PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to rivalries. The four-time MVP spent nearly two decades in Green Bay, where he led the Packers past the Chicago Bears so often he once famously — or notoriously, depending on your perspective — proclaimed part ownership of one of the league's original franchises.
So yeah, Rodgers kind of knows what he's getting into when the longstanding feud between Pittsburgh and Cleveland renews on Sunday as the Steelers (3-1) host the Browns (1-4) with a chance to take firm control of the AFC North.
As it was when the Packers and Bears faced off, Rodgers has come to learn that when it comes to Pittsburgh and the Browns, “the hatred goes both ways.”
Even if the results in Pittsburgh do not.
The Steelers have won every regular-season meeting with Cleveland at Acrisure Stadium since 2004 — with the notable exception of Cleveland's first-round playoff stunner in 2020 — a streak so long it predates the 41-year-old Rodgers' arrival in the NFL.
Not that Pittsburgh is taking anything for granted, even with the Steelers emerging as the early front-runner in the injury-ravaged AFC North. Pittsburgh put some distance between itself and the rest of the division without even taking a snap last week when Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore all lost.
All the good vibes, however, can be ruined by a misstep on Sunday, even if coach Mike Tomlin's next regular-season home loss to the Browns will be his first. It's why he brushed aside any talk about “momentum."
“I’m just worried about getting better,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s the spirit with which we should move. At the early stages of the year, it’s about getting better week in and week out. Momentum is secondary.”
Maybe, but the Steelers have managed to survive without playing close to their best. The defense has been opportunistic but also uncharacteristically leaky. Rodgers and the offense have shown flashes but have plenty of work to do.
For Tomlin, it's the best of both worlds. His team is winning while not always playing like a winner. It's enough to keep the Steelers' attention against an opponent whose colors are familiar but whose quarterback keeps changing.
Dillon Gabriel will make the second start of his career for the now Joe Flacco-less Browns. The rookie was solid if unspectacular last week in his debut, a loss to Minnesota in London. Now he finds himself going against one of the most experienced defenses in the NFL in a place where the Browns have won just once since he was a toddler.
While Browns coach Kevin Stefanski — who notably was home dealing with COVID-19 when Cleveland beat Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2020 playoffs — understands the weight of that history, he also knows it's not Gabriel's to carry.
“It’s the past,” Stefanski said. “Doesn’t really matter. What’s in front is what matters.”
Edge of 17
Gabriel avoided major mistakes against the Vikings while completing 19 of 33 for 190 yards and two scores. He received a boost from rookie running back Quinshon Judkins, who ran for 110 yards and added 18 yards receiving.
As promising as it all was, however, Cleveland still managed just 17 points, the 10th straight game in which the Browns have scored 17 or fewer.
While Cleveland might have the league's second-ranked defense, it's going to need a little help if the Browns want to make progress during what is threatening to be a repeat of 2024, when they trudged to a 3-14 mark.
“It is hard to score points, of course, but you know, that’s our job,” Gabriel said. “We've got to find ways to do that and do it at a higher clip.”
Another QB for Garrett
Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett has sacked 46 quarterbacks in his nine NFL seasons. He will be looking to add Rodgers to the list on Sunday.
While the perennial All-Pro has 13 sacks in 15 games against the Steelers, he's faced Rodgers just once, when Rodgers was with Green Bay in 2021.
Rodgers has seen enough of Garrett to call him a “Hall of Famer,” and understands the best thing he can do to keep Garrett at bay is get the ball out of his hands quickly.
“(Garrett) is one of the few players in the league, over my 21 years, that you game-plan for,” Rodgers said. “Myles is a special talent. Has been since his first year in the league, and he’s a game-wrecker.”
Garrett will likely spend most of the day lined up against Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones. The former first-round pick is off to a rocky start after moving to the left side, and will likely get help from tight end Darnell Washington and reserve lineman Spencer Anderson, who saw plenty of time in a “jumbo” package against the Vikings.
“He’s a freak of nature,” Jones said of Garrett. “So you got to do everything you can to slow him down. He’s trying to keep a lid on him. I guess that’s the right way to say it.”
AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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