The Cleveland Browns close out the home portion of the 2025 regular season on Sunday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Most years, the home game against Pittsburgh is a highlight, as even in the worst of times, the Browns tend to play the Steelers tough at home, having won five of the last six meetings at Huntington Bank Field. But, this year, the game may take on more of the feeling of a funeral.
The Browns are closing out yet another disappointing season, with their ninth year of double-digit
losses under the 14-year ownership of Jimmy and Dee Haslam, while the Steelers are on the brink of their 12th playoff season under head coach Mike Tomlin.
The afternoon could also be the last time the home fans see some familiar faces in a Cleveland uniform, with the uncertainty surrounding veterans like Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, and David Njoku. (At least there is no fear of seeing Deshaun Watson on the field.)
Watching the losses pile up each week has not been fun, but with just two games to go, the Browns may as well do everything they can to ensure a high first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cleveland enters the weekend in control of the No. 3 overall selection and still has a 24.4 percent chance of earning the No. 1 overall selection.
While the Steelers are focused on the playoffs, an added bonus, at least in their eyes, would come from hurting Cleveland’s draft position, which could come about from two situations completely out of Cleveland’s control.
The first came on Tuesday when the NFL upheld the two-game suspension of Pittsburgh wide receiver DK Metcalf for his altercation with a fan during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. Metcalf is second on the Steelers in receptions (5), and first in receiving yards (850) and receiving touchdowns (6), so his absence makes it a little easier on Cleveland’s secondary.
The second won’t be known until late Saturday night. If the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, the Steelers will wake up Sunday morning as champions of the AFC North Division.
In that scenario, the Steelers could choose to sit many of their starters and give the Browns an easier path to victory. Even if Pittsburgh wins out, they would finish with 11 wins but would still be locked in as the No. 4 seed as long as the Jacksonville Jaguars win one more game.
Would the Steelers make the decision Sunday morning to sit out their starters and treat the game as a glorified scrimmage? And, if they do, would that still be enough for the Browns to pull out a win?
We are still a few days away from finding out, but would anyone be all that surprised if the Browns stumble their way into a victory and have their draft position hurt at the hands of the Steelers?
If that happens, there will be more than a few people channeling their inner Ralphie and uttering, “Oh, fudge!”
