Steelers win vs. Baker Mayfield’s Browns extends home winning streak vs. No. 1 overall QBs

In beating Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers extended a long, quirky and trivial winning streak.

The Steelers’ 20-13 victory was their 12th consecutive at home against a team starting a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall. It’s the longest such streak in NFL history, and it’s lasted more than a decade.

The most recent time a No. 1-drafted quarterback won at Heinz Field was Nov. 15, 2009, when Carson Palmer’s Cincinnati Bengals won, 18-12. The year before, two top-drafted quarterbacks — who happen to be brothers — beat the Steelers twice in a 15-day span. Eli Manning’s New York Giants beat the Steelers on Oct. 26, and Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts likewise won at Heinz Field on Nov. 8.

The Steelers would get their revenge on Palmer (in 2015 while he was with the Arizona Cardinals) and Eli Manning (in 2016), but their only home win against Peyton came in 2002.

Among these 12 consecutive victories are two each against Palmer, Alex Smith and Mayfield. It covers quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall covering an 18-year span (Vick, 2001, to Mayfield, 2018).

The only quarterbacks taken with the first pick over that span the Steelers have not beaten at home are David Carr (who won in Pittsburgh as a rookie in 2002) and JaMarcus Russell, Sam Bradford, Jameis Winston and Kyler Murray – none of whom have played a game in Pittsburgh.

Incidentally, the Steelers face Murray this week — but it is on the road. The Steelers play Murray’s Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. Sunday.

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