The Pittsburgh Steelers lead the all-time rivalry 78-40-1 and have won 6 Super Bowls compared to the Browns' zero championships. The Steelers have historically dominated this AFC North matchup with superior playoff success and organizational stability.
Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
NFL team competing in AFC North known for defensive focus and recent offensive roster investments
AFC North franchise based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with 6 Super Bowl championships and consistent playoff contention.
Super Bowl Championships. All-Time Head-to-Head Record. Pro Football Hall of Famers (Franchise). NFL Playoff Appearances (Since 1999). Current Streak in Rivalry (2024). Consecutive Winning Seasons (2020-2024). Head Coach Tenure Stability
The Pittsburgh Steelers have established clear superiority in this franchise rivalry, with 6 Super Bowl championships, a 78-40-1 head-to-head record, and consistent playoff appearances under Mike Tomlin's stable leadership. The Cleveland Browns show recent signs of competitiveness with young QB Deshaun Watson and a 2023 playoff appearance, but remain far behind in historical achievement. Choose the Steelers if valuing proven organizational excellence and championship history; choose the Browns if backing an emerging younger team attempting to break their championship drought.
Cleveland Browns: 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 0 turnovers
Cleveland Browns: 4.2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Standard approach | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Fair - Turnover issues | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 4-2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 27.3% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 44.4% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Average Points Per Game vs This Opponent
Cleveland Browns: 18.1 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Leading Running Back Rushing Yards (2025)
Cleveland Browns: 35.5% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Gabriel 110 yards | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 20.2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 46.7% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Quinshon Judkins 827 yards | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 77 seasons overall | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 22.4 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 19:10 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 64.7% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Primary Running Back Rushing Yards (2025)
Cleveland Browns: 827 (Quinshon Judkins) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 73rd season (2025) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Multiple starters (Watson, Gabriel, Flacco) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 32nd | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 6-9 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Lost 29-31 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Below .500 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: ~2,000 yards | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: ~15 TDs | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 3 appearances | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Lost 3-31 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: ~55% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: ~82 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 61 years (1964) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 3-14 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 16.7 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 478 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 0 wins | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 6
Cleveland Browns: 3,964 (Deshaun Watson) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
QB Touchdown-to-Interception Ratio (2024)
Cleveland Browns: 1.69 (27 TDs / 16 INTs) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 6 seasons (Kevin Stefanski, since 2020) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
All-Time Head-to-Head Record (Since 1996)
Cleveland Browns: 29-35 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 6 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: $230M (Watson) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Offensive Points Per Game (2023-24 Season)
Cleveland Browns: 21.5 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 118.2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 77 years (1964) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 28-32 (since 1996) | Pittsburgh Steelers: 57-41-1
Cleveland Browns: 56.3% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: $57.5M (Deshaun Watson) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: $3.2B | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 8
Cleveland Browns: 544-689-10 (.441 win percentage) | Pittsburgh Steelers: 579-563-23 (.507 win percentage)
Cleveland Browns: 42-81-1 vs Steelers | Pittsburgh Steelers: 81-42-1 vs Browns
Cleveland Browns: 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 5
Cleveland Browns: 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 5
Cleveland Browns: Never won | Pittsburgh Steelers: 15 (2009)
Cleveland Browns: .438 (395-506-7) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 3-14 (.176) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 8 Hall of Famers | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 82.4 (Deshaun Watson) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 4th Place AFC North | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 38 years (1987) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 11-6 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 2 appearances | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: $230M (Deshaun Watson) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: $8.2M | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 76 years (since 1950) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 2 (2020, 2022) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 0 appearances | Pittsburgh Steelers: 8
Cleveland Browns: .447 (515-638-11) | Pittsburgh Steelers: 56.3%
Cleveland Browns: 8 titles | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 6 appearances | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 7 wins (16 games) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 1946 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Conference Championships (pre-Super Bowl era & modern)
Cleveland Browns: 8 total | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 5 seasons (Kevin Stefanski, 2020-present) | Pittsburgh Steelers: 19
2025 Defense Ranking (Yards Allowed/Game)
Cleveland Browns: 364.5 yards (22nd) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 379.8 yards (7th) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 3 appearances (2020, 2021, 2023) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 2 (Jim Brown, Otto Graham) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Head Coach Regular Season Win Percentage
Cleveland Browns: 54.0% (Stefanski) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Never | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 77 years (since 1946) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 67,431 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 27
Cleveland Browns: 13-33 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Winning Percentage (last 10 seasons: 2015-2024)
Cleveland Browns: 46.3% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 5 seasons (Stefanski) | Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin, 18 seasons
Cleveland Browns: 11-6 (missed playoffs) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 1 (Deshaun Watson - 3x Pro Bowler career) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 42.1% | Pittsburgh Steelers: 58.3%
Cleveland Browns: 3 years (Kevin Stefanski) | Pittsburgh Steelers: 18 years (Mike Tomlin)
Cleveland Browns: 40 wins | Pittsburgh Steelers: 78 wins
Division Titles (Last 25 Years: 1999-2024)
Cleveland Browns: 3 titles | Pittsburgh Steelers: 9 titles
Cleveland Browns: 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers: 15
Cleveland Browns: 8 appearances | Pittsburgh Steelers: 13 appearances
Cleveland Browns: $230M (5-year Deshaun Watson) | Pittsburgh Steelers: $14M (1-year Russell Wilson)
Cleveland Browns: 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Regular Season Win Percentage (2020-2026)
Cleveland Browns: 47.6% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski: 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 32 years (1994) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 17.6% | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Starting Quarterback MVP Awards (Career)
Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson: 0 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Consecutive Playoff Appearances (2020-2026)
Cleveland Browns: 4 of 6 seasons | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 92.1 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 354.1 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 23.4 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 4 years (2020) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 41-62 (.398 win %) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 78 years (founded 1946) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 2 (1964, 1965) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: $230M (Deshaun Watson, 2022) | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 85.5 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 312.4 yards | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 348.1 yards | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 8.5-8.5 | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 20.1 points | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 5 players | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: 0 titles | Pittsburgh Steelers: N/A
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 603
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson (veteran, short-term)
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 45%
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 22.1
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 70,129 (Acrisure)
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 182 yards
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 131 yards
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 19 first downs
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: Undisclosed
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: Ongoing
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: Not available
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: Ground-based approach
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 43.1%
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 1
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 7 different starters
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 87.3 (Russell Wilson/Justin Fields)
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 13
2024 Regular Season Points For (Offense)
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 305 (22nd NFL)
2024 Regular Season Points Against (Defense)
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 289 (4th NFL)
Consecutive Seasons Without Losing Record
Cleveland Browns: N/A | Pittsburgh Steelers: 19 (ongoing)
How to choose between Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers
Compare Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers. Contains 167 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers.
Why is the Steelers-Browns rivalry so important in the NFL?
The AFC North rivalry between Pittsburgh and Cleveland represents one of football's most storied matchups, dating back decades. The Steelers' dominance—78-40-1 record—and 6 Super Bowls create intense competition. The rivalry includes iconic players like Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, and recent stars like Ben Roethlisberger facing off against Browns legends Jim Brown and recently, Deshaun Watson. These division games directly impact playoff seeding and carry deep historical weight in steel country.
No, the Cleveland Browns have never won a Super Bowl in their franchise history. They won two NFL Championships before the Super Bowl era (1954, 1955) but have not captured a playoff title since relocating to Cleveland in 1946. The franchise's longest championship drought in the four major American sports leagues—72 years—represents a significant historical disadvantage compared to the Steelers' recent Super Bowl victory in 2005.
Who has the better quarterback right now in 2026?
Deshaun Watson (Cleveland Browns) presents more upside and is in his prime at age 30, signed through 2028 with elite arm talent that led to 4,172 passing yards and 24 TDs in 2023. However, Russell Wilson or his successor with the Steelers offers veteran experience. The Browns' investment in Watson ($230M guaranteed) reflects greater confidence in their QB future, while Pittsburgh's approach suggests transition or uncertainty at the position.
How has coaching stability affected each franchise?
Mike Tomlin's 18 years with Pittsburgh (since 2007) produced zero losing seasons—an unprecedented NFL achievement for active head coaches. This stability translated to 13 playoff appearances and consistent winning culture. Conversely, the Browns rotated through 10 head coaches in 14 years (2008-2022) before stabilizing under Kevin Stefanski (3 years). This coaching carousel hindered player development and organizational culture, directly contributing to the Browns' historical underperformance versus Steelers consistency.
What's the current state of this rivalry heading into 2026?
The Steelers maintain structural advantages through coaching stability and playoff pedigree, but the Browns showed competitiveness with an 11-6 season and playoff appearance in 2023. The 2024 season saw Pittsburgh win both matchups (2-0), but Deshaun Watson's presence gives Cleveland genuine hope to challenge the division for the first time in years. If Watson stays healthy and the Browns' defense anchored by Myles Garrett continues improving, this rivalry could become more competitive than it has been since the 2000s.
How to Choose Between Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl Championships: Cleveland Browns has 0 titles, while Pittsburgh Steelers has 6 titles (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 2005).
All-Time Head-to-Head Record: Cleveland Browns has 40-78-1 (34.8% win rate), while Pittsburgh Steelers has 78-40-1 (65.8% win rate).
Consider: Pro Football Hall of Famers (Franchise)
Pro Football Hall of Famers (Franchise): Cleveland Browns has 9 members, while Pittsburgh Steelers has 15 members.
Consider: NFL Playoff Appearances (Since 1999)
NFL Playoff Appearances (Since 1999): Cleveland Browns has 8 appearances, while Pittsburgh Steelers has 13 appearances.
Consider: Current Streak in Rivalry (2024)
Current Streak in Rivalry (2024): Cleveland Browns has Steelers lead recent 2023-24 season, while Pittsburgh Steelers has Won 2-0 in 2024 season.
Consider: Consecutive Winning Seasons (2020-2024)
Consecutive Winning Seasons (2020-2024): Cleveland Browns has 1 winning season (2023: 11-6), while Pittsburgh Steelers has 5 consecutive winning seasons.
Head Coach Tenure Stability: Cleveland Browns has Kevin Stefanski (3 years as of 2026), while Pittsburgh Steelers has Mike Tomlin (18 years, never losing season).