealing an 18-16 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. Now that they head to face off against the Browns in Week 8, it marks the defining moment.
“They have Aaron Rodgers. Is this year going to be the year that it’s like that Peyton Manning year? That last year. Is it that John Elway year for Aaron Rodgers, the last year? Might tip my cap, right?” said Wilson on the NFL on CBS podcast. “Like that TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, these guys haven’t gone to the playoffs… So is it the ‘tip the cap’ year [for] the Pittsburgh Steelers? And it’s all going to come down to this weekend.
“If the Browns win this weekend, I don’t know if they come through it because now the Browns have the upside. They got a two-game lead essentially against those guys because they beat them twice. They got the tiebreaker, all that stuff.”
Wilson straightaway dived into comparisons with the legends. Playing for the Denver Broncos, Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl in his last season, in 2015, after which he hung up his boots. Another Broncos quarterback legend, John Elway, wrapped up his career with back-to-back Super Bowl victories in his final two seasons, 1997-1998 and 1998-1999.
Was it easy for Manning? Absolutely not. Manning appeared in only 10 regular-season games due to injuries. Even when healthy, he failed to bring that X factor his name carried and posted career lows in passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage. However, Manning ensured he guided his teammates to a Super Bowl.
Much like Manning, Elway, too, had a tough journey. Denver did not lose its footing when Elway was sidelined for four games because of a hamstring injury. Bubby Brister helped Denver maintain its winning form as the backup quarterback.
By now, Rodgers has already made up his mind that the 2026 season will be his last stint in the NFL. Till now, everything has gone in the Steelers’ favor.
Through the first eight weeks of the 2026 NFL season, Rodgers has remained completely healthy. The Steelers are on a heater, losing only two games in the past seven weeks.
So, the clock is already ticking for the Steelers veteran to add one more Super Bowl feather to his cap after his Super Bowl XLV ring and help Pittsburgh lift the trophy for the first time since the 2008 season. The fact that other veterans were able to pull off a Super Bowl run in their farewell campaign is what makes it a do-or-die situation.
Not just Rodgers, other veterans like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, among others, have been waiting for another opportunity to make a deep postseason run. With Rodgers now leading the team, Pittsburgh could have a chance to make the most of its experienced roster.
Meanwhile, the Week 8 face-off results will have a direct impact on the AFC North standings.
Pittsburgh Steelers Face Crucial AFC North Test Against Cleveland Browns
The Browns currently occupy first place in the AFC North with a 5-2 record and have yet to lose a divisional game, going 2-0 against their rivals. That also gives Cleveland the tie-breaking edge over both the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens if the season were to end today.
Despite not being clear favorites to win the division, the Browns could significantly influence Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes in Week 8.
The AFC playoff race is already crowded, with nine teams boasting records of at least 4-3. Apart from the four teams currently projected to win their respective divisions, the Steelers are competing for a Wild Card berth against the 5-2 Denver Broncos, 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals, 4-3 New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens.
A loss to Cleveland at home would drop the Steelers to 5–3 and significantly hurt their postseason outlook. Their playoff chances would fall to just 40%, including an 8% probability of winning the AFC North and only a 1% chance of securing the conference’s No. 1 seed and its first-round bye.
On the other hand, beating the Browns would improve Pittsburgh’s playoff outlook considerably. Its postseason probability would climb 10 percentage points, from 58% to 68%. The Steelers would also have a 23% chance of winning the division and a 5% shot at securing the No. 1 seed.
That’s how important the Cleveland face-off is for Pittsburgh.