Here’s hoping today’s game deserves to be added to this list of the greatest Browns wins over the Steelers:
October 4, 1952 — Browns 21, Steelers 20. The Browns overcame a 13-point deficit and cashed in a win at Forbes Field. Otto Graham hit Dub Jones for a 47-yard TD and Sherman Howard with a 57 yarder, and a blocked Pittsburgh extra point provided the margin of victory. The Browns’ first TD came on Graham’s safety-valve flip to Marion Motley, who rumbled down the field for a 68-yard score. It was the only 400-yard passing game of Graham’s illustrious career.
October 10, 1976 — Browns 18, Steelers 16. Wild game featuring “Turkey” Joe Jones spiking Terry Bradshaw, Greg Pruitt passing to Paul Warfield, Doug Dieken running for a first down after a blocked field goal, and the Browns’ first black dentist quarterback picking apart the Steel Curtain.
November 23, 1986 — Browns 37, Steelers 31, OT. Bernie Kosar’s 36-yard TD pass to Webster Slaughter eliminated the Steelers from playoff contention. The Browns offense scorched the Steelers for 536 total yards, 414 yards passing, and 35 first downs, all without getting sacked.
September 10, 1989 — Browns 51, Steelers 0. — Bud Carson’s first game as Browns head coach couldn’t have set a higher level of expectation for the rest of the season. It was the most dominating performance I’ve ever seen, it came at Three Rivers Stadium, and it featured two teams that eventually made the playoffs. (That’s when another John Elway comeback prevented the Steelers from advancing to the AFC Championship Game in Cleveland.)
October 27, 1991 — Browns 17, Steelers 14. Bernie Kosar’s streak of passes without interceptions increased to 262. An especially fortunate pass was the one that bounced off the Steelers’ Keith Willis and somehow landed on fullback Leroy Hoard, who was lying flat on his back in the the end zone. The Browns avoided overtime when Gary Anderson’s 52-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright.
October 24, 1993 — Browns 28, Steelers 23. Eric Metcalf was key to this battle for first place in the AFC Central. His 91-yard punt return gave the Browns a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Then, with 2:05 left in the game, lightning struck twice, as the elusive speedster raced 75 yards for another spectacular punt return touchdown. He led the league in all-purpose yards that year.
November 14, 1999 — Browns 16, Steelers 15. The Browns avenged their 43-0 inaugural fiasco with a stunning upset in Pittsburgh. Down 15-7 with 9:10 to go, the Browns’ John Thierry picked off Kordell Stewart, and Couch hit fullback Marc Edwards for a five-yard TD. The two-point conversion failed, as Earl Holmes stuffed Karim Abdul-Jabbar. But that just set the stage for rookie Phil Dawson to hurry onto the field with the clock running and boot the winning field goal from 40 yards as time expired.
September 17, 2000 — Browns 23, Steelers 20. The first win ever for the team at Cleveland Browns Stadium, it put the Browns at 2-1 for the season, inspiring some early hope for the playoffs for the second-year expansion team. Tim Couch threw for 316 yards and two TDs. The game came down a last second goal-line stand, when rookie Courtney Brown notched his third sack of the day.
