As bad as you thought

Whenever the Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers get together, statistics inevitably get in the way of the story. Sunday's season finale for maybe the Steelers and definitely the Browns presents a different set of what I believe are interesting stats.

For example, this will be game number 143 in this storied but alternately lopsided series that began in 1950 when the Browns joined the National Football League after dominating the old All-America Football Conference for four seasons.

With the exception of the three years the NFL allowed the Browns to escape to Baltimore following the 1995 season, this series became one of the league's greatest rivalries due mainly to geography. The cities lie 132 miles apart -- a two-hour drive -- and are connected by the Ohio and Pennsylvania turnpikes.

From a competitive standpoint, though, that is hardly the case. It is a rivalry only in the literal sense of the word because fans from both cities are quite ardent and take all series games seriously regardless of where the teams are in the standings. 

Even though the Browns are 7-9 and finish with yet another losing season, their fans will rejoice with a victory Sunday if, for no other reason, they knock the Steelers out of the playoffs and hand head coach Mike Tomlin his first-ever losing season in 16 seasons. 

Considering how the Steelers have (man)handled Cleveland since 1988, the last time the Browns swept a season series from Pittsburgh, any time they knock off the Steelers is a time to celebrate. Does 8-9 make them feel any better about how this season has unfolded? Of course not, but it sure will feel a little sweeter because it's Pittsburgh.

In those 34 years (excluding the aforementioned three seasons) since the last Cleveland sweep, the Steelers are 49-14-1 in the series under only three head coaches who have  produced six Super Bowl champions. Two are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the third is well on his way.

While Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin were in control in Pittsburgh, the Browns ran through a dozen head coaches and three interims. Yep, I'm going to bring back a lot of bad memories. Permission granted to skip this trip down (sad) memory lane if you choose.

Following Marty Schottenheimer, who was fired after the 1988 season by Art Modell, were Bud Carson, Bill Belichick, Chris Palmer ushering in the expansion era, Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens and now Kevin Stefanski. The interims were Jim Shofner, Terry Robiskie and Gregg Williams.

Since the 1999 resurrection, the Browns are 10-43-1 against the Steelers, winning only once in Pittsburgh. This will be their 10th attempt to sweep the season series since '88. With Tomlin at the helm, by the way, the Steelers are 47-10-1 against the Browns with just the one loss in Pittsburgh. 

Alone at the top of the list of fecal disturbers against the Browns for the Steelers was Ben Roethlisberger, who was drafted five spots after Davis selected Kellen Winslow Jr. for Cleveland in the 2004 college draft. Big Ben feasted on the Browns with a 26-2-1 record that might be an all-time NFL record for excellence against one team.  

Not sure this will make you feel even a little better, but the Browns at one time back in what is now referred to as the good, old days were actually a championship-caliber  franchise and made the Steelers look like the Browns of the last two decades, winning 48 of the first 78 games in the series.

Okay, the game. In order to quality for another post-season appearance, the Steelers must win Sunday, then hope the New York Jets either beat or tie Miami and Buffalo either knocks off or ties New England. The Browns win and the two teams share third place in the AFC North.

The Steelers come into this one with the kind of momentum in the last couple of months of the season that generally produces football in January and February, having won three in a row and five of their last six games due mainly to a Steelers staple -- a stingy defense.

It coincides with the return in midseason of All-Pro outside linebacker (T)rent (J)ordan Watt, who missed seven games with a partially torn pectoral muscle in week two as the Steelers lost six of their first eight and seven of their first 10 games.

Watt, who had four of the Steelers' nine sacks and a handful of hits and hurries against Baker Mayfield in week 17 last season, is still not 100%, but his presence in the lineup on the strong side of the Steelers' defense has provided positive results.

The defense has to play well, quite frankly, because the offense is terrible. The Steelers, who have scored more than 24 points just once this season and that was in a 37-30 loss to Cincinnati, average a mere 17.5 points a game. 

The keys to this one for the Browns, aside from seeing if quarterback Deshaun Watson can sustain his rapidly improving passing stats, is how well the defense handles rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, Roethlisberger's successor who is 6-5 and has led the Steelers to last-minute victories the last two weeks. 

The Cleveland secondary has played very well lately, which probably means the run defense, which hasn't, probably will see a heavy dose of running back Najee Harris, coming off his first 100-yard game of the season last week. 

Offensively, look for more Watson on the ground, taking advantage of his special RPO skills, setting up more screen opportunities and the Browns'  version of a large dose in Nick Chubb. Keep an eye on offensive right tackle James Hudson III, filling in for the injured Jack Conklin. The pro sophomore was responsible for three of Watt's' sacks last season.

Winning must-win games this season is the reason the Steelers are still relevant. To borrow a favorite line of successful coaches, the Steelers will somehow "find a way" to insure Tomlin's record of avoiding a losing season remains intact. The Browns will "find a way" to once again come up short as they finish the season 7-10 and become sole occupants once again in the division basement. Make it:

Steelers 17, Browns 13