'Monday Night Football' in Pittsburgh: Browns look to put aside history against Steelers

PITTSBURGH — Allow Jason Tarver, Browns linebackers coach, to set the table for Monday night's AFC North game at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It's 'Monday Night Football' in Pittsburgh," Tarver said Saturday. "What's better than that? You know you're going to get your best from every human that steps on that field. Players, coaches, officials, everyone. … It's the Browns and the Steelers. We got to go. And we're excited about it."

Yeah, that'll get you going.

Of course, it's about much more than just Browns vs. Steelers for the road team on Monday night. Although, at the same time, it's about nothing but Browns vs. Steelers.

The Browns can continue to make an early statement by starting 2-0 for the first time since 1993, and 2-0 in the AFC North for the first time since 2019. They can put the Steelers, who lost to the San Francisco 49ers 30-7 in their opener, in an 0-2 hole for the first time in 2019.

"You get amped up for them all," Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said. "None of them are guaranteed. I'm just glad to make it to this one. Last year, I couldn't say the same, so always looking forward to playing a game, whether it's at 1, 4 or it's at late night on Sunday or it's on Monday night. We're all glad to have this opportunity, and Monday night's special. I'm sure I'll get more amped up as we get even closer, but right now just taking it all in."

Garrett's approach is the correct one for a player to take. The past is something they have no control over when it comes to Monday night.

However, the past is something that hangs over any meeting between the Browns and Steelers. When the game is in Pittsburgh, that past has been an albatross.

The Browns, since returning to the NFL in 1999, are just 3-23 in Pittsburgh. Since the stadium formerly known as Heinz Field opened in 2001, they are 2-22 overall, and 1-21 in regular-season games.

"Yeah, it's a tough place to play," All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio said. "We haven't had too much success there as an organization, and we know anytime you go there, especially on Monday night, they have a really good history of winning games there. So for us it's a huge challenge. Division game, you’ve got to try and get as many of those as you can, so we know they're going to be ready for the challenge as well, but it's a big opportunity for us."

The only two wins in the last 24 trips to the Steelers' home for the Browns have been a 33-13 win on Oct. 5, 2003, and a 48-37 win in an AFC Wild Card game on Jan. 10, 2021. There is an asterisk on the latter win, which was played with COVID restrictions in place, essentially limiting attendance to just a few hundred family and friends and not the more than Terrible Towel-twirling horde that typically packs the place.

Monday night, those Towels will be twirling and "Renegade" will be blaring. It's all part of the environment the Browns will have to deal with if they want to end a 20-year regular-season losing streak in the Steel City.

Then again, it doesn't hurt that some Browns weren't even aware of the depth of despair trips to Pittsburgh had been for the last 20-plus years. Safety Grant Delpit was legitimately amazed when told of the lack of wins in the Steelers' current home.

"Oh, dang, I didn't know that," Delpit said. "But, man, it's a new year. It's a new year. They got a great team. Obviously they've had our number, I guess, for a few years now. So going there, take care of business, we're not too worried about that. They have a great team, great coaches, crazy fans, so it's going to be a heck of an atmosphere."

So where do the matchups lie that will decide the latest edition to the Browns-Steelers rivalry? Time to check them out.

Individual matchup to watch: Cleveland Browns RT Dawand Jones vs. Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt

The Browns have seen this matchup before. Maybe not this specific matchup, but one very similar to it.

Yet again, the Browns head to Pittsburgh with a young, unproven tackle starting on the right side of the line in place of two-time All-Pro Jack Conklin. The last two times, it was James Hudson III; this time, it's Jones, the fourth-round selection in April's draft.

Regardless, the challenge is the same. Watt, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, has 15 career sacks against the Browns, the second-highest total of any Steelers player against a single opponent.

The massive Jones, at 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds, doesn't have to be perfect for the Browns to have a chance. However, he can't have the kind of Monday night showing Hudson did two seasons ago, when Watt had four of the Steelers' nine sacks of Baker Mayfield in a Week 17 Browns loss.

Position group matchup to watch: Cleveland Browns defensive line vs. Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line

A week ago, the Browns made life miserable for the Bengals thanks to their line creating confusion by moving players like Garrett and Za'Darius Smith all over the place. The Steelers, meanwhile, surrendered five sacks of quarterback Kenny Pickett to the 49ers' elite defensive front.

For all of the talk about the Browns offensive tackles having to deal with Watt and Alex Highsmith, the Steelers tackles have to deal with Garrett, Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo, who had a sack, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in the opener. Not only that, but they may have to do so with right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor having been limited this week in practice while in concussion protocol.

That could mean rookie Broderick Jones, the Steelers' first-round pick in April, starting at right tackle opposite whomever the Browns line up opposite him. Third-year pro Dan Moore Jr. remains at left tackle, where he started last week, but was credited by Pro Football Focus with having given up one sack, two quarterback hits and six quarterback hurries last week.

"I mean, it keeps the offense guessing, and that's what we want to do," Garrett said. "Don't want to allow them to get comfortable with us being in one position, whether it's me, Z, or O, and allow them to just tip us or double us, whatever their game plan is. So it just allows us some freedom to call what we want in certain situations and get freed up, get one-on-ones."

Coaching matchup to watch: Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski/offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt vs. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin

Same matchup as last week, only the defensive coordinator is different. The Browns offense still hasn't fully unlocked what it can be, in part because of the miserable weather they encountered for the opener.

The question is how much more will be shown against the Steelers. It won't be the weather as much as the injuries that could impact some decisions made.

There's Amari Cooper's groin and Jack Conklin's knee on the Browns' side. Then there's the lack of All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward on Pittsburgh's side.

Heyward's injury was taken advantage of by the 49ers, led by running back Christian McCaffrey, to run for 188 net yards with a 5.5 average. The Browns, led by running back Nick Chubb, ran for 208 net yards and a 5.2 average against the Bengals.

How much do Stefanski and Van Pelt try to take some pressure off the rookie right tackle in his matchup against the elite Steeler pass rusher by trying to take advantage the absence of the standout defensive lineman? Or do they try to get quarterback Deshaun Watson on track by taking advantage of a cool but dry night?

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns look to shed pitiful Pittsburgh past on 'Monday Night Football'