As the Cleveland Browns are felt to be on the cusp of relevance, there is already talk about their rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers emerging—or re-emerging, after decades of slumber—as one of the great ones in all of the NFL this season. It’s certainly possible, but kind of needs to be seen to be believed.
Rivalries are strong when the games are competitive, but they are at their best when it’s not so lopsided in the win column. That hasn’t been the case for the Browns against the Steelers. And it wasn’t the case for the Cincinnati Bengals during their recent run of success, either, making the playoffs five years in a row.