Tim Benz: Steelers have to improve upon recent checkered history in Cleveland

It’s not just Steelers players and coaches who need to turn the page on a win over the Baltimore Ravens as quickly as possible.

Fans and those of us in the media have to as well.

It’s tempting for fans to bask in the afterglow of an eighth win in 12 tries over the hated birds from Baltimore. It’s easy for those of us who cover the Steelers (8-2) to toss barbs at the Ravens (7-4) for their mental block every time they see black and gold.

However, it’s a quick turnaround to Thursday’s game against the 2-8 Cleveland Browns. So, we may not want to spend too much time throwing rocks at glass houses in Maryland because, somewhat quietly, Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland has recently become a house of horrors for the Steelers.

Between Cleveland’s return to the NFL in 1999 and the end of the 2017 season, the Browns managed just six victories against the Steelers in 39 tries (counting the playoffs).

Since then, though, things have been more balanced, especially when the teams square off in Northeast Ohio. From the start of the 2018 season until now, the Steelers have been just 1-4-1 against their longtime neighbors on the other side of the state line when they go on the road.

“The environmental component has our attention,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of going to Cleveland this week. “Thursday night in a hostile, division environment is something that we need to be ready for.”

The Steelers haven’t done that well enough in recent years — especially when you consider the opposing quarterbacks Tomlin’s teams have lost to (or tied) in their trips up to the lake over that six-year stretch.

They were (in order) Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield twice, Jacoby Brissett and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Tomlin said this year, as it was in those, what makes Cleveland threatening is how their defense plays in the Dawg Pound.

“The environmental component, primetime television, the wave that Myles Garrett and others provide up front, they’ve had a top quality rush group for a number of years. You couple that with a talented and veteran secondary group, they’re good up front. They’ve got a nice umbrella on the back end,” Tomlin said. “Those things that I outlined and others have our attention from a prep standpoint.”

At least this year, they’ll be prepping with a veteran quarterback in Russell Wilson, who has a resume that suggests he can handle such circumstances. Plus, Wilson is 3-0 during his career in Cleveland with a 6:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio, a completion percentage of 67% and a passer rating of 114.7.

It’s not like the Steelers exactly brought an esteemed collection of quarterbacks through Cleveland in that run of games. Granted, future hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger accounted for the tie in 2018 and the lone victory in 2021. Aside from him, Mason Rudolph lost there twice (including the infamous “Myles Garrett Helmet Game”), Kenny Pickett lost there last season, and Mitch Trubisky dropped the 2022 game.

Those quarterbacks combined for just five touchdowns, eight interceptions and 15 sacks.

Meanwhile, the Steelers have emerged victorious in four of their six battles in Cincinnati during that same stretch of time and nine of their last 11 trips to Paycor Stadium overall. In terms of visits to Baltimore, the Steelers are on a four-game winning streak and have won six of seven overall.

Yet it’s the quick jaunt up to Cleveland to play the often-lowly Browns that has been the bugaboo for the Steelers within the division of late.

Go figure.

And the Steelers better do exactly that over the next two days before kickoff there Thursday night if they want to maintain visions of a bye week and of the No. 1 seed overall in AFC playoffs, which is a goal that has now suddenly come into focus.

But it’s also one that can become blurry with another stumble in Cleveland.

Listen: Chris Adamski and Tim Benz look ahead to Thursday’s Steelers-Browns showdown.