Mid-week thoughts

It's hard -- no, make that stunning -- to think the Cleveland Browns, many years ago one of the grand franchises of the National Football League, have not won their first two games of any season since 1993.

You read that right. It has been 27 seasons -- not counting the forced three-year absence by the NFL from 1996-98 -- since this once-proud franchise has been unbeaten after the first two games of the season, adding to its embarrassing recent history.

Of course, you have to win the first game of the season in order to accomplish this apparently difficult task. That, too, has been a huge problem, especially since this iteration of the Browns has done that only thrice since its rebirth in 1999. The first two were followed by a loss, including last season.

An interesting scenario accompanies the latest opportunity to bury another jinx. After a dominating display of power defensive football over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers await them for game two Monday night at home.

Yep, the very same Pittsburgh Steelers who have bedeviled the Browns for the better part of the last 50 years. Couldn't have been any of the other 30 teams against whom the Browns have enjoyed at least a modest amount of success. Had to be the Steelers. How dramatic.

From an entertainment standpoint, it's the perfect matchup between storied and bitter AFC North rivals. And in front of a national television audience no less. Numerous terrific story lines for ESPN to dwell on about two teams that do not like each other.

Playing in Pittsburgh has been nightmarish at best, hideously embarrassing at worst for the Browns. Since 1999, they are 3-23 in the Steel City. The Steelers always seem to find a way to win whenever the Browns come to town to the point where Cleveland fans are shocked by a victory.

The Browns no doubt are feeling pretty good about themselves right now after Sunday's impressive victory. The Steelers, meanwhile, are coming off a 30-7 pounding at home against San Francisco Sunday. Now what are the odds the Steelers are going to lose two in a row at home?

Exactly. 

That Bengals victory had better be in the Browns' rear-view mirror. The Steelers have a psychological edge because, well, because they don't think the Browns can beat them at home no matter what happened last Sunday. No way Cleveland can come in and dominate for a second straight week.

That mind-set oftentimes can make a difference in the outcome of a game. The Steelers will be without defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who has tortured Cleveland offenses seemingly forever. Makes no difference, they believe. They somehow will find a way to win.

This rivalry is so lopsided it honestly cannot be called a rivalry anymore. Until the Browns find a way to change that, nothing will change. They're an embarrassing 7-17-1 at home against them since '99.

Monday night will be a perfect litmus test for the Browns to determine just how seriously they should be taken this season. Knocking off the Bengals as easily as they did got plenty of attention around the NFL. But the Steelers at home? That's a different story. One can only imagine what a Cleveland victory Monday night would do.

That 1993 Browns, by the way, won their first three games -- Cincinnati and San Francisco at home and in Los Angeles against the Raiders -- under head coach Bill Belichick. Came back from 13-0 and 16-3 deficits to win, 19-16, in that one, scoring all their points in the fourth quarter

It was a season that ultimately produced the story of the year not only on the Cleveland sports landscape, but the entire NFL universe. That's right, it'll be 30 years since that Nov. 8 day the Browns waived Bernie Kosar for what was termed "diminishing skills."

Initially, Kosar was benched for Vinny Testaverde, but returned to the lineup when when Testaverde went down with an injury. In a 29-14 home loss to the Denver Broncos the week after the second bye of the season, Kosar threw for two scores, but was sacked six times. The next day, he was gone, replaced by Todd Philcox until Testaverde returned.

The Browns finished 7-9 that season.